NEWS
Feb 03, 2021
Leading children law QC joins 4PB
One of the leading children lawyers in the country, Piers Pressdee QC, has joined 4PB with immediate effect.
Feb 01, 2021
Council and guardian fail in appeal over refusal by judge of application for placement orders
The Court of Appeal has rejected appeals by a local authority and a children's guardian against a Family Court judge’s decision to refuse an application for placement orders in respect of two children.
Jan 28, 2021
Upper Tribunal allows appeal over age assessment that failed to meet procedural safeguards
An Upper Tribunal judge has granted an asylum seeker a declaration that he was 15 at the age he entered into the country and when he was assessed by Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council, rather than over 18 and more likely 20 as the local authority concluded.
Jan 27, 2021
Council calls Ombudsman recommendations in child protection case “inappropriate and misguided”, reserves legal position over report conclusions
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) and Kent County Council are at loggerheads over an investigation into the handling of a 'cross-border' child protection case.
Jan 26, 2021
Judge rules out notifying consular authorities of adoption proceedings in "unusual case"
A High Court judge has ruled out joining a relinquished child and seeking the assistance of the Romanian consular authorities to track the father down.
Jan 22, 2021
Family Division judge hits out at "breathtaking incompetence" of council, failures on disclosure to court
A judge has accused a borough council of “breathtaking incompetence”, and severely criticised a social worker, in a case where a boy was left in a “thoroughly corrosive” foster placement for nine months longer than he should have been.
Jan 20, 2021
Council not entitled to refuse to assess needs of Vietnamese woman on basis of preliminary age assessment by different authority, judge finds
A London borough was not entitled to refuse to assess the needs of young Vietnamese woman on the basis of a preliminary assessment of age carried out by another council, a Deputy High Court judge has ruled.
Jan 19, 2021
Council pays £8k+ after failing to protect children from older brother
Three young children were left without any protection from their violent older brother after Somerset County Council failed to help their family, an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.
Jan 18, 2021
Family Division judge sets out future lessons for non-notification cases after dismissing application by local authority
A High Court judge has set out lessons for the future in non-notification cases, after refusing to endorse a local authority’s decision not to disclose the existence of a 10-month-old boy to his father.
Jan 15, 2021
Government launches independent review of children’s social care
The Government has launched an independent review of children's social care to “radically reform the system” and address poor outcomes for children in care.