London council’s special needs inquiry caused by ‘systemic failures’ – BBC News

‘At least 5,000 children seeking special educational needs support (Send) are to have their cases reviewed after a London council landed a stinging rebuke from the local government ombudsman. Concerns about “systemic failures” in Richmond’s Send department prompted the watchdog to take the highly unusual step of ordering the full-scale audit.’

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BBC News, 17th January 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Scores of tower blocks with Grenfell-style cladding have no plan in place to remove it, figures show – The Independent

‘Two and a half years on from fatal Kensington blaze, more than 21,000 households still living in flats wrapped in flammable cladding that allowed fire to rapidly spread’

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The Independent, 16th January 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Probation officer supervising Conner Marshall killer was ‘overwhelmed’ – The Guardian

Posted January 8th, 2020 in inquests, murder, news, probation, recidivists, rehabilitation, standards by sally

‘A probation services officer broke down in tears during an inquest as she described being “overwhelmed” by her workload in the months before a serial offender she was supervising murdered a teenager in an unprovoked attack.’

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The Guardian, 7th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Campaigners call for laws to back up farming standards assurances – The Guardian

Posted January 8th, 2020 in agriculture, animals, brexit, EC law, news, standards by sally

‘The government will move to reassure the public that Britain’s current high standards on animal welfare and farming will be maintained after Brexit with a pledge to ensure future trade deals live up to the values of farmers and consumers.’

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The Guardian, 8th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

BSB and SRA in firing line over shortcomings – Legal Futures

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has been told that it needs to act more quickly on how it plans to educate the public about barristers after its widely criticised decision to stop funding consumer-facing website Legal Choices.’

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Legal Futures, 19th December 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Disabled woman called ‘lying bitch’ by welfare official awarded £5,000 – The Guardian

‘A disabled woman has been awarded £5,000 in an out-of-court settlement after being called a “lying bitch” by a welfare official in formal legal papers after challenging a decision to cut her disability benefits.’

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The Guardian, 12th December 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Council fined £500k after first prosecution by CQC over failure to provide safe care – Local Government Lawyer

‘Derbyshire County Council has been fined £500,000 following the first prosecution that the Care Quality Commission has brought against a local authority since the watchdog was given powers to prosecute health and social care providers for failing to provide safe care and treatment in 2015.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th December 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

School launches legal proceedings after receiving ‘inadequate’ rating from Ofsted – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 6th, 2019 in appeals, education, news, standards by sally

‘A school in Trafford has issued a legal challenge to regulator Ofsted in a bid to overturn being rated as ‘inadequate’.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th December 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

BSB publishes research into barristers’ attitudes to the revised CPD scheme – Bar Standards Board

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has today published a report on the impact of its revised approach to regulating barristers’ Continuing Professional Development (CPD). It finds that most barristers welcome the revised scheme’s greater flexibility but lack understanding about the role of reflection in maintaining professional standards.’

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Bar Standards Board, 3rd December 2019

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Police referred to standards watchdog over death of 12-year-old boy killed outside school – Daily Telegraph

‘Police investigating a hit and run outside a school tonight referred themselves to the standards watchdog over their “previous contact” with the murder suspect.’

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Daily Telegraph, 3rd December 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Camden Council obtains first rogue landlord banning order in London – Local Government Lawyer

‘Camden Council is reported to have obtained London’s first rogue landlord banning order against a man who repeatedly placed tenants’ lives at risk through letting unsafe housing.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th November 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Targeting of Supt Robyn Williams ‘example of Met institutional racism’ – The Guardian

‘The pursuit of a senior officer under paedophile laws when she is not a sex offender is discriminatory and an example of institutional racism still poisoning the police force, the Black Police Association has claimed.’

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The Guardian, 26th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Doctors may face suspension over NHS ‘worst maternity scandal’ – The Guardian

‘Doctors who saw but did not report babies and mothers receiving poor care during the NHS’s worst maternity scandal could be suspended or struck off, the General Medical Council has warned. The medical profession’s regulator has asked NHS bosses for details of any doctor they believe may have ignored their professional duty to raise the alarm about threats to patient safety at the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS hospital trust (SaTH).’

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The Guardian, 20th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Man died in immigration detention after staff ‘dismissed’ stroke as sign he had taken spice – The Independent

‘A man died in immigration detention after medical staff “dismissed” signs that he was having a stroke because they wrongly presumed that he had taken spice, an inquest has concluded.’

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The Independent, 12th November 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

City watchdog slams own staff’s ‘shameful’ toilet habits – BBC News

Posted November 13th, 2019 in financial services ombudsman, news, ombudsmen, professional conduct, standards by sally

‘City of London regulators tasked with mucking out the financial stables have been making a “shameful” mess of their own, it has emerged.’

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BBC News, 13th November 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Law degrees unnecessarily homogenous, research finds – Legal Futures

Posted November 11th, 2019 in legal education, news, standards, universities by sally

‘Law schools are not taking advantage of the “enormous regulatory freedom” they have and instead are largely all offering the same kind of law degree, new research has found.’

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Legal Futures, 11th November 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Public inquiry launched into abuse at Brook House immigration detention centre – The Independent

Posted November 7th, 2019 in detention, immigration, inquiries, news, ombudsmen, police, professional conduct, standards by tracey

‘A public inquiry has been launched into allegations of abuse at the Brook House immigration detention centre.’

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The Independent, 6th November 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Outcomes for children in custody worse than a decade ago, says report – The Guardian

Posted November 5th, 2019 in children, news, prisons, recidivists, rehabilitation, standards, statistics, young offenders by sally

‘The government has failed to capitalise on the “remarkable” fall in the number of children in youth custody, with outcomes for those sent to prison worse than a decade ago, a report has found.’

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The Guardian, 5th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

The new SRA Standards and Regulations: Greater freedom for solicitors? – 4 New Square

‘In this article, Helen Evans and Clare Dixon of 4 New Square review whether the new principles, codes of conduct and disciplinary procedure rules wholeheartedly reflect a relaxation of the SRA’s grip, or whether competing forces are apparent. They also consider whether one of the unintended consequence of some of the liberalisation is to introduce a two-tier regulatory system for solicitors practising within regulated entities (such as firms) and those outside that structure. Finally, they reflect on the likely impact of the new rules and relaxed burden of proof on the troublesome issues of dishonesty and lack of integrity- an issue that the Divisional Court was still picking apart as recently as last week in the matter of SRA v Siaw.’

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4 New Square, 21st October 2019

Source: www.4newsquare.com

BAT faces landmark legal case over Malawi families’ poverty wages – The Guardian

‘Human rights lawyers are preparing to bring a landmark case against British American Tobacco on behalf of hundreds of children and their families forced by poverty wages to work in conditions of gruelling hard labour in the fields of Malawi.’

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The Guardian, 31st October 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com