Sir Ronald Waterhouse: Report into child abuse

"But without the resources to back them up and implement them, we can't guarantee that there won't be another Waterhouse - this time to do with foster care."

The long-running inquiry resulted in a series of recommendations to protect young people in care from abuse.

The three tribunal members heard evidence from 650 people who had been in care in north Wales since 1974.

Complaints were made to the inquiry about 40 homes in the old north Wales counties of Gwynedd and Clwyd, although most allegations centred on just seven.

The resulting report - published exactly a year ago - concluded that widespread sexual abuse and physical abuse had taken place at care homes in north east Wales.

Since then insurers acting for the former Clwyd County Council have settled 140 claims from victims.

Eleven former residents of children's homes have been awarded more than �300,000 compensation at the High Court in London last July.

The biggest single payout so far has been for �180,000.

Victim's group

A further 100 compensation claims are still in the pipeline.

Campaigner Steve Meesham, of the victims' support group NORWAS, is still fighting his own case.

He said he felt the report had achieved very little.

Fostering has now largely replaced residential care for the three thousand children in Wales who are looked after by social services.

But the National Foster Care Association is warning that more resources need to be put into training if there is not to be another inquiry into abuse in care.