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| Invisible Memorial: An Artist's Impression |
Backtrack to 04 July 2018, and a survey noted that almost 94% of the public who responded to a consultation about the future of the former Haut de la Garenne children’s home do not think that the building should be demolished. It said:
"The findings of the former Haut de la Garenne site public consultation have been published today, alongside the recommendations from a citizens’ panel to create a memorial for a permanent legacy."
"The members of the panel, of whom a significant number were survivors of the care system in Jersey, also agreed unanimously that Haut de la Garenne should not be demolished."
"The panel also suggested that the Royal Square should be the place for a memorial, that the anniversary of the Care Inquiry, 3 July, should be designated as ‘Jersey Children’s Day’ and that an emblem, the butterfly, should link all the elements of the legacy project."
"The consultation and memorial project are part of the government’s response to Recommendation 8 of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry, which identified the need to determine how the failures of the Island’s historic child care system should be recognised and remembered."
So how is the memorial coming along? Fast forward to May this year, and the BBC notes that a panel of survivors has called for a visible memorial at a site yet to be determined with a competition for the best design.
So far... no memorial, no design for a memorial, no site for a memorial.
Around March 2018, a committee was set up by the States (and mentioned in the Jersey Evening Post) to look at a memorial for the survivors of Haut de la Garenne and child abuse in Jersey care homes.
A
Have they employed any external consultants from the UK, and if so how many?
B
What is the cost incurred by the committee (and consultants fees, if any) to date?
C
Please can I see a redacted list of any emails to Ministers regarding the memorial committee since its inception? Please use the following key words “citizens panel” and “care inquiry legacy memorial”.
Response
In 2017 the Council of Ministers set out their intention in P.108/2017 to convene a Citizens Panel to consider recommendation 8b of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry in P.108/2017. An invitation to tender for the design and delivery of a Citizens Panel was published on the Channel Islands Tender Portal in December 2017. Following an evaluation process, this work was awarded to Contact Consulting (Oxford) Ltd. The Citizens Panel met for the first time in May 2018; the Panel’s recommendations have previously been published in Jersey Citizens Panel 2018 Final Report, which recommends a memorial, but suggests it goes out for a competition for designs.
The Citizens Panel has not employed any external consultants from the UK. The Department for Strategic Policy, Performance and Population (formerly Community and Constitutional Affairs) has engaged Contact Consulting (Oxford) Ltd to design, deliver and facilitate the Citizens Panel. Two UK based consultants employed by Contact Consulting have carried out this work. A Jersey-based consultant has also been engaged to provide specialised advice and support to the Citizens Panel in conjunction with the memorial element of their legacy recommendations.
B
The cost of the Citizens Panel process from to the end of May 2019 is £68,406. This sum includes: professional fees, travel expenses, catering, room hire and vouchers given to participants to recognise their time in contributing to the process. The professional fees paid to Contact Consulting (Oxford) Ltd (excluding travel and expenses) to date are: £45,445.
C
Ministerial involvement with the Citizens Panel process has been light touch but supportive. Government Officers presented two papers to the Council of Ministers relating to the Citizens Panel during 2018. A private meeting was arranged between the Citizens Panel and the Chief Minister in June 2018. Subsequently the Minister for Children and Housing has been regularly briefed about the work of the Panel, having attended one of their sessions in January 2019 and having ministerial oversight for this work.
"The findings of the former Haut de la Garenne site public consultation have been published today, alongside the recommendations from a citizens’ panel to create a memorial for a permanent legacy."
"The members of the panel, of whom a significant number were survivors of the care system in Jersey, also agreed unanimously that Haut de la Garenne should not be demolished."
"The panel also suggested that the Royal Square should be the place for a memorial, that the anniversary of the Care Inquiry, 3 July, should be designated as ‘Jersey Children’s Day’ and that an emblem, the butterfly, should link all the elements of the legacy project."
"The consultation and memorial project are part of the government’s response to Recommendation 8 of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry, which identified the need to determine how the failures of the Island’s historic child care system should be recognised and remembered."
So how is the memorial coming along? Fast forward to May this year, and the BBC notes that a panel of survivors has called for a visible memorial at a site yet to be determined with a competition for the best design.
So far... no memorial, no design for a memorial, no site for a memorial.
Now if I mention the magic word "consultants", you will probably think that costs have been incurred. And indeed they have. As a recent Freedom of Information request (text below) demonstrates, the cost so far racked up is £68,406, of which £45,445 has been incurred by the Consultants (who have themselves also employed two UK consultants and one Jersey consultant).
And a "light touch" approach by the Minister for Children which doesn't see anything wrong with this.
Heaven knows how this state of affairs came to be.
You really couldn't make it up!
FOI Request
Around March 2018, a committee was set up by the States (and mentioned in the Jersey Evening Post) to look at a memorial for the survivors of Haut de la Garenne and child abuse in Jersey care homes.
A
Have they employed any external consultants from the UK, and if so how many?
B
What is the cost incurred by the committee (and consultants fees, if any) to date?
C
Please can I see a redacted list of any emails to Ministers regarding the memorial committee since its inception? Please use the following key words “citizens panel” and “care inquiry legacy memorial”.
Response
In 2017 the Council of Ministers set out their intention in P.108/2017 to convene a Citizens Panel to consider recommendation 8b of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry in P.108/2017. An invitation to tender for the design and delivery of a Citizens Panel was published on the Channel Islands Tender Portal in December 2017. Following an evaluation process, this work was awarded to Contact Consulting (Oxford) Ltd. The Citizens Panel met for the first time in May 2018; the Panel’s recommendations have previously been published in Jersey Citizens Panel 2018 Final Report, which recommends a memorial, but suggests it goes out for a competition for designs.
a) Open design competition b) A short-listing process should be led by members of the Citizens Panel with input from relevant experts as required c) A public vote decides on the final design.
A
The Citizens Panel has not employed any external consultants from the UK. The Department for Strategic Policy, Performance and Population (formerly Community and Constitutional Affairs) has engaged Contact Consulting (Oxford) Ltd to design, deliver and facilitate the Citizens Panel. Two UK based consultants employed by Contact Consulting have carried out this work. A Jersey-based consultant has also been engaged to provide specialised advice and support to the Citizens Panel in conjunction with the memorial element of their legacy recommendations.
B
The cost of the Citizens Panel process from to the end of May 2019 is £68,406. This sum includes: professional fees, travel expenses, catering, room hire and vouchers given to participants to recognise their time in contributing to the process. The professional fees paid to Contact Consulting (Oxford) Ltd (excluding travel and expenses) to date are: £45,445.
C
Ministerial involvement with the Citizens Panel process has been light touch but supportive. Government Officers presented two papers to the Council of Ministers relating to the Citizens Panel during 2018. A private meeting was arranged between the Citizens Panel and the Chief Minister in June 2018. Subsequently the Minister for Children and Housing has been regularly briefed about the work of the Panel, having attended one of their sessions in January 2019 and having ministerial oversight for this work.
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