Immigration Status of a Parent in an Application for a Child Arrangements Order by Lucy Coen – Broadway House Chambers

‘There can often be an interplay between family and immigration proceedings. This article seeks to give some guidance to family practitioners when the immigration status of a parent in contact proceedings is a live issue.’

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Broadway House Chambers, 19th March 2020

Source: broadwayhouse.co.uk

COVID-19 and school places for critical sector workers: one parent or two? – Education Blog

‘The new Cabinet Office and DfE Guidance for schools, colleges and local authorities on maintaining educational provision states that school places should be provided where needed for children of critical sector workers. One issue which has arisen immediately is whether this means school places should be open where one parent is a critical sector worker, or only where both parents are such workers. I have heard reports of schools seeking to limit their intake to only those children for whom both parents are critical sector workers. In one case, this puts at jeopardy the running of a large special school which itself is essential to the delivery of a large part of this new policy, namely the continued education of children with EHC plans.’

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Education Blog, 20th March 2020

Source: education11kbw.com

Parental Alienation: An Example Where The Alienator Succeeds and Guidelines As to How to Minimise it Happening – Becket Chambers

‘The case of Re A (Children) (Parental Alienation) 2019 EWFC demonstrates clearly the shortcomings of the Family Court to ensure that all children, wherever possible, enjoy a relationship with both of his or her parents. The position of the courts with regard to ordering no direct contact with the absent parent, is that it is a very serious step to take, and should only be taken where it is plainly not in the welfare best interests of the child.’

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Becket Chambers, 2nd March 2020

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Ava-May Littleboy: No safety procedure in place, finds jury – BBC News

‘An inquest jury has criticised the safety management of an inflatable trampoline which exploded and threw a three-year-old girl to her death.’

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BBC News, 19th March 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Council defends challenge over provision of secure accommodation for children at risk of being detained by police – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 19th, 2020 in children, detention, local government, news by sally

‘Judges have dismissed a legal challenge over an alleged systemic failure by a London council to provide adequate secure accommodation for children at risk of being detained in police cells in circumstances where normal local authority accommodation would be unsuitable to meet the risks they pose to the general public.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Mother sends letter before action to government over coronavirus and strategy for needs of younger disabled people, lack of testing of health and social care workers – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 19th, 2020 in children, coronavirus, disabled persons, news, social services by sally

‘Claimant law firm Simpson Millar has sent a letter before action on behalf of the mother of a child with a number of complex health and learning disabilities calling on the UK government to confirm its strategy for “meeting the needs of younger disabled people (children and working age adults) in the context of the current pandemic”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 18th March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Why Making Profit From Children’s British Citizenship Fees Harms Us All – Each Other

Posted March 19th, 2020 in children, citizenship, fees, news by sally

‘Three months after a landmark court ruling, UK-born children applying for British citizenship must still fork out an unlawfully high fee of £1,012.’

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Each Other, 18th March 2020

Source: eachother.org.uk

Child sex abuser given ‘preferential treatment’, says damning report – The Guardian

‘A top civil servant and a senior member of the royal household have both been criticised in an official report examining attempts by a victim of child sex abuse to have his abuser stripped of an honour.’

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The Guardian, 14th March 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Amendment of LA Plan, post final orders – what can parents do? – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 13th, 2020 in appeals, care orders, children, families, fostering, human rights, local government, news by sally

‘Natalie Cross looks at what needs to happen where parents seek to challenge a change to a care plan where the earlier plan (i.e. remaining at home) has already been approved by the court when the final order was made.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Question of Incompatibility – Deprivation of Children’s Liberty Without Court Order? – Family Law Week

Posted March 13th, 2020 in care homes, care orders, children, families, human rights, news, privacy by sally

‘Helen Crowell, Pupil Barrister and Shaun Spencer, Barrister, of St Johns Buildings discuss Deprivation of Liberty and the Children’s Home Regulations 2015.’

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Family Law Week, 12th March 2020

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

How the net closed on Oxford’s grooming gang – BBC News

Posted March 13th, 2020 in child abuse, children, gangs, news, police, rape, sexual grooming, sexual offences, victims by sally

‘Nearly a decade after the abuse of vulnerable girls in Oxford began to be addressed, following years of negligence by police and social services, the last of the so-called Operation Bullfinch trials has ended. How did the sex offenders at the centre of the city’s depraved underworld finally come to face justice?’

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BBC News, 13th March 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Information watchdog warns of dangers of school photos and wrongful disclosure of personal data – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued two reprimands, or legal warnings, to schools for wrongly disclosing the personal data of children.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 11th March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Kaden Reddick: Topshop queue barrier death was accident – BBC News

‘A 10-year-old boy who was killed by a falling queue barrier at a Topshop store died accidentally, a coroner has said.’

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BBC News, 10th March 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Religious leaders jailed for multiple counts of rape and child sexual abuse – Crown Prosecution Service

‘A church pastor has been jailed today (6 March 2020) for multiple (24) counts of child sexual abuse and rapes.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 6th March 2020

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

High Court to rule on access to full adoption file – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The High Court has been asked to make an unprecedented order to allow a journalist to see all court papers in a flawed adoption case. The application comes as the family justice system faces heightened pressure to be more transparent.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 9th March 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Child slavery victims ‘falling through cracks’ as Home Office delays support promised four years ago – The Independent

‘The Home Office has been criticised for allowing thousands of child trafficking victims to “fall through the cracks” by failing to implement a policy designed to protect them for four years after it first pledged to do so.’

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The Independent, 5th March 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Calls for Sheikh Mohammed to face justice over family abduction – BBC News

Posted March 6th, 2020 in children, families, forced marriages, international law, kidnapping, news by sally

‘Ministers, police and prosecutors are under pressure to bring the ruler of Dubai to justice after a UK judge ruled that he orchestrated the abduction of two of daughters – one from the streets of Cambridge.’

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BBC News, 5th March 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

When the end is not the end…. Until clean break us do part – 5 SAH

Posted March 4th, 2020 in chambers articles, children, divorce, families, financial provision, news by sally

‘There are commonly two forms of maintenance obligations in a financial order – maintenance for the Wife (so called “periodical payments” or “pps”) and payments for the benefit of a child/ children. The order will prescribe the date for the first payment, the rates of pps and the date for termination of those pps. Termination of pps are commonly the first to occur of:

– the death of either party
– the receiving party’s remarriage
– the youngest child completing secondary education or attaining 18 years of age, whichever is the later or
– Further order of the court.’

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5 SAH, 26th February 2020

Source: www.5sah.co.uk

Report into Welsh council highlights monitoring officer also being its sole qualified childcare lawyer as example of risk of ‘all hands to the pumps’ approach – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 4th, 2020 in children, legal services, local government, news, solicitors, Wales by sally

‘A rapid assessment carried out by the Improvement and Assurance Board set up at Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council has highlighted a situation where the authority’s monitoring officer is also its sole qualified childcare lawyer and has additional responsibilities as an example of why it has significant concerns about the ability of the council to deal with ongoing practical issues.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 3rd March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Unmarried partners still missing bereavement payments – BBC News

‘Means-tested payments of up to £10,000 are made to parents whose husband, wife or civil partner has died.’

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BBC News, 3rd March 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk