Anonymisation Guidance – a curtain of secrecy? – Transparency Project

‘The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew MacFarlane issued some guidance last week on the anonymisation of published judgments in family court cases.’

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Transparency Project, 10th December 2018

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

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

‘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

Speech by Rt. Hon. Sir Andrew McFarlane: Association of Lawyers for Children Conference 2018 – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted November 26th, 2018 in care orders, children, family courts, guardianship, social services, speeches, time limits by tracey

‘Speech by Rt. Hon. Sir Andrew McFarlane: Association of Lawyers for Children Conference 2018.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 23rd November 2018

Source: www.judiciary.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

Legislating on loneliness: limitless or lonesome? – Family Law

Posted November 7th, 2018 in carers, elderly, mental health, news, social services by sally

‘Olwen Dutton, partner at Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP, discusses the key aspects of the government’s loneliness strategy. Dutton also considers any potential ethical issues stemming from the social prescription aspect of the strategy, whereby GPs will be able to refer patients who are experiencing loneliness to community activities and voluntary services.’

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Family Law, 6th November 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Legal Services Board approves new SRA Handbook in full – Legal Futures

Posted November 7th, 2018 in consumer protection, legal services, news, social services by sally

‘The Legal Services Board (LSB) has approved the new SRA Handbook, including the controversial proposal to allow solicitors to provide unreserved services to the public from unregulated businesses.’

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Legal Futures, 6th November 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Health and Social Care of Older People is a Human Rights Issue – Rights Info

Posted October 19th, 2018 in elderly, health, human rights, medical treatment, news, ombudsmen, social services by sally

‘The independent healthcare regulator, the Care Quality Commission recently warned that disjointed health and social care services in England are placing increasing pressure on A&E departments. As pressure grows on the country’s health and care system, what does this mean for the human rights of older people?’

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Rights Info, 18th October 2018

Source: rightsinfo.org

Woman with learning difficulties not told she had contraceptive device covertly fitted – Daily Telegraph

‘A young woman with learning difficulties should not be told she was covertly fitted with a contraceptive device as it would ruin her trust in her carers, a court has ruled.’

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Daily Telegraph, 18th October 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Remembering Louis Blom-Cooper, A Human Rights Champion – Rights Info

‘Lawyer and human rights champion Sir Louis Blom-Cooper passed away in London, aged 92, on September 19, 2018. Here are some of the ways in which Blom-Cooper blazed a trail for human rights.’

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Rights Info, 2nd October 2018

Source: rightsinfo.org

Councils using ‘hundreds of thousands of people’s data to try and predict child abuse’ – Daily Telegraph

‘Councils are said to be using hundreds of thousands of people’s data to try and predict child abuse, it has emerged.’

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Daily Telegraph, 17th September 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Restructuring options for UK local authorities – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 20th, 2018 in budgets, local government, news, social services by sally

‘UK central government cuts and the fast-growing cost of social care have led to significant financial strain on local authorities. What are the restructuring options available to UK local authorities facing unlawful overspending?’

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OUT-LAW.com, 20th August 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

Matthew Scully-Hicks: Social services chief apologises for mistakes leading to toddler being murdered by adoptive father – The Independent

Posted August 3rd, 2018 in adoption, child abuse, doctors, murder, news, social services by tracey

‘A social services chief has apologised for mistakes in the care of a baby girl who was murdered by her father two weeks after he adopted her. A review has found that both social services workers and a doctor missed opportunities to spot anything abnormal when Elsie Scully-Hicks suffered a catalogue of injuries in the months before she died.’

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The Independent, 2nd August 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Capacity in the context of Prader-Willi syndrome – Family Law

Posted July 31st, 2018 in disabled persons, expert witnesses, mental health, news, social services by sally

‘Ella Anderson, barrister at Spire Barristers, discusses the practical implications of the judgment in Re FX [2017] EWCOP 36 – the first ever reported decision to consider questions of capacity in the context of Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which causes a range of physical, learning and behavioural difficulties.’

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Family Law, 30th July 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Local government complaints to Ombudsman rose 3.5% in 2017-18 – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 26th, 2018 in complaints, local government, news, social services, statistics by sally

‘The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) received 17,452 complaints and enquiries about local government in 2017-18, compared with 16,863 in the previous year, its annual review of local government complaints – published today – has revealed.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 25th July 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Jeffrey Barry: Brutal murder ‘could have been avoided’ – BBC News

Posted June 21st, 2018 in mental health, murder, news, racism, reports, social services by tracey

‘The murder of a man by a violent schizophrenia patient “could have been avoided” had a medical tribunal been given complete information on his past, a report has concluded.’

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BBC News, 21st June 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Care Crisis Review publishes report setting out options for change – Family Law

Posted June 18th, 2018 in children, family courts, news, reports, social services by sally

‘The Care Crisis Review, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and facilitated by the Family Rights Group, has published its report. The report considers how to address the crisis in children’s social care and the family justice sector, and explores the factors which have contributed to it.’

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Family Law, 13th June 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Legal system of child protection is in crisis, says senior judge – The Guardian

Posted June 13th, 2018 in care orders, child neglect, family courts, news, social services by sally

‘The family justice system is in crisis, fuelled by an “untenable” workload created by a glut of applications to take vulnerable children into care, the senior judge about to become the next head of the family courts has said.’

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The Guardian, 13th June 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Ombudsman raps council over cuts to support given to man with special needs – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has criticised the London Borough of Bromley after it significantly reduced the support package provided to a man with special needs.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 30th May 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Mother convicted of tricking daughter into forced marriage abroad in legal first – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 23rd, 2018 in crime, families, forced marriages, news, prosecutions, social services by tracey

‘A mother has been convicted of tricking her daughter into a forced marriage abroad in a case believed to be a legal first.’

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Daily Telegraph, 22nd May 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ellie Butler report warns of further deaths unless failures put right – The Guardian

Posted April 25th, 2018 in child abuse, domestic violence, murder, news, reports, social services by sally

‘Deaths like that of six-year-old Ellie Butler, who was murdered by her father, could keep happening unless failures in child protection are quickly corrected, a report obtained by the Guardian has warned.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 25th April 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com