This content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost. Let us know if you find any major problems.
Text in this format is not official and should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments. Please see the PDF for the official version of the document.
STATEMENT TO BE MADE BY THE
CHAIRMAN OF THE CARE OF CHILDREN IN JERSEY REVIEW PANEL ON TUESDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER 2017
Formation of the Care of Children in Jersey Review Panel
The report by the Independent Jersey Care InquiryPanel into the abuse of children in the Island's care system over many yearswaspresented on Monday, 3July2017.
The Inquiry's 15 Terms of Reference dealtwith matters between 1945 and the present day.As relayed on the Inquiry website, evidence was heard from more than 450 people who had lived in the care system or were otherwise connected to it.The Panel held 149 days of public hearingsandalsosawmore than 200 witnesses. Itconsideredmore than136,000documents.The experience of children within the care system was at the heart of the Inquiry's work.
The finalreportidentifiedindividual and systemic failings and made 8 corerecommendations for the futuremanagement and operation ofJersey's residential and foster homesto ensure the islandprovides a safe and secure environment for the children in its care. Furthermore it relayed (and backed) 659 recommendationsput forward by individuals or stakeholder organisations in Jersey, which it grouped into 11 themed categories.
The Chairman's Committee has established a Review Panel to objectively examine the implementation of these recommendations and any associated proposals and legislation put forward to achieve them. Our Terms of Reference are as follows:
- To examine the policy of the Council of Ministers in relation to the eight core recommendations made by the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry Panel (IJCI).
- To consider the recommendations contributed to the IJCI by members of the public and stakeholder organisations in Jersey (659 individual recommendations grouped into 11 categories by the IJCI Panel) and examine the policy of the Council of Ministers to those matters.
- To scrutinise all legislation arising from the recommendations made by the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry.
Membership of the Review Panel currently exists of myself, Deputies Vallois (Vice-Chairman) and Hilton and Senator Ferguson. As you will note, this constitutes four members from the Scrutiny Panels most involved in this matter and as such, will enable effective coverage of all topics arising from the Care Inquiry, as well as effective communication with the existing Scrutiny Panels. Membership may evolve further over time as work streams develop, and we would welcome expressions of interest at any stage from Members who may be interested in joining the Panel.
Our intention is that the Care of Children in Jersey Review Panel will conduct all reviews in relation to any policy arising from the Care Inquiry, as well as examining both new and revised legislation that may be brought before the States Assembly. Scrutiny of individual pieces of legislation, where deemed necessary, will be undertaken by the Care of Children in Jersey Review Panel as distinct reviews.
It is vital that the recommendations put forward by the Care Inquiry are implemented correctly and thorough Scrutiny will be essential in ensuring that what is put in place is both fit for purpose and helps to improve the care and well-being of children in Jersey.