Category: fostering

Sibling relationships in the care system: Alexandra Wilson examines the recent case of Re G [2019] EWFC B70 – 5 SAH

Posted January 22nd, 2020 in adoption, care orders, family courts, fostering, local government, news, social services by sally

A recent podcast on BBC sounds by ‘File on 4’ focused on separated siblings in the care system.

One of the stories is from a woman who explains that she was split from her sister and wasn’t allowed to see her despite her living just five minutes away. She recalls that between their respective foster families’ homes there was a park where she would see her younger sister playing with her foster sister. Breaking down into tears, she explains that she felt hurt, angry, annoyed, sad and “thought it was really, really cruel”.

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5 SAH, 20th January 2020

Source: www.5sah.co.uk

Ombudsman reminds councils of their foster carer school transport duties – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 20th, 2020 in children, fostering, local government, news, ombudsmen, school children, statutory duty, transport by sally

‘Councils across England are being reminded about the financial support they must provide to foster carers’ school transport expenses following an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman into Wolverhampton council.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th January 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Council refused permission to challenge Ombudsman findings on payment of special guardians – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 19th, 2019 in budgets, children, families, fostering, guardianship, local government, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘A High Court judge has refused to grant Rochdale Council permission to challenge the findings of a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman on the way it pays special guardians.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 19th December 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Children in care in Nottingham ‘abused by predators’ – BBC News

Posted August 1st, 2019 in care homes, child abuse, children, complaints, fostering, inquiries, local government, news, victims by tracey

‘Hundreds of children were sexually abused by predatory foster carers and residential home staff who were allowed to thrive, an inquiry has found. Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County councils exposed vulnerable children to repeated rapes and physical abuse, a report said. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse said sexualised behaviour by staff was “tolerated or overlooked”.’

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BBC News, 31st July 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

County council admits flawed practice of turning homeless children away, settles judicial review challenge – Local Government Lawyers

Posted July 8th, 2019 in children, duty of care, fostering, homelessness, housing, judicial review, local government, news, social services by sally

‘Essex County Council has settled a judicial review challenge brought on behalf of a 16-year-old homeless child, admitting that it had operated an unlawful practice of turning homeless children away from care in breach of section 20 of the Children Act 1989.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th July 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Department withdraws ‘myth-busting’ guide to council duties to vulnerable children – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 28th, 2019 in care homes, charities, children, fostering, judicial review, local government, news by sally

‘The Department for Education has withdrawn a ‘myth-busting’ guide to council duties to vulnerable children and young people after a charity applied for judicial review, it has been reported.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th March 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Government backs down over ‘myth-busting’ guide on child protection – The Guardian

Posted March 25th, 2019 in care homes, charities, children, codes of practice, fostering, government departments, judicial review, local government, news, social services by sally

‘The government has withdrawn a controversial document that claims some statutory protections for vulnerable children are “myths”, after a charity launched an application for judicial review, the Guardian has learned.’

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The Guardian, 24th March 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Court of Appeal decision about orders for post-adoption contact – Transparency Project

Posted March 11th, 2019 in adoption, appeals, children, contact orders, families, fostering, news by sally

‘Re B (A Child) (Post-adoption contact) [2019] EWCA Civ 29 is the first time (since a change in the law in 2014) that the Court of Appeal has considered when an order should be made that an adopted child will have continuing contact with their birth family after he or she is adopted.’

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Transparency Project, 9th March 2019

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Foster carers sue council for negligence over placement of Parsons Green bomber – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 8th, 2019 in fostering, human rights, local government, negligence, news, proscribed organisations, terrorism by sally

‘A couple who fostered an 18 year old man who left a bomb on a Tube train at Parsons Green are to sue Surrey County Council for negligence and breach of their right to family life under the Human Rights Act.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th March 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

John Bowers QC on Employment Law: November Blog – Littleton Chambers

Posted December 12th, 2018 in barristers, disciplinary procedures, employment, equality, fostering, news, race discrimination, working time by sally

‘This month I look at a recent case on foster carers and working time, the ethos of religion defence in the Equality Act 2010 and the Supreme Court case of O’Connor v Bar Standards Board.’

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Littleton Chambers, 29th November 2018

Source: www.littletonchambers.com

Family Court judge raps council for “woeful” care of two young women – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 11th, 2018 in care orders, damages, duty of care, family courts, fostering, human rights, judges, local government, news, social services, whistleblowers by sally

‘A Family Court judge has condemned a council’s care for two young women as “woeful” and said he was “appalled” by failures of social workers and managers.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 11th December 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Social services under fire after boy placed into foster care before grandparents knew he was born – The Indepdendent

Posted November 8th, 2018 in carers, children, family courts, fostering, grandparents, news, social services by tracey

‘A family court judge has criticised a council’s social services department after it emerged that a little boy was placed with foster carers when grandparents who might have offered a home were unaware of his existence.’

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The Indepdendent, 7th November 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Free childcare to be extended to foster carers – Family Law

Posted June 26th, 2018 in children, costs, fostering, news by sally

‘Foster carers are to receive the 30 hours free childcare offer for children in their care for the first time from September 2018. The Government also announced that over 340,000 children were in a 30-hour place in the first year of the policy.’

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Family Law, 26th June 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Media watchdog upholds complaint by council over “distorted” coverage of foster case – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 27th, 2018 in complaints, fostering, Islam, media, news by tracey

‘The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) has upheld a complaint by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets against a national newspaper’s coverage of a fostering case.
IPSO concluded that The Times had breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) in an article headlined ‘Judge rules child must leave Muslim foster home’, which was published on 30 August 2017.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 25th April 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Times distorted Muslim foster case, regulator finds – BBC News

Posted April 25th, 2018 in complaints, fostering, Islam, media, news by sally

‘The press regulator has ruled the Times “distorted” its coverage of a five-year-old Christian girl who was placed with Muslim foster carers.’

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BBC News, 25th April 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judge dismisses challenge to removal of foster carer from approved list – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 21st, 2018 in bias, fostering, local government, news by tracey

‘Liverpool City Council acted properly when it removed a foster carer from its approved list, a High Court judge has decided.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 20th March 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

The expansion of Vicarious Liability: Armes v Nottinghamshire County Council [2017] UKSC 60 – Park Square Barristers

Posted November 23rd, 2017 in appeals, fostering, local government, news, Supreme Court, vicarious liability by sally

‘In determining whether to impose vicarious liability the court has to consider what sort of relationship has to exist between an individual and a defendant before the defendant can be made vicariously liable in tort for the conduct of that individual? (The first requirement) A classic example of a relationship which gives rise to vicarious liability is that of employer and employee.’

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Park Square Barristers, 9th November 2017

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

Tower Hamlets rejects concerns over Muslim foster family – BBC News

Posted November 2nd, 2017 in fostering, local government, news, reports by tracey

‘The council responsible for the care of a five-year-old girl who was placed with Muslim foster family has rejected concerns about her treatment.’

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BBC News, 1st November 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Supreme Court: local authority ‘vicariously liable’ for abuse of child in foster care – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 23rd, 2017 in appeals, child abuse, duty of care, fostering, local government, news, social services, Supreme Court, vicarious liability by sally

‘A local authority has been held vicariously liable for the abuse of a woman by two sets of foster parents she was placed with as a child, despite not being negligent in its selection or supervision of the foster parents.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 20th October 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Lucy Eastwood – “A law on the move: Are Local Authorities vicariously liable for abuse committed by foster parents against children in their care?” – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 23rd, 2017 in child abuse, duty of care, fostering, human rights, local government, news, social services, vicarious liability by sally

‘The law of vicarious liability is on the move” proclaimed Lord Phillips in the last judgment he delivered as President of the Supreme Court: Various Claimants v Catholic Child Welfare Society [2012] UKSC 56, (“the Christian Brothers case”). In a judgment recently handed down by the Supreme Court in the case of Armes (Appellant) v Nottinghamshire County Council (Respondent) [2017] UKSC 60, His Lordship has been proved correct.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 23rd October 2017

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com