Child killing report ‘scandalous’ – BBC News

Posted July 17th, 2008 in children, homicide, mental health, news, social services by sally

“Health professionals failed to assess the risk a mentally ill mother posed to her two young children, a report into their deaths has found.”

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BBC News, 17th July 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Climbie worker made a ‘scapegoat’ – BBC News

Posted June 16th, 2008 in child support, news, social services by sally

“Victoria Climbie’s social worker has accused officials at London’s Haringey Council of the UK’s ‘worst case of institutionalised scapegoating’.”

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BBC News, 14th June 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Social care law change in prospect – The Guardian

Posted June 11th, 2008 in Law Commission, news, social services by sally

“The Law Commission today holds out the prospect of the first comprehensive reform of social care law for more than half a century. Announcing a formal review of what it calls ‘a confusing patchwork of conflicting statutes’, the commission says it aims to recommend a more coherent structure – preferably in the form of a single act of parliament.”

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The Guardian, 11th June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Climbie social worker wins appeal – BBC News

Posted June 4th, 2008 in child abuse, news, social services by sally

“A social worker responsible for the welfare of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie has won her appeal to continue working in her role.”

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BBC News, 4th June 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Social workers’ failings ‘put children in divorce cases at risk of abuse’ – The Times

Posted May 28th, 2008 in child abuse, divorce, news, social services by sally

“Children in divorce and separation cases are being left at risk of abuse because of serious failings by social workers dealing with their cases, according to a watchdog.”

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The Times, 28th May 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Social services called to account as girl, 7, starves to death – The Independent

Posted May 27th, 2008 in child neglect, news, social services by sally

“Eight years after Victoria Climbié died, the lessons of that terrible case seem not to have been learned.”

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The Independent, 25th May 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Mother ‘failed by social workers’ – BBC News

Posted May 12th, 2008 in children, mental health, news, social services by sally

“A judge has criticised social workers for not helping a young mother who killed her two-year-old daughter.”

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BBC News, 12th May 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

C v East Sussex County Council (Adoption) – Times Law Reports

Posted May 9th, 2008 in adoption, law reports, social services by sally

C v East Sussex County Council (Adoption)

Court of Appeal

“While Parliament had given social workers wide powers, which they must not abuse, they had to remember that the court was the ultimate arbiter of what was in the best interests of a child.”

The Times, 9th May 2008

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.

£63,000 for mother’s time with baby – The Guardian

Posted March 6th, 2008 in care orders, children, news, social services by sally

“A teenage mother whose baby was unlawfully removed from her within hours of his birth without a court order is to have a four-month residential assessment of her parenting skills which could cost the local authority nearly £100,000.”

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The Guardian, 6th March 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (M) v Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council – Times Law Reports

Posted March 3rd, 2008 in children, housing, law reports, social services by sally

Regina (M) v Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council

House of Lords

“Where a child had been provided with accommodation by a local authority’s housing department but had not come to the attention of its children’s services department, she was not entitled to further council support in her own right.”

The Times, 3rd March 2008

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.

Study clears social workers of ‘snatching children’ – The Guardian

Posted March 3rd, 2008 in children, news, social services by sally

“A government-commissioned report will this week lift the lid on the scale of the abuse suffered by children who are taken into care to be protected from their families.”

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The Guardian, 2nd March 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

R (M) v Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council – WLR Daily

Posted February 28th, 2008 in children, housing, law reports, social services by sally

R (M) v Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council [2008] UKHL 14; WLR (D) 64

“A child who had been provided with accommodation by the housing department of a local authority but had not been brought to the attention of their children’s services department had not been ‘looked after’ under s 22(1) of the Children Act 1989 and was accordingly not entitled, having reached 18, to support under the Act as a ‘former relevant child’.”

WLR Daily, 27th February 2008

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.

Social workers put themselves above the law – The Times

Posted February 25th, 2008 in child abuse, social services, special report by sally

“In far too many cases social workers are putting themselves above the law. Doctors increasingly report that a child who is admitted to hospital has injuries that may be ‘nonaccidental’. This is translated by local authorities as proving guilt.”

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The Times, 23rd February 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Teenager wins damages after council took baby – The Guardian

Posted February 19th, 2008 in children, damages, mental health, news, social services by sally

“Nottingham city council today agreed to pay damages to a teenage mother after admitting it acted unlawfully by taking away her newborn baby.”

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The Guardian, 18th February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

30 health workers failed to spot murdered baby’s plight – The Guardian

Posted February 14th, 2008 in child abuse, news, social services by sally

“A baby girl who was murdered by her father had been seen by 30 health care workers, yet none of them realised she was at risk, a report has found. Jessica Randall, who died when she was 54 days old, might still be alive if signs of abuse had been properly identified, according to the findings of an inquiry by Northamptonshire’s Local SafeGuarding Children Board.”

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The Guardian, 14th February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Baby must remain in foster care – BBC News

Posted February 8th, 2008 in children, mental health, news, social services by sally

“An 18-year-old mother, whose baby was taken into local authority care hours after he was born, has had her appeal to get him back turned down.”

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BBC News, 7th February 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Baby returned to mother must go into foster care, says judge – The Guardian

Posted February 4th, 2008 in children, mental health, news, social services by sally

“A baby taken from his 18-year-old mother by social workers two hours after his birth without court authority must go into foster care while further inquiries are made and assessments carried out, a district judge ruled yesterday.”

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The Guardian, 2nd February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Climbié lessons not learned, says research – The Guardian

Posted February 4th, 2008 in child abuse, murder, news, social services by sally

“The social care professions have failed to heed the lessons of Lord Laming’s landmark inquiry into the murder of child abuse victim Victoria Climbié, government-funded research revealed yesterday.”

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The Guardian, 1st Janaury 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Agencies ‘fail to prevent child abuse deaths’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 1st, 2008 in children, news, social services by sally

“Up to 100 children are dying every year from abuse and neglect in England because social workers and health professionals are too busy arguing over who is responsible for them, according to a report commissioned by the Government.”

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Daily Telegraph, 1st February 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Mother faces new fight to keep baby – The Independent

Posted January 31st, 2008 in children, mental health, news, social services by sally

“A teenage mother reunited with her newborn baby by a judge yesterday will today face a social services application to take the boy away again.”

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The Independent, 31st January 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk