IPCC criticises Sussex police over hooding of disabled 11-year-old girl – The Guardian

‘Sussex police have been strongly criticised by the force watchdog after an 11-year-old disabled girl was hooded, handcuffed and detained in custody for a total of more than 60 hours.’

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The Guardian, 8th June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Academy trust faces legal challenge over treatment of disabled pupils – The Guardian

‘Parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities are taking legal action against an academy trust for proposing to bus their children from a well-performing school to a worse alternative because of limited resources.’

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The Guardian, 2nd June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Disabled man born after incest rape wins right to claim compensation – BBC News

‘A man born with severe disabilities after his mother was raped by her father has won the right to claim compensation.’

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BBC News, 1st June 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Families’ fury over ‘painfully slow’ progress after Winterbourne View scandal – Daily Telegraph

‘Families of the victims of the Winterbourne View care scandal have written to David Cameron accusing ministers of betrayal by leaving vulnerable disabled people at risk of abuse five years on.’

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Daily Telegraph, 31st May 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Relatives campaign for ‘Robin’s law’ to oblige care homes to inform family if a loved one is ill – The Guardian

‘As a new inquest approaches into the death of their autistic sister, family continues to fight for a law to boost the rights of relatives.’

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The Guardian, 1st June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ombudsman warns on financial appointee role after council told to repay £12k – Local Government Lawyer

‘A local authority has agreed to repay nearly £12,000 to a disabled woman for whom it was acting as financial appointee, following an investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 24th May 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Independent Monitoring Board slams Heathrow Immigration Removal Centres – Free Movement

‘What were Harmondsworth and Colnbrook Detention Centres have been brought under the same management, and are now called Heathrow Immigration Removal Centres. Nonetheless, as the Independent Monitoring Board’s report shows, detention centres by another name still have their same old problems. The Board’s recommendations focus on treatment of vulnerable people, both mentally and physically.’

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Free Movement, 23rd May 2016

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

The new era promised by the Care Act is yet to arrive – The Guardian

‘One year after the act came into force, the momentum behind the changes risks being lost.’

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The Guardian, 23rd May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Suicides of benefit claimants reveal DWP flaws, says inquiry – The Guardian

‘A series of secret internal inquiries into the deaths of people claiming social security reveal that ministers were repeatedly warned of shortcomings in the treatment of vulnerable claimants facing potentially traumatic cuts to their benefits entitlements.’

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The Guardian, 13th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge to decide treatment of two-year-old disabled boy who ‘no longer giggles’ – The Independent

Posted April 27th, 2016 in children, disabled persons, doctors, medical treatment, news by sally

‘Specialists have told a High Court judge that their treatment of a “profoundly neurologically disabled” two-year-old boy who they say no longer giggles when tickled and is “largely unresponsive” should be limited to palliative care.’

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The Independent, 27th April 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Leading employment judges call for law banning ‘fattism’ in workplace – The Independent

Posted April 25th, 2016 in disabled persons, employment, equality, news, obesity, statistics by sally

‘A leading judge has claimed that overweight workers could soon have the power to tackle “fattist” discrimination in the workplace by suing colleagues who make inappropriate comments about body size.’

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The Independent, 25th April 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Adding Insult to Injury – Byrom Street Chambers

Posted April 14th, 2016 in damages, disabled persons, news, personal injuries by sally

‘This paper seeks to explore how causation and quantum should be determined where a pre-existing injury is worsened, or an additional injury is super imposed upon a pre-existing injury, by a Defendant’s negligence.’

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Byrom Street Chambers, 30th March 2016

Source: www.byromstreet.com

Wrongful Birth and Wrongful Conception – The Rights of the Father – Hardwicke Chambers

‘The law on recovery for damages in wrongful birth and wrongful conception cases has been settled for some time; since the cases of McFarlane v Tayside Board of Health [2000] 2 AC 59, Parkinson v St James and Seacroft University Hospital NHS Trust [2001] EWCA Civ 530 and Rees v Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust [2002] EWCA Civ 88 there has been little, if any, disruption to the status quo. It is clear however that there do remain some unanswered questions regarding the limits of recovery in this area; one such query arose in the more recent case of Whitehead v Searle [2008] EWCA Civ 285, where the rights of a father in these actions was considered.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 8th April 2016

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Deaf school’s closure was due to abuse of residents, says regulator – The Guardian

Posted April 6th, 2016 in assault, care workers, disabled persons, news, reports by tracey

‘The sudden closure of a college for vulnerable people was due to the serious abuse of residents by staff, the health and social care regulator has revealed.’

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The Guardian, 5th April 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

DWP tribunal criticises Labour MP Jess Phillips for ‘showing too much affection and friendship’ – The Independent

‘A Labour MP has been criticised by a judge at a tribunal for showing too much affection and friendship towards a constituent on disability benefits. ‘

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The Independent, 3rd April 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Soldiers jailed after beating up disabled teens ‘for entertainment’ – Daily Telegraph

‘Soldiers targeted “naïve, trusting and innocent” pair during a drunken night out from Army camp at Sennybridge in the Brecon Beacons.’

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Daily Telegraph, 29th March 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Public sector equality duty must be beefed up, say peers – Local Government Lawyer

‘The wording of the Public Sector Equality Duty must be strengthened so that the discriminatory consequences of decisions by the Government and public authorities can no longer be ignored, peers have said.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 29th March 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Government spends £100,000 on lawyers to defend the bedroom tax – The Independent

Posted March 29th, 2016 in appeals, benefits, disabled persons, fees, housing, news, social security by sally

‘The Department for Work and Pensions has spent over £100,000 on lawyers fighting a court battle to save its controversial “bedroom tax” policy.’

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The Independent, 28th March 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Duty of care for disabled people in UK not being met, say peers – The Guardian

Posted March 24th, 2016 in disabled persons, duty of care, equality, news, reports, select committees by tracey

‘The government is failing in its duty of care to Britain’s 11 million disabled people, peers have said, in a House of Lords report published on Thursday. It identified a series of government failures, from inaction on long-standing provisions of the Equality Act designed to help disabled people, to repealing others that favour reducing business regulations over their rights, to the impact of spending cuts, as having a “hugely adverse impact” on those with disabilities.’

Full story

The Guardian, 24th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Boys win appeal over striking out of claim against council over harassment on estate – Local Government Lawyer

‘A High Court judge has ruled that the claims of two boys against a council for negligence in failing to protect them from harassment from neighbours on the estate where they lived were wrongly struck out.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 18th March 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk