First county lines drug dealing gang jailed using modern slavery laws – Daily Telegraph

‘Three drug dealers have become the first gang to be jailed under modern slavery laws for using children to traffic crack cocaine and heroin in so-called county lines operations.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 14th May 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Council makes a mess of Portage – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 14th, 2019 in children, education, equality, families, judicial review, local government, news by sally

‘The biblical Esau rashly sold his birthright for ‘a mess of pottage’ (a bowl of lentil stew). But in a rather different context, Worcestershire Council could be said to have made a mess of Portage. For Portage (named after a US town in Wisconsin where the concept originally developed) is a pre-school educational support service (from birth to five-years-old) provided through regular home visits from a trained home visitor. However, on 22 August 2016 the council (through councillor Bayliss, cabinet member with responsibility for children and families) decided to close the Portage scheme from 1 October 2018. This prompted judicial review proceedings in R (RD and others) v Worcestershire County Council [2019] EWHC 449 (Admin), judgment in which was given by Nicklin J on 28 February 2019.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 13th May 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Councils to have statutory duty to deliver support in secure accommodation for survivors of domestic abuse – Local Government Lawyer

‘Councils are to be legally required for the first time to deliver support in secure accommodation for survivors of domestic abuse, the Government has announced.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 13th May 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Tech firms to give secret evidence at child sexual abuse inquiry – The Guardian

‘Facebook, Apple, Microsoft and Google are to give secret evidence to the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) as it examines the growing problem of online exploitation.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 13th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Kerry Katona fined £500 for failing to send her child to school – BBC News

‘Singer Kerry Katona has been fined £500 for failing to send one of her children to school.’

Full Story

BBC News, 8th May 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Church rejects report which says clergy should be allowed to go to police with sex abuse confessions – Daily Telegraph

‘The Church of England is ignoring abuse victims, survivors claim, after it rejected a report saying that clergy should report sex abuse confessions to police.’

Full Church of England report

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 8th May 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Judge reminds councils of importance of following guidance on working with parents with learning disability – Local Government Lawyer

‘A Family Court judge has said it is “imperative” that local authorities follow guidance on working with parents with a learning disability, and expressed “serious reservations” as to whether a borough council did so in a case concerning the welfare of three children.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 8th May 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Inquiry announces new investigation into child protection in religious organisations and settings – Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

‘The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has announced a new investigation into child protection in religious organisations and settings. The investigation will be thematic and will review the current child protection policies, practices and procedures in religious institutions in England and Wales.’

Full press release

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, 2nd May 2019

Source: www.iicsa.org.uk

Police ‘overwhelmed’ by child sex abuse image cases call for new approach as thousands of paedophiles seek help – The Independent

‘Police leaders have called for a new approach to the rising number of people who view child sex abuse images online, as thousands of paedophiles seek help to stop their behaviour.’

Full Story

The Independent, 6th May 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Appellant ordered to pay £5k costs after acting unreasonably in SEN appeal – Local Government Lawyer

‘A mother has been ordered to pay Hertfordshire County Council costs of £5,245 after being held to have acted unreasonably over an appeal on her daughter’s schooling, a judgment published this week on Bailii has revealed.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 1st May 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Private Lives and Public Sorrows – Family Law Week

‘Hazel Wright, Partner with Hunters Solicitors, highlights three cases which have emphasised the usefulness to family lawyers of the Human Rights Act.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 30th April 2019

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Iraqi who brought baby to UK wins reprieve from deportation – The Guardian

‘A man who brought his baby niece to Britain in the back of his car from a French refugee camp after she sustained serious burns has had his deportation halted at the last minute by the Home Office.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 30th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

NHS maternity services in special measures at two Welsh hospitals – The Guardian

‘Maternity services at two NHS hospitals in south Wales have been put into special measures after a report found a series of failings that may have put the lives of women and babies at risk.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 30th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Barry rapists Peter and Avril Griffiths: Case review call – BBC News

Posted April 29th, 2019 in child abuse, children, news, rape, sexual grooming, sexual offences by sally

‘Questions over whether a couple jailed for a string of rapes on girls were part of a paedophile ring have led to calls for a serious case review.’

Full Story

BBC News, 29th April 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

London borough defeats appeal over licence and secure tenancy – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 26th, 2019 in appeals, children, homelessness, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news by sally

‘The London Borough of Barnet has defeated an appeal over whether a woman found to be intentionally homeless but who continued to be housed under the Children Act 1989 had security of tenure.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 26th April 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

RE B (A Child) (Post-Adoption Contact) [2019] EWCA Civ 29: What is the Future for Post-Adoption Contact? – Family Law Week

Posted April 25th, 2019 in adoption, children, contact orders, news by sally

‘The issue of post-adoption contact was recently considered by the Court of Appeal in Re B (A Child) (Post-Adoption Contact) [2019] EWCA Civ 29. This article, written by the solicitor and junior counsel for the appellants, considers the backdrop against which this appeal was made and where this judgment leaves the issue of post-adoption contact.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 18th April 2018

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Give local authorities extra powers to curb junk food ads – report – The Guardian

Posted April 24th, 2019 in advertising, children, enforcement, food, health, local government, London, news by sally

‘Local authorities should be given greater powers to make it easier for them to impose restrictions on junk food advertising in their areas, a report has recommended.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 24th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK watchdog blocks record number of child abuse webpages – The Guardian

‘More than 100,000 webpages containing child sexual abuse imagery (CSAI) or videos were identified and blocked over the last year by the UK charity tasked with maintaining the nationwide blacklist, an increase of more than a third on the year before.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 24th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Boy must leave mother with ‘hateful feelings’ for father, judge rules – The Guardian

Posted April 23rd, 2019 in children, custody, news by sally

‘An eight-year-old boy has moved home after a judge was told he was being influenced by his mother’s “hateful feelings” towards his father.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 22nd April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Priory fined £300k over death of 14-year-old girl – BBC News

‘The Priory healthcare group has been fined £300,000 over the death of a child at one of its hospitals.’

Full Story

BBC News, 17th April 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk