The SEND and AP Improvement Plan: does it go far enough? – Local Government Lawyer

‘Sarah Davidson sets out the key elements of the SEND and AP Improvement Plan published by the Department for Education earlier this month.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 24th March 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

CPS to pay £136,000 for failing to ease barrister’s workload – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Crown Prosecution Service has been ordered to pay a barrister almost £136,000 after failing to make adjustments to his working life following a heart attack.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 22nd March 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Birmingham City Council told to change handling of care complaints – BBC News

‘A council wrongly handled complaints by families over respite care for children with disabilities, an ombudsman found.’

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BBC News, 2nd March 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Leila Borrington: Woman guilty of killing three-year-old stepson – BBC News

‘A woman has been found guilty of the manslaughter of her three-year-old stepson but acquitted of his murder.’

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BBC News, February 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Warwick student with cancer wins payout after university denied extension request – The Guardian

Posted February 24th, 2023 in cancer, damages, disabled persons, education, health, news, universities by sally

‘Warwick University has agreed to pay a student who is seriously ill with cancer £12,000 in damages for the “distress and inconvenience” caused by not allowing her to extend her course as a result of her health condition.’

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The Guardian, 23rd February 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Major social landlord to pay more than £2k after disabled resident left without use of toilet – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Housing Ombudsman has found severe maladministration at major social landlord Clarion after repeated drain blockages left a disabled resident unable to use a functioning toilet in their new build home.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 21st February 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Four English councils bring half of legal actions for blue badge misuse – The Guardian

Posted February 20th, 2023 in disabled persons, fraud, local government, news, parking, prosecutions, statistics by tracey

‘Four councils are responsible for bringing more than half of the prosecutions in England for people abusing the use of disabled parking badges. Figures released by the Department for Transport (DfT) show that Lambeth, Birmingham, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Bromley carried out 54% of all legal cases for people misusing the blue badge system, for the year up to the end of March 2021.’

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The Guardian, 20th February 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Speech by the President of the Family Division: Parents with intellectual impairment in public law proceedings – the need to be alert – Courts & Tribunals Judiciary

Posted February 17th, 2023 in disabled persons, families, family courts, learning difficulties, news by tracey

“It is, I suspect, easy for those whose professional lives have started much more recently than mine (which I dare say includes most of this audience!) to assume that we have always understood intellectual impairment as we do now, and that we have always acted in the knowledgeable and sensitive way that we all strive to do. If that is your assumption, then you are, I am afraid, wrong as the following pair of anecdotes may demonstrate.”

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Courts & Tribunals Judiciary, 14th February 2023

Source: www.judiciary.uk

Kaylea Titford’s father found guilty of killing her by letting her become obese – The Guardian

‘A man has been found guilty of killing his disabled daughter by allowing her to become fatally obese and die in squalor.’

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The Guardian, 7th February 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Case Comment: McCue (as guardian for Andrew McCue) v Glasgow City Council [2023] UKSC 1 – UKSC Blog

Posted February 2nd, 2023 in community care, disabled persons, news, Scotland, social services, Supreme Court by sally

‘In this post, Erin Crawley, a trainee solicitor in the Infrastructure, Construction and Energy Disputes team at CMS, comments on the case of McCue (as guardian for Andrew McCue) v Glasgow City Council [2023] UKSC 1.’

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UKSC Blog, 2nd February 2023

Source: ukscblog.com

Vulnerable woman lay dead in Surrey flat for more than three years – The Guardian

‘A severely mentally ill woman whose dead body lay in her home unnoticed for more than three years was effectively “abandoned and left to die” by NHS and social services who missed repeated chances to save her, her family has alleged.’

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The Guardian, 26th January 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Court of Protection judge gives suspended jail sentence to mother of P – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Protection has sentenced a woman to 28 days in jail for contempt, but suspended the sentence for a year on condition she does not engage in any further contempts.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th January 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

London borough successfully defends judicial review claim as judge considers interaction between local authority obligations under Care Act 2014 and Housing Act 1996 – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 17th, 2023 in community care, disabled persons, housing, judicial review, local government, news by sally

‘A High Court judge has dismissed a judicial review claim over the London Borough of Ealing’s decision to withdraw its funding of the claimant’s temporary bed and breakfast accommodation. The application concerned the interaction between the local authority’s obligations under the Care Act 2014 and its obligations under the Housing Act 1996.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 16th January 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

New Judgment: McCue (as guardian for Andrew McCue)(AP) v Glasgow City Council (Scotland) [2023] UKSC 1 – UKSC Blog

Posted January 12th, 2023 in community care, disabled persons, news, Scotland, social services, Supreme Court by sally

‘This appeal is concerned with the provision of community care services to disabled persons pursuant to the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 (the “1968 Act”) and the charges made for such provision.’

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UKSC Blog, 11th January 2023

Source: ukscblog.com

Council told to pay over £7k after failing to provide alternative education for autistic boy – Local Government Lawyer

‘An investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found that Oxfordshire County Council failed to provide alternative education for a boy with autism for a year.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th December 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Inns under fire for sluggish approach to disability access – Legal Futures

‘The inns of court are slow to act on behalf of disabled barristers and the Bar Standards Board (BSB) is to set push them to improve access in listed buildings, an event to mark the launch of the Bar’s Disability Taskforce heard last week.’

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Legal Futures, 12th December 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Safeguarding children with disabilities in residential settings – Family Law

‘A national review into safeguarding children with disabilities and complex health needs has revealed serious failures at residential special schools registered as children’s homes.’

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family Law, 25th November 2022

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Dyslexic M&S worker wins payout after being sacked over mistakes in emails – The Independent

‘A dyslexic Marks and Spencer worker has won more than £50,000 after losing her job following concerns about mistakes in her emails.’

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The Independent, 27th November 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Woman with Down’s syndrome loses abortion law appeal – BBC News

‘A woman with Down’s syndrome has lost her appeal over a law that allows abortion up until birth for a foetus with the condition.’

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BBC News, 25th November 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Claimant wins judicial review challenge over “unlawful” level of Care Act support – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 18th, 2022 in autism, carers, disabled persons, duty of care, judicial review, local government, news by tracey

‘An autistic woman has succeeded in a claim for judicial review against the London Borough of Croydon after a deputy High Court judge ruled that the council had failed to meet her needs contrary to the requirements of the Care Act 2014.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th November 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk