Article 39 is delighted that the Department for Education is consulting on a revised set of national standards for children and young people’s advocacy services in England. The consultation runs until 18 December 2023. You can find our summary of the key changes, and other areas for improvement, here.
This judgment concerns three claims for judicial review: (1) Claim by ECPAT UK (Every Child Protected Against Trafficking) against Kent County Council and the Home Secretary; (2) claim by Kent County Council against the Home Secretary (with Brighton & Hove City Council joining as an interested party); and (3) claim by Brighton & Hove City … Read more
The First-Tier Tribunal General Regulatory Chamber (Information Rights) has ruled that the Department for Education must release a report to Article 39, which analyses 48 separate incidents where children in care died or suffered serious harm (judgment here). The report was produced by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, and shared with the Department for … Read more
A Ministry of Justice policy document published last week, effective from February 2024, for the first time instructs staff working in child prisons that they “are not permitted to use restraint techniques which deliberately cause pain”. When the policy is finally implemented, it will be nearly two decades since the death of 14 year-old Adam Rickwood at … Read more
Delays in investigating and implementing the recommendations following a complex Children Act 1989 complaint “excessive and unacceptable”, concludes Local Government Ombudsman The complaint Mr B, who is care experienced*, complained to the Ombudsman about excessive delays to the handing of a complaint he made under the Children Act 1989 about “failures towards him as a … Read more