In this issue, we share an October 2022 judgment in which the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court was used to authorise the deprivation of liberty of a 13 year-old child for the eighth time, after continued deprivation of her liberty in a hospital due to a lack of suitable, secure accommodation. The judgment contains … Read more
This month, following a seven-year inquiry and the publication of 19 individual investigation reports, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its concluding report. Drawing on evidence from over 7,000 victims and survivors, this final report makes 20 recommendations to ensure children are better protected from child sexual abuse. In this issue, we … Read more
In this issue, we focus on a recent High Court judgment in which the wishes of a ‘Gillick competent’ 12 year-old girl to be removed from foster care and returned home to her mother’s care were granted by the court. The girl had been subjected to “draconian restrictions” on her family and social life after … Read more
The Department for Education has today (18 July) laid secondary legislation before Parliament which adds supported accommodation to the list of services which are (to be) regulated under the Care Standards Act 2000. It is due to come into force on 8 August 2022. The secondary legislation does not provide a description of supported accommodation, … Read more
In April 2022, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman published a decision about a council’s failings connected to payment of savings to two children who were previously in care. The complaint, made by a foster carer on behalf of two children she was looking after, was upheld. While the Ombudsman’s decision centred on the … Read more