Victims and Survivors Consultative Panel (VSCP) – what is it for?
On the 9th April 2015 the child abuse inquiry website published a “Call for applications or nominations” for something called the “Victims and Survivors Consultative Panel” (VSCP).
The call starts with some fine words. “Justice Goddard has made it clear that she fully agrees with the Home Secretary’s view that the experiences of victims and survivors need to be placed at the centre of the Inquiry’s work. Victims and survivors will be given a strong voice and play a defined role in the institutional arrangements that she is putting in place.”
The document goes on to explain that there will be eight members of the VSCP. It describes the key criteria for membership of the panel:
a) Experience of issues associated with institutional responses to child sexual abuse
b) Experience of working collectively and collaboratively as part of a team and
c) Holds a current mandate to represent the interests of a defined group of victims or survivors of child sexual abuse.
Strictly speaking the role doesn’t require VSCP members to be victims or survivors of abuse. (more…)