When Best Interests Collide: A Protected Party, Protected Party’s Children and the Court of Protection – Family Law Week

‘Sarah Phillimore, barrister of St John’s Chambers, Bristol, and Daniela Nickols, associate solicitor with Mowbray Woodwards, analyse the recent case of X,Y, and Z [2014] EWHC 87 (COP) in which the Court of Protection considered the interplay between the best interests of a protected party and that party’s children.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 5th February 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Judge backs claim by grandmother for financial support from council – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 30th, 2014 in costs, families, fostering, grandparents, local government, news, social services by sally

‘A grandmother has won a High Court battle with a council over the financial support she claimed she should have received to care for her 11-year-old granddaughter.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 29th January 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer

Local Authority Focus – Family Law Week

Posted December 12th, 2013 in care orders, children, fostering, local government, news, social services by sally

‘Sally Gore, barrister of 14 Gray’s Inn Square, in the first of a series of updates for children lawyers and professionals, considers recent developments affecting the decision-making and procedures of local authority children’s services.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 11th December 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Young people to be allowed to remain in foster care until age 21 – The Guardian

Posted December 4th, 2013 in budgets, education, fostering, local government, news, pilot schemes, young persons by sally

‘Children and young people brought up by foster carers in England will be allowed to remain with families until they are 21 if they choose to under a new legal duty for councils, ministers will announce on Wednesday.’

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The Guardian, 4th December 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Children and Families Bill 2013 – all change, but is it for the better? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted December 3rd, 2013 in adoption, bills, care orders, children, families, fostering, news, time limits by sally

‘The Children and Families Bill 2013 represents one of the biggest shake-ups of the law relating to family life in years.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 3rd december 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Family ‘foster carers’ losing out, says watchdog – BBC News

Posted November 29th, 2013 in families, fostering, local government, news, ombudsmen, reports by sally

“People who look after young relatives or friends’ children are being treated unfairly by some councils, a local government watchdog says.”

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BBC News, 29th November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Charity chiefs back ‘once-in-a-generation’ change to fostering law – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 9th, 2013 in bills, charities, children, education, fostering, local government, news, statistics by sally

“An alliance of 40 charity chiefs and experts is today urging members of the Lords to seize a ‘once-in-a-generation’ opportunity to change the law to give young people in foster care the same start in adult life as their peers.”

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Daily Telegraph, 9th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Council fails in Court of Appeal bid to overturn kinship carer fees ruling – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 25th, 2013 in appeals, equality, families, fostering, local government, news by tracey

“A London borough has failed in a Court of Appeal bid to overturn a ruling that its policy of differential treatment of family foster carers and unrelated foster carers was unlawful.”

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Local Government Lawyer, 25th July 2013

Spurce: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

The Cost of Care……The position following the Tower Hamlets decision – Family Law Week

“Jacqui Thomas, barrister of 37 Park Square Chambers, Leeds, considers the implications of the recent Tower Hamlets judgment for the cost of kinship care.”

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Family Law Week, 17th March 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.com

“Can’t We Make the Local Authority Pay for It?” – Family Law Week

“Andrew Pack, care lawyer with Brighton & Hove City Council, considers the court’s powers to compel a local authority to meet the costs of a particular action.”

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Family Law Week, 2nd March 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Identity of social workers may be published following fostering bungle – UK Human Rights Blog

“Bristol City Council v C and others [2012] EWHC 3748 (Fam). This was an application for a reporting restriction order arising out of care proceedings conducted before the Bristol Family Proceedings Court. The proceedings themselves were relatively straightforward but, in the course of the hearing, information came to light which gave rise to concerns of an ‘unusual nature’, which alerted the interest of the press.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 13th January 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Gagging order preventing Sun report on child protection scandal overturned – The Guardian

“The Sun has won a two-month battle to overturn an injunction brought by Bristol City Council that prevented it from reporting details of a child protection scandal.”

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The Guardian, 9th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Adoption process is being rushed by councils, say judges – The Guardian

Posted November 19th, 2012 in adoption, children, fostering, local government, news by sally

“Children in care are being threatened with separation from siblings and other family members because local authorities are attempting to rush through inappropriate and premature adoptions, high court judges have told the Guardian.”

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The Guardian, 18th November 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Improving the protection of children across borders – Ministry of Justice

Posted November 2nd, 2012 in child abduction, fostering, guardianship, news, parental responsibility, treaties by sally

“Children from the UK will now have international protection if they move to another country outside the European Union. The 1996 Hague Convention will be in force from today meaning the public can be assured that countries which have opted in to the treaty will uphold and enforce a court order involving the protection of a child.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 1st November 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Consultation on adoption and fostering welcomed by sector – Family Law Week

Posted September 20th, 2012 in adoption, carers, consultations, fostering, local government, news, social services by sally

“The British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF) and Fostering Network have welcomed the Government’s newly published consultation on proposed changes to adoption and fostering.”

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Family Law Week, 19th September 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Babies to be fostered by adoption families under plans to save children disruption in early life – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 6th, 2012 in adoption, children, fostering, news by tracey

“David Cameron said new laws will mean it is ‘standard practice’  for babies to be looked after by approved adopters.”

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Daily Telegraph, 6th July 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Adoptions: Ofsted issues tougher new rules – BBC News

Posted February 27th, 2012 in adoption, fostering, local government, news, ombudsmen by tracey

“Local authorities in England will only get an outstanding rating for adoption in future if they place children within 12 months, Ofsted says.”

Full story

BBC News, 27th February 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Children: Public Law Update – Family Law Week

Posted February 20th, 2012 in care orders, child abuse, children, fostering, news, witnesses by sally

“John Tughan, Barrister, of 4 Paper Buildings reviews recent developments in Public Law Children.”

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Family Law Week, 19th February 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Foster parents told to stay away from ‘autistic’ man – The Independent

Posted February 13th, 2012 in autism, Court of Protection, fostering, local government, mental health, news by sally

“A vulnerable young man with significant learning difficulties and ‘autistic tendencies’ was controversially taken away from his foster family of 12 years, the Court of Protection heard yesterday.”

Full story

The Independent, 11th February 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Regina (SA (A Child) (by SH as litigation friend)) v Kent County Council (Secretary of State for Education, intervener) – WLR Daily

Posted November 15th, 2011 in appeals, children, families, fostering, law reports, local government by sally

Regina (SA (A Child) (by SH as litigation friend)) v Kent County Council (Secretary of State for Education, intervener) [2011] EWCA Civ 1303; [2011] WLR (D) 326

“The obligations imposed on a local authority in certain circumstances pursuant to section 23(2) and (6) of the Children Act 1989, relating to the provision of accommodation and/or maintenance for certain children in need and being looked after by the authority, were to be considered as alternatives, rather than as parallel means by which to achieve a single statutory purpose.”

WLR Daily, 10th November 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk