Eversheds has been named as solicitors to the Jersey historical abuse inquiry.

The £6m year-long inquiry will investigate allegations of child abuse in homes and care in Jersey dating back as far as 1960.

The inquiry will take evidence from victims of the alleged abuse and those accused of perpetrating it as well as investigate failures in the system and "the culture that allowed the abuse to continue for such a long period".

The firm won the mandate following a competitive tender process, fielding a team led by Cardiff-based head of inquiries and investigations Peter Jones, Birmingham litigation partner Sarah Garner and senior associate Isabelle Mitchell.

The inquiry panel has not yet accredited any other external legal advisers to act for other parties.

The inquiry is being chaired by Frances Oldham QC of 36 Bedford Row, who was nominated to the role last October and will be supported by retired director of social work Sandy Cameron and child protection specialist Alyson Leslie. The opening hearing is on 3 April.

Oldham, Cameron and Leslie were selected after interviews held by the States Greffier Michael de la Haye, NSPCC senior legal counsel Belinda Smith and Ed Marsden of Verita consultants.

Jones and Garner have been mandated on recent high profile public inquiries including the Mid-Staffordshire NHS foundation trust public inquiry in 2012, which was chaired by Serjeants Inn Chambers' Robert Francis QC.

The inquiry investigated the failings of Stafford Hospital following the deaths of hundreds of hospital patients over a three-year period.