News

Human rights, damages and costs – important case by @suesspiciousmin

Not sure this is the last nail in the coffin of HRA damages claims piggy-backing on care proceedings, but the bag of nails certainly isn’t full any more.   The High Court have given judgement … Read full piece at source: Human rights, damages and costs - important case

“Adoption without parental consent is wrong in principle”

First posted December 2015. The Family Justice Council held its 9th Annual Debate and panel discussion on Tuesday 24 November 2015. The topic for debate was adoption. The motion read: “Adoption without parental consent is wrong in principle” The event was chaired by the Rt. Hon. Sir James Munby, President of the Family Division of the High Court, and … Continue reading “Adoption without parental consent is wrong in principle”

Eight-year-olds identified in infancy as at risk of harm: report of a prospective longitudinal study

Source: Eight-year-olds Identified in Infancy as at Risk of Harm: Report of a Prospective Longitudinal Study Research Report: July 2016 By: Rebecca Brown, Harriet Ward, Jenny Blackmore, Caroline Thomas and Georgia Hyde-Dryden: Loughborough University About the study Findings from this study raise important questions about child protection policy and practice. In particular they raise issues concerning … Continue reading Eight-year-olds identified in infancy as at risk of harm: report of a prospective longitudinal study

Avoiding the cliff edge: making transitions work – SCIE

By: Ewan King, 6 February 2017. Source: SCIE This post features SCIE's Ewan King blogs for the Department of Health on how mental and physical health conditions are not 'magically resolved' on a young person’s eighteenth birthday. Key messages for practice - we need to: Improve our work with young people and families early on, making sure … Continue reading Avoiding the cliff edge: making transitions work – SCIE

Transition planning : foster care to adoption

This piece was first posted on 13/02/2016. Findings from small-scale research Worth reading this research paper by Sophie Boswell and Lynne Cudmore, child psychotherapists. The paper considers children's attachment and emotional needs and the role of foster carers during the transition from foster care to adoption. The research findings are explored in the light of an attachment and loss in … Continue reading Transition planning : foster care to adoption

Beyond the Adoption Order

This post was first published on 25/10/2015. It raises important issues for practice and therefore merits a re-post. Discord and disruption in adoptive families Dr Julie Selwyn presented this lecture for Cardiff University's Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre in association with the BAAF (British Association for Adoption and Fostering). Read the full report: … Continue reading Beyond the Adoption Order

Domestic Violence and the Impact on Contact Re-examined

Source: Family Law Week Author: Cris McCurley, Partner in Ben Hoare Bell LLP and advisory board member of Rights of Women and Women’s Aid. In this article Cris McCurley considers recent developments concerning contact where there has been evidence of domestic violence, and the events which have led to them. In 2004 Women's Aid published … Continue reading Domestic Violence and the Impact on Contact Re-examined

High Court challenge to UK’s child refugee efforts

Source – BBC News  Campaigners will challenge the government's handling of the arrival of unaccompanied child refugees from Europe, at a High Court hearing later. They say ministers have not worked with local councils to find enough places for vulnerable children. Separately, the daughter of the man called "Britain's Schindler" has criticised the ending of … Continue reading High Court challenge to UK’s child refugee efforts

£400m fostering services merger faces investigation

A merger between two private firms - Acorn Care Education Group and the National Fostering Agency Group (among the largest providers of foster placement services to councils in England, Scotland and Wales), is to be investigated due to concerns it has created a monopoly. Following an initial investigation, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced it will proceed … Continue reading £400m fostering services merger faces investigation

Initial Family and Friends Care Assessment: A good practice guide – Family Rights Group

Developed by Family Rights Group in partnership with an expert working group, February 2017 A good practice guide on initial family and friends care assessments has been launched by Family Rights Group. The guide sets out best practice as to how viability assessments should be conducted. It lists what factors social workers conducting the assessment … Continue reading Initial Family and Friends Care Assessment: A good practice guide – Family Rights Group