A compendium of vulnerability cases – Nearly Legal

‘Following on from our post on Mohammed v Southwark LBC, here are notes on a further three appeals to the County Court under section 204 Housing Act 1996, all related to decisions on priority need (or lack of it) through vulnerability.’

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Nearly Legal, 12th September 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Duties of Local Authorities to Unaccompanied Migrant Children – Family Law Week

Posted September 9th, 2016 in care orders, children, EC law, local government, news, refugees by sally

‘Jennifer Kotilaine, barrister of 42 Bedford Row, analyses the duties of local authorities to unaccompanied migrant children in the light of the House of Lords European Union Select Committee’s recent critical report on the subject.’

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Family Law Week, 1st September 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Homeless young offenders’ housing criticised by report – BBC News

Posted September 7th, 2016 in children, homelessness, housing, local government, news, reports, young offenders by sally

‘A third of homeless 16 and 17-year-old offenders in England and Wales are being placed in unsafe or unsuitable accommodation, a report has found.’

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BBC News, 7th September 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Make health material consideration in planning and licensing law: MPs – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 2nd, 2016 in health, licensing, local government, news, planning, select committees by sally

‘The Government must make good on its commitment to health in all policies by enshrining health as a material consideration in planning and licensing law, MPs have said.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 1st September 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ombudsman criticises council after man left in unsuitable care home – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 2nd, 2016 in autism, care homes, compensation, complaints, local government, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘A local authority has agreed to pay £2,000 to a man left in an unsuitable care home for 11 months longer than he should have been.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 1st September 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Councils warned to expect large number of appeals over “pay to stay” – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 31st, 2016 in appeals, housing, local government, news, rent by sally

‘Councils can expect costly challenges and appeals as more than 70,000 social housing tenants face £1,000 a year average rent rises under the ‘pay to stay’ regime.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 30th August 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Campaigners bring in lawyers in bid to stop closure of A&E department – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 31st, 2016 in consultations, hospitals, local government, news by sally

‘Law firm Leigh Day is representing the SOS Grantham Hospital campaign group in its bid to try to prevent the partial closure of its A&E department by United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT).’

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Local Government Lawyer, 30th August 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

What do points mean? (No prizes) – Nearly Legal

Posted August 30th, 2016 in children, homelessness, housing, interpretation, local government, news by sally

‘Another allocation judicial review, related, but perhaps distinct from the line of ‘reasonable preference’ cases we have previously seen. The issue, in part, Islington’s use of a ‘points threshold’ for allowing bidding for properties, though not for qualification to the register.’

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Nearly Legal, 29th August 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Lack of UK law requiring lifeguards on all beaches means ‘varied presence’ – The Guardian

Posted August 30th, 2016 in accidents, health & safety, holidays, local government, news by sally

‘After a number of water-related deaths in the past week, industry groups call for more safety information for beachgoers.’

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The Guardian, 26th August 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Strip club to go to court to challenge licence renewal refusal – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 26th, 2016 in appeals, licensing, local government, news, sex establishments by sally

‘A Leicester strip club is to go to a magistrates’ court to challenge the city council’s refusal to renew its licence.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th August 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Former councillor jailed for supplying false information ahead of election – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 25th, 2016 in elections, electoral register, fraud, local government, news, sentencing by sally

‘An ex-councillor has been jailed for two months after pleading guilty to supplying false information to an electoral registration officer.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 24th August 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

MPs urge action on “significant” legal loophole in taxi licensing – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 22nd, 2016 in codes of practice, licensing, local government, news, parliament, taxis by sally

‘MPs have called on the Government to address a “damaging and significant legal loophole” that allows taxis licensed by other local authorities to operate within Rotherham, even if the drivers have had their application for a Rotherham licence rejected.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 19th August 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Woman gets £2m over near-drowning in school swimming lesson – The Guardian

‘A woman who won a judgment against her local authority after she nearly drowned during a school swimming lesson 16 years ago has been awarded £2m in compensation.’

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The Guardian, 21st August 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Sharon Shoesmith on Baby P, child protection and the tabloid media: ‘I came very close to not standing up again’ – The Guardian

‘The death of a toddler at the hands of his abusive family shocked the nation in 2007, and led to the sacking and demonisation of Sharon Shoesmith, head of Haringey children’s services. But was she just a scapegoat?’

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The Guardian, 19th August 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Council agrees to re-house disabled woman after Ombudsman investigation – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 19th, 2016 in disabled persons, housing, local government, news by sally

‘A London borough has agreed to re-house a disabled woman and her family after errors were made in processing her housing application.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 18th August 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

High Court quashes school closure decision over consultation flaws – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 18th, 2016 in consultations, education, local government, news, Wales by sally

‘Denbighshire County Council mishandled its consultation on closing a Welsh language school, the High Court has found.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th August 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Council fined £100,000 after social care files left in empty building – The Guardian

Posted August 17th, 2016 in data protection, fines, local government, news, privacy, social services by sally

‘A county council has been fined £100,000 after files containing highly sensitive personal details of more than 100 people were discovered in a disused building.’

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The Guardian, 17th August 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Court of Appeal quashes permission for hydro-electric station on Thames – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 17th, 2016 in electricity, judicial review, local government, news, planning by sally

‘A council must pay a local hotel owner £55,000 in costs after losing a judicial review over construction of a hydro-electric station.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 16th August 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Is it within the remit of the NHS to commission and pay for preventative HIV drugs? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted August 16th, 2016 in health, HIV, local government, medicines, news by sally

‘In this case NHS England argued it lacked the power to commission (and be responsible for paying for) preventative HIV drugs. It said this was solely the responsibility of local authorities and, in so doing, disavowed any responsibility for preventative medicine.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 15th August 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Troubled Families report ‘suppressed’ – BBC News

‘An unfavourable evaluation of the government’s flagship policy response to the 2011 riots has been suppressed, BBC Newsnight has learned.’

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BBC News, 8th August 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk