Balls sacked Baby P chief under pressure from media, legal challenge alleges – The Guardian

Posted March 11th, 2009 in child abuse, news, social services by sally

“The details of Sharon Shoesmith’s judicial challenge against the children’s secretary, Ed Balls, first revealed by the Guardian last night, have been published today (10 March).”

Full story

The Guardian, 10th March 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Baby P care chief starts legal action against Balls – The Guardian

Posted March 10th, 2009 in child abuse, news, social services by sally

“The former children’s services chief who was sacked after the Baby P tragedy has launched a legal challenge against the role played in her dismissal by Ed Balls, the children’s secretary, it emerged yesterday.”

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The Guardian, 10th March 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (Liverpool City Council) v Hillingdon London Borough Council and Another – Times Law Reports

Posted February 13th, 2009 in asylum, children, law reports, local government, social services by sally

Regina (Liverpool City Council) v Hillingdon London Borough Council and Another

Court of Appeal

“A local authority had failed to carry out its duty under section 20 of the Children Act 1989 when dealing with an asylum-seeker who claimed to be a child because it did not carry out an assessment of his welfare needs, or of the kind of accommodation that would be required to meet them.”

The Times, 13th February 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

R (Liverpool City Council) v Hillingdon London Borough Council – WLR Daily

Posted February 12th, 2009 in asylum, children, law reports, local government, social services by sally

R (Liverpool City Council) v Hillingdon London Borough Council [2009] EWCA Civ 43; [2009] WLR (D) 45

“The responsibility for looking after a child in need fell on the local authority where the child was living and could not be fulfilled merely by sending the child on to another local authority, even if the child himself wanted to live in the area of that other authority. S 20 of the Children Act 1989 imposed a duty on the local authority to carry out a proper assessment of the child’s welfare needs and the type and location of accommodation that would meet those needs.”

WLR Daily, 11th February 2009

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Balls: ‘I did right thing over Baby P’ – The Guardian

Posted February 9th, 2009 in child abuse, news, social services by sally

“The Children’s secretary Ed Balls launched a strong defence of his handling of the Baby P tragedy last night after Haringey’s former head of children’s services accused him of ‘breathtaking recklessness’ that had left social workers demoralised and put children’s safety at risk.”

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The Guardian, 8th February 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Baby death official is struck off – BBC News

Posted January 27th, 2009 in child abuse, news, professional conduct, social services by sally

“A social worker has been struck off for showing ‘extremely poor judgement’  in dealing with a case in which a 13-month-old boy was later murdered.”

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BBC News, 26th January 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Nationwide overhaul of social services departments ordered – The Independent

Posted December 8th, 2008 in child abuse, news, social services by sally

“Social services departments across England face a radical overhaul as a result of disturbing failings uncovered after the death of Baby P and the Shannon Matthews kidnap case.”

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The Independent, 7th December 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Social services errors led to death of baby, says inquiry – The Guardian

Posted December 5th, 2008 in child abuse, news, social services by sally

“A series of errors by social services and health staff allowed a baby girl to stay with her violent father and incompetent mother before she was shaken to death, an inquiry concluded today.”

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The Guardian, 5th December 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Costs, targets, paperwork: why the system fails children at risk – The Times

Posted December 4th, 2008 in child abuse, social services, special report by sally

“Ed Balls moved swiftly to remove Sharon Shoesmith from her post, and states that every local council must learn the lessons of Baby P’s death. But in many ways, Shoesmith was the perfect children’s director for the new-look Department for Children, Schools and Families.”

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The Times, 4th December 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Staff ‘too timid’ on child abuse – BBC News

Posted December 3rd, 2008 in child abuse, news, social services by sally

“Professionals must not be too reluctant to remove children from abusive parents, a group of experts has said.”

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BBC News, 3rd December 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Thousands more children at risk – The Independent

Posted December 2nd, 2008 in child abuse, news, social services by sally

“Huge crackdown on children’s services after Baby P inquiry as 28 councils are named and shamed over failed care.”

Full story

The Independent, 2nd December 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Devastating report reveals Baby P failings – The Guardian

Posted December 2nd, 2008 in child abuse, news, social services by sally

“The head of children’s services in the London borough where Baby P died after months of persistent injury and neglect was dismissed from her post yesterday as the government responded to a damning report into the council’s failings.”

Full story

The Guardian, 2nd December 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Three suspended over Baby P case – BBC News

Posted December 1st, 2008 in child abuse, disciplinary procedures, news, social services by sally

“Three people have been suspended on full pay from Haringey Council after a ‘damning’ inspectors’ report into the case of Baby P.”

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BBC News, 1st December 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Agencies face row over ‘unspeakable abuse’ by father who raped and impregnated sisters – The Guardian

Posted November 27th, 2008 in incest, news, rape, social services by sally

“Child protection agencies in Lincolnshire and Sheffield are bracing themselves for damning criticism over the case of a man who raped and impregnated his daughters, as details of ‘unspeakable’ abuse against the two women begin to emerge.”

Full story

The Guardian, 27th November 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Reforming adult social care legislation – Law Commission

Posted November 26th, 2008 in news, social services by sally

“A project to review the law relating to the provision of adult social care in England and Wales.”

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Law Commission, 26th November 2008

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk

Green light for care law overhaul – The Guardian

Posted November 26th, 2008 in news, social services by sally

“Ministers are giving the go-ahead for a fundamental reform of the ‘perplexing’ law governing adult social care in England and Wales, pulling together more than 30 acts of parliament passed over 60 years.”

Full story

The Guardian, 26th November 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Social services ‘set up CCTV camera in couple’s bedroom’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 24th, 2008 in investigatory powers, news, privacy, social services by sally

“Council staff are said to have spied on the young parents at night as part of a plan to see if they were fit to look after their baby, who was sleeping in another room. The mother and father were forced to cite the Human Rights Act, which protects the right to a private life, before the social services team backed down and agreed to switch off the surveillance camera while they were in bed together. The case is highlighted in a new dossier of human rights abuses carried out against vulnerable and elderly adults in nursing homes and hospitals across Britain.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 24th November 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Government will not release detailed report into Baby P – The Guardian

Posted November 20th, 2008 in child abuse, news, social services by sally

“The government refused today to release a detailed report into the mistakes made by authorities in the Baby P case.”

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The Guardian, 20th November 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Councils ‘systematically failing’ to learn from their mistakes in child care – The Guardian

Posted November 20th, 2008 in child abuse, education, news, social services by sally

“The most vulnerable children are being failed by ‘patently inadequate’ standards of care in the networks of schools, care workers and children’s homes established to protect them from abuse, according to the chief inspector of schools.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th November 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government to unveil new laws to protect vulnerable children – The Guardian

Posted November 18th, 2008 in child abuse, news, social services by sally

“No government reforms can ‘make good the evil’ that happened to Baby P, the children’s secretary, Ed Balls, said today.”

Full story

The Guardian, 18th November 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk