Tia Sharp murder: Agencies cleared of any blame – BBC News

Posted July 16th, 2013 in drug abuse, education, families, inquiries, murder, news, police, reports, social services by sally

“An inquiry into the welfare of murdered London schoolgirl Tia Sharp, who was killed by her grandmother’s partner, Stuart Hazell, has cleared the agencies involved of any blame.”

Full story

BBC News, 15th July 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

How do we tackle institutional abuse of minors? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted July 4th, 2013 in child abuse, equality, local government, news, social services by sally

“In this piece I examine a difficult question. Is there now a need for a duty to have due regard to the need to eliminate abuse of minors over and above the welfare duty in s 11 of the Children Act 2004? (The question can be put in a number of different ways covering exploitation, abuse, and I have not tried to define precisely the social evil to be minimised).”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 3rd July 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Oxford sex grooming gang jailed for life – Daily Telegraph

“Members of an Oxford gang who groomed vulnerable young girls for sex, repeatedly raping them and threatening to kill them if they told anyone, have been jailed for life.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 27th June 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The Daily Telegraph have recently introduced a limited paywall. Users will be permitted to view 20 Daily Telegraph articles per month for free, after which they will need to pay a subscription fee to access content.

Judges to explain benefit assessment decisions – BBC News

Posted June 21st, 2013 in appeals, benefits, disabled persons, judiciary, news, social services, tribunals by tracey

“Judges in England and Scotland are being asked to explain why they believe someone is unfit to work, in a move ministers hope will improve the decision-making process on benefits.”

Full story

BBC News, 21st June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

CQC: too big a remit, too little funding? – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 19th, 2013 in hospitals, news, social services, standards by sally

“With a smaller budget than the watchdogs it replaced, the Care Quality Commission has had a struggle on its hands.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 19th June 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The Revised Public Law Outline …. and this time they mean it – Family Law Week

“Andrew Pack, care lawyer with Brighton & Hove City Council, explains and comments on the changes made by the recently published Revised Public Law Outline.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 4th June 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Insemination case: Chances missed to check on adopted daughter – BBC News

“A review into how a mother was able to force her adopted child to impregnate herself has found agencies missed opportunities to intervene.”

Full story

BBC News, 5th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Rochdale Council leaders ‘let down’ groomed girls – BBC News

Posted May 28th, 2013 in local government, news, reports, sexual grooming, social services, victims by sally

“Former senior managers at Rochdale Borough Council did not do enough to stop the grooming and sexual abuse of children, a report has found.”

Full story

BBC News, 24th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Report into Rochdale grooming a ‘damning indictment’ of council – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 24th, 2013 in children, local government, news, reports, sexual grooming, social services by tracey

“A new report into the child sex grooming scandal in Rochdale is a ‘damning indictment’ of the local council, the town’s MP said.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 24th May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Closing the loophole: Care services and human rights protection – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 23rd, 2013 in bills, care homes, elderly, human rights, news, social services by sally

“Much of the House of Lords debate surrounding yesterday’s Second Reading of the Care and Support Bill focused on seeking solutions to complex issues around the future provision of care. Additionally, as several peers flagged, the Bill also provides a timely opportunity to clarify which bodies have legal obligations to uphold protections under the Human Rights Act. Baroness Campbell noted ‘those who receive their care not from a public authority but from a private body lack the full protection of the Human Rights Act…[This] is a loophole that must be closed.'”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Eoin Carolan: An oligarchy of the self-interest or enthusiastic?: Open Public Services in the Big Society – UK Constitutional Law Group

“The coalition government’s programme of public service reform continues apace. The coming into effect of parts of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 on April 1st was the latest in a series of changes to the structure and delivery of public services through measures like the Localism Act 2011 or the Free Schools programme. As the White Paper on Open Public Services indicates, these individual changes form part of a broader plan to fundamental re-model how Britain’s government operates. The White Paper is clear that this reform programme is wide-ranging and ambitious. What is less clear from government pronouncements, however, is whether or how it is intended to ensure the democratic legitimacy and character of the proposed reforms.”

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Group, 29th April 2013

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Caldicott review: unlawful personal data processing and sharing should be reported as ‘data breach’ – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 30th, 2013 in data protection, health, news, reports, social services by sally

“Health and social care bodies should be required to publish details of cases where they have processed or shared patients’ personal data without having a legal basis to do so, Dame Fiona Caldicott has recommended.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 29th April 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Girl, 14, forced to become pregnant with donor sperm bought by mother – The Guardian

“A mother forced her 14-year-old adopted daughter to inseminate herself with donor sperm to provide a baby for her after she was prevented from adopting any more children, it can be revealed. The daughter, a virgin, is believed to have miscarried at 14, but went on to have a baby at 16 after regularly inseminating herself with sperm bought over the internet by her ‘domineering’ mother because she was too scared to refuse. Details of the shocking case have emerged in a previously secret court judgment, which can be reported today for the first time and which raises serious questions over loopholes in international adoptions and the regulation of the global traffic in gametes.”

Full story

The Guardian, 28th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Collette Elliot wins pay-out from Birmingham council – BBC News

Posted April 29th, 2013 in child abuse, compensation, local government, news, social services by tracey

“A woman is to receive compensation from a council after social services failed
to take her into care while she was being abused as a child.”

Full story

BBC News, 28th April 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judge: parents were too besotted to hurt children – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 29th, 2013 in child abuse, children, evidence, families, news, social services by tracey

“A judge has refused to allow social workers to take three children with serious
and apparently unexplained injuries into care after seeing that their parents
were ‘simply dotty about them’.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 27th April 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Human rights have disappeared from ‘Working Together’ – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted April 9th, 2013 in children, human rights, local government, news, social services by sally

“‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ is the lead piece of statutory guidance on… well, working together to safeguard children. Originally published in 1999, a new edition was published in 2006 following the changes brought about following the death of Victoria Climbié. And the next edition in 2010 incorporated recommendations of the second Laming Report which followed the death of Baby P. It had grown longer over time, as we all learned lessons from Haringey; but its growing length was causing concern.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 9th April 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Fancy having a Judge in your living room? – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted April 2nd, 2013 in jurisdiction, local government, news, private hearings, social services by sally

“Thanks to the English High Court, state policing of personal relationships in Britain is on the rise.”

Full story

Hardwicke Chambers, 22nd March 2013

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

The Government’s response to Lord Carlile’s report on the Edlington case – Department for Education

Posted March 26th, 2013 in child abuse, child neglect, children, news, reports, social services by sally

“In March 2012 the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Education, asked Lord Carlile to conduct an independent review of the case of the ‘J’ children in Edlington. The ‘J’ children had committed a very serious assault on two young victims in April 2009, having assaulted another young victim the previous weekend.”

Full story

Department for Education, March 2013

Source: www.education.gov.uk

Couple falsely accused of child abuse win damages from Haringey council – The Guardian

Posted March 15th, 2013 in child abuse, damages, news, social services by tracey

“Two experienced senior social workers who were plunged into a ‘nightmare’ after officials unlawfully investigated them over false allegations they had ill-treated their young daughter have won damages in the high court.”

Full story

The Guardian, 14th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Baby P boss Sharon Shoesmith returns to court – BBC News

“The former head of Haringey Council children’s services has returned to court over her sacking following the death of Baby P.”

Full story

BBC News, 13th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk