The Governance Committee of Havering Council met on Friday 29 May 2026. The meeting's agenda included a review of guidance notes for complainants and a Stage Three Children's Complaint Review Panel Report.

Stage Three Children's Complaint Review Panel Report

The primary focus of the meeting was the consideration of a Stage Three Children's Complaint Review Panel Report, identified by the reference HAV885379. This report pertains to the adjudication and review process for children's complaints. The panel, consisting of independent members Ms Nicola Manners, Mr Colm Nolan (Chair), and Ms Dawn Hutcheon, was scheduled to review the complaint.

The report pack provided guidance notes for complainants, outlining the procedure for hearings. These notes explained that the Hearings Panel operates on an inquisitorial basis, meaning the panel members will ask questions to gather information. The panel's role is to review what has already occurred and make recommendations to Children's Services regarding the action needed to address the complaint. The panel can either dismiss the complaint, in whole or in part, or uphold it and determine the necessary actions. It was noted that the panel cannot conduct its own enquiries and is limited to considering information present in the Stage Two Report.

Following the panel's deliberations, a written report is compiled within five working days, summarising the representations and detailing the panel's recommendations. The local authority then has 15 working days to respond to these recommendations, outlining how they will address them and providing information on how to escalate the complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

The agenda also included items for chair's announcements, apologies for absence, and consideration of whether the public should be excluded from parts of the meeting due to the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined by Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.