Speech by the President of the Family Division: Parents with intellectual impairment in public law proceedings – the need to be alert – Courts & Tribunals Judiciary

Posted February 17th, 2023 in disabled persons, families, family courts, learning difficulties, news by tracey

“It is, I suspect, easy for those whose professional lives have started much more recently than mine (which I dare say includes most of this audience!) to assume that we have always understood intellectual impairment as we do now, and that we have always acted in the knowledgeable and sensitive way that we all strive to do. If that is your assumption, then you are, I am afraid, wrong as the following pair of anecdotes may demonstrate.”

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Courts & Tribunals Judiciary, 14th February 2023

Source: www.judiciary.uk

Tommy Jessop: Why I investigated care for patients like me – BBC News

‘People with a learning disability are more than twice as likely to die from avoidable causes than the rest of the population. Actor Tommy Jessop and BBC Panorama investigated some of the stories of families who say they were let down by their medical care.’

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BBC News, 10th October 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

A Response to the Criminal Justice Joint Evidence Review: Neurodiversity in the Criminal Justice System action plan – Ministry of Justice

‘In December 2020, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice commissioned HM Inspectorate of Prisons and HM Inspectorate of Probation, with support from HMICFRS, to undertake an independent review of neurodiversity in the criminal justice system (CJS).’

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Ministry of Justice, 30th June 2022

West Sussex council ordered to pay £2,000 to mother of child with special needs – BBC News

‘A mother of a child with special needs has been paid £2,000 by a council for failures involving his education, health and care plan. The mother – known as Ms C – turned to the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman after making a complaint to West Sussex County Council. The ombudsman has upheld her complaint, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.’

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BBC News, 4th July 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Draft Mental Health Bill now published – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 1st, 2022 in bills, detention, learning difficulties, mental health, news by tracey

‘Following a commitment given in the Queen’s Speech in May 2022, a draft Mental Health Bill has been brought forward this week (27 June 2022). Alex Ruck Keene sets out the main elements and highlights some key points.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 1st July 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

UK sperm donor with genetic condition banned from contacting children – The Guardian

Posted June 1st, 2022 in autism, children, deceit, families, health, learning difficulties, news by sally

‘A man with an incurable genetic condition who advertised his sperm to lesbians on social media has been banned from contacting some of the children he fathered as a result.’

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The Guardian, 31st May 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Re H [2022]EWFC 10: Guidance in Learning Disability Cases – Transparency Project

‘The Good Practice Guidance for working with parents with a learning disability was first published in 2007 by the Department of Health / Department for Education and Skills. Fifteen years and two revisions later, awareness of it remains patchy. In Re H [2022] EWFC 10 (19 January 2022), where the mother’s learning disability was a central feature of the case, the children’s social worker admitted that she was unfamiliar with the Guidance.’

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Transparency Project, 26th April 2022

Source: transparencyproject.org.uk

Neurodiversity and the Bar – Counsel

‘An introduction to neurodiversity and why the Bar ought to embrace it – by Oliver May.’

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Counsel, March 2022

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Judge gives guidance on care cases where parent has learning disability – Local Government Lawyer

‘A Family Court judge has given guidance on care cases where a parent has a learning disability, after deciding that a 17-month-old boy known as Child H should be the subject of a care order pending adoption because of his parents’ inability to care for him.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th April 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

High Court finds council in contempt of court over failure to comply with mandatory injunction on placement planning for autistic young man – Local Government Lawyer

‘A High Court judge has found Cardiff City Council in contempt of court over its failure to comply with a mandatory injunction in a case concerning future placement planning for a young man with a range of diagnoses including autistic spectrum disorder and severe communication and learning difficulties.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 1st April 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Local authority ordered to pay 85% of costs of wasted Court of Protection hearing – Local Government Lawyer

‘A local authority that was seeking to restrict a woman’s access to social media has been ordered to pay 85% of the Official Solicitor’s costs after the council was late in submitting assessments and a position statement.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 22nd March 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Cheshire family conned vulnerable relative out of £145k – BBC News

Posted March 15th, 2022 in families, fraud, learning difficulties, news, powers of attorney, sentencing by tracey

‘Three family members who stole almost £150,000 from a vulnerable relative to fund lavish holidays have been jailed.’

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BBC News, 14th March 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lancaster mum wins legal fight for son’s kidney transplant – BBC News

‘A mother has won a legal battle to ensure her teenage son has the right to a potentially life-saving transplant.’

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BBC News, 8th March 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Research Briefing: Special Educational Needs: support in England – House of Commons Library

‘This House of Commons Library briefing sets out the system of support for children and young people in England aged 0-25 with special educational needs (SEN).’

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House of Commons Library , 1st March 2022

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Council agrees to pay £3,600+ over failure to secure significant part of SEN support for autistic boy – Local Government Lawyer

‘A county council has agreed to pay more than £3,600 following a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) investigation into how a teenager on the autism spectrum was left without a significant proportion of his agreed special educational needs (SEN) support for up to three years.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th February 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Court of Protection case review – Local Government Lawyer

‘Lauren Gardner reports on some significant recent judgments in the Court of Protection.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 28th January 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Man with ‘delayed maturity’ jailed for harassing Chris Whitty – The Guardian

Posted January 28th, 2022 in harassment, imprisonment, learning difficulties, news, sentencing by tracey

‘A man has been jailed after admitting harassing England’s chief medical officer, Sir Chris Whitty, by filming him with a phone against his will.’

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The Guardian, 27th January 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Failure in childcare case to identify cognitive difficulties of appellant and to make appropriate participation directions “amounted to serious procedural irregularity”, Court of Appeal rules – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 20th, 2022 in care orders, children, learning difficulties, news, witnesses by tracey

‘Failure to identify an appellant’s cognitive limitations led to procedural unfairness in a case involving children, the Court of Appeal has found.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 20th January 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Court of Protection authorises vaccination of autistic boy despite parental objections – Local Government Lawyer

‘The benefits of vaccination against Covid-19 for a child with autism, severe learning disability and asthma “significantly outweigh” the possible risks, the Court of Protection has found, despite objections from the boy’s parents.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th January 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ombudsman recommends county council pay nearly £7k after boy left without education for two years – Local Government Lawyer

‘A boy with special education needs who received “virtually no” education for two years should be given £6,900 in compensation by Suffolk County Council, an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has recommended.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th January 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk