Care Planning & the Role of the IRO Report

The Centre for Research on the Child and Family (CRCF) at the University of East Anglia has undertakenĀ research into current practice in care planning and the role of the IRO. Extract The aims of the project were to learn from the histories of the children and views of practitioners, parents and children, to identify key … Continue reading Care Planning & the Role of the IRO Report

Should vulnerable children’s resources be pooled and personalised?

TheĀ Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield,Ā thinks they should. National and local budgets for vulnerable children should be pooled to enable them to flourish, the Children’s Commissioner for England has said. Anne Longfield OBE has called on authorities to involve children and families in decisions made about them and provide better support for vulnerable children as … Continue reading Should vulnerable children’s resources be pooled and personalised?

Social work reform

In a Community Care article byĀ Judy CooperĀ postedĀ onĀ October 14, 2015Ā Directors haveĀ warned against a two-tier social work education system. The Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) has also expressed fears that "accreditation of children's social workers could become additional burden." Read more at source: Directors warn against two-tier social work education system Also worth reading Extract … Continue reading Social work reform

Radicalisation cases in the family courts

Guidance issued by Sir James Munby President of the Family Division on 8 October 2015: Guidance issued by Sir James Munby President of the Family Division on 8 October 2015  

Family Rights Group Press Release: challenges facing kinship children & their carers

Cathy Ashley, Chief Executive of Family Rights Group, has said: ā€œThe two studies released today, combine to provide authoritative new data on the challenges facing kinship children and their carers. The number of children living in kinship care are increasing, and these children are overwhelmingly affected by poverty. ā€œBy safely keeping the vast majority of … Continue reading Family Rights Group Press Release: challenges facing kinship children & their carers

Unlawful removal of a child, compensation paid

Another great blog byĀ suesspiciousmindsĀ of interest to all IROs. Extract HerĀ Honour Rowe QC considered this case, where a Local Authority removed a child and placed the child in foster care when at the time, the mother knew nothing about it.Ā  It is a decision by a Circuit Judge and thus not any new binding law, but … Continue reading Unlawful removal of a child, compensation paid

ADCS has updated its website

ADCS has updated it's websiteĀ withĀ lots of useful resource links. See links to ADCS website and some pages of particular interest to IROs below. Go to source:Ā Home page And there's lots more including: Independent Reviewing Officers (IRO)Ā  Ā  The ADCS policy committee with lead responsibility for independent reviewing officers is theĀ Health, Care and Additional Needs Policy … Continue reading ADCS has updated its website

Couple Cleared Of Child Abuse Campaign For Change In The Law

Another great blog Natasha Phillips, editor atĀ Researching Reform.Ā  There have been a number of cases ofĀ innocent parents losing their children to the care and adoption system. As a result a number ofĀ campaigners are trying to change the law. Extract AsĀ Michael Turner QC notes, cases where parents have been wrongly accused of harming their children are … Continue reading Couple Cleared Of Child Abuse Campaign For Change In The Law

Parents’ wish to treat child’s cancer with Chinese medicine overruled by Family Court

This is a reblog from the ‘UK Human Rights Blog’ site. The blog’s editorial team is
General Editor: Adam Wagner
Commissioning Editor: Jim Duffy
Editorial team: Rosalind English, Angus McCullough QC, David Hart QC, Martin Downs.

It raises interesting issues re ‘best interests’ decisions. Worth a read.

enstar's avatarUK Human Rights Blog

71bl6-vngql-_sl1500_JM (a child), Re[2015] EWHC 2832 (Fam),Ā 7 October 2015 – read judgment

Mostyn J, ruling in the Family Division that a child should receive surgical treatment for bone cancer against the wishes of his parents, has referred to Ian McEwan’s ā€œexcellentā€ novel The Children ActĀ (Jonathan Cape 2014), which is about a 17 year old Jehovah’s Witness refusing a blood transfusion. The judge noted however that the book was in fact ā€œincorrectly titledā€:

a question of whether a medical procedure should be forced on a 16 or 17 year old should be sought solely under the High Court’s inherent jurisdiction, and not under the Children Act.

This case on the other hand concerned a ten year old child, J. The NHS Trust sought permission to perform urgent surgery of a serious nature on his right jawbone, where he hasĀ a very rare aggressive cancer. Its medical name is a craniofacial…

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Care leavers – hitting the targets and missing the point

Much to discuss and learn from this thought provoking article byĀ Jameel Hadi (University of Salford). Posted in Discover Society. Posted here courtesy of Jameel. Twitter:Ā @jameel_hadiĀ  Jameel HadiĀ is a lecturer in social work at the University of Salford. He has over 20 years experience as a social worker within youth justice, looked after children and leaving … Continue reading Care leavers – hitting the targets and missing the point