Calls for inquiry after refugee children made to guess who got foster care in ‘game’ – The Guardian

‘Foster families and social workers are demanding an independent inquiry after it emerged that Home Office-employed staff forced refugee children to play a game to guess who would be the next one to be placed in foster care.’

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The Guardian, 4th March 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Boy, 13, who killed his foster carer with her own car sentenced to two years – The Guardian

‘A 13-year-old boy has been sentenced to two years in custody for killing his foster carer with her car outside her Sheffield home earlier this year.’

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The Guardian, 29th November 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Children’s Commissioner for England asks for views on adding care experience to list of ‘protected characteristics’ – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 2nd, 2023 in adoption, care homes, children, equality, fostering, local government, news by sally

The Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, is to ask care-experienced people for their views on whether care experience should be a ‘protected characteristic’ under the Equality Act 2010 – “like age, disability or religion currently are”.

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Local Government Lawyer, 1st August 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Borough council not vicariously liable for abuse suffered by claimant, High Court rules – Local Government Lawyer

‘Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is not vicariously liable for sexual abuse inflicted on claimant DJ by an uncle who was a de facto foster parent, the High Court has found.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 27th July 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ministry of Justice widens scope of legal aid to cover looked-after children with SEN – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Ministry of Justice has changed the law so that foster parents and approved prospective adopted parents bringing SEND appeals on behalf of a looked-after child will “not be means assessed”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th February 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Judge finds threshold met on facts before the Court despite all parties considering it was not – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 27th, 2023 in care orders, children, families, fostering, local government, news by sally

‘A High Court judge has found the threshold was crossed for the making of a care order for a 14-year-old girl, despite all parties thinking it was not met.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 27th January 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Court of Appeal makes “unusual order” allowing appeal over refusal to make person party to care proceedings – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal over a Family Court judge’s refusal of an application by an appellant non-relative, Mr B, to become a party to care proceedings.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th January 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Realistic care options without magic wands: CV (A Child) (Placement Order) [2022] EWCA Civ 930 – Becket Chambers

‘This article considers the successful appeal of a first instance case in which a final placement order was made in respect of a young child with complex medical needs.’

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Becket Chambers, 10th August 2022

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Grandmother secures fresh hearing after Court of Appeal finds process that led to placement order deficient – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 7th, 2022 in appeals, fostering, grandparents, news, placement orders by sally

‘An appeal from the Family Court at Liverpool must be allowed even though it would leave a boy aged two in a foster placement where he has already spent all his life, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th July 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Children: Public Law Update (Winter 2022) – Family Law Week

‘John Tughan QC of 4PB considers recent judgments that public law child lawyers need to know about.’

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Family Law Week, 7th January 2022

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Court of Appeal upholds refusal of application for placement orders in case where parents showed “grossly unreasonable attitude” towards professionals – Local Government Lawyer

‘A local authority has failed to persuade the Court of Appeal that a judge’s refusal of its applications for placement orders in respect of children aged two and almost four was irrational.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th November 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Family Law Newsletter – Spire Barristers

‘Issue #53 of Spire Barristers’ Family Law Newsletter: edited by Chloe Lee and Philippa Pudney; news and Case Reviews by Francesca Massarella. Francesca began pupillage at Spire Barristers in September 2021.’

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Spire Barristers, 27th October 2021

Source: spirebarristers.co.uk

Fostering agencies and religious beliefs – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has recently ruled on the legality of a fostering agency’s requirement that potential carers must be Christians. Natasha Isaac examines the case.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 22nd October 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Research Briefing: Financial support for family and friends carers (kinship carers) – House of Commons Library

Posted October 15th, 2021 in carers, families, fostering, local government, news, parliament, remuneration by tracey

‘This House of Commons Library briefing paper considers what help is available for grandparents and other family and friends carers (also known as kinship carers) looking after children where their parents are not in a position to do so.’

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House of Commons Library , 7th October 2021

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Court of Appeal rules on the legality of Christian requirement by fostering agency – UK Human Rights Blog

‘In this claim for judicial review, the issue was whether it was lawful for the claimant independent fostering agency (Cornerstone) only to accept heterosexual evangelical Christians as potential carers under the Equality Act 2010 (EA 2010) and the European Convention on Human Rights (the Convention).’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 7th October 2021

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Independent fostering agency loses appeal over lawfulness of only accepting heterosexual evangelical Christians as potential carers – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by an independent fostering agency over whether it is lawful for it only to accept heterosexual evangelical Christians as potential carers.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 27th September 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

When a case is described finely balanced, how important are the children’s expressed wishes and feelings? Dorset Council v M & Ors (Removal : Balance of Harm) [2021] EWFC B43 – Transparency Project

Posted September 8th, 2021 in adoption, care orders, children, families, family courts, fostering, local government, news by sally

‘Every case is fact specific but what makes cases like this interesting is seeing what it was that made the Judge’s decision fall on the opposite side of the line to the professionals when the decision is said to be “finely balanced” and “on a knife edge”.’

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Transparency Project, 7th September 2021

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Revocation of adoption orders – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal recently heard an appeal against an order dismissing an application by the birth mother of three children to revoke an adoption order made in respect of those children. Fran Massarella looks at the outcome.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 3rd September 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ombudsman criticises London borough over failures as corporate parent to former looked-after child who alleged abuse – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said the London Borough of Lewisham exposed a former looked after child to “significant harm” after it failed to address her claims of abuse while in foster care properly.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 22nd June 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Newborn care report sparks judicial response – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Judges are to investigate the use of urgent hearings in proceedings involving babies, after a study found that 85% of mothers in cases involving newborns being taken into care were given less than seven days’ formal notice.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 4th June 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk