At the end of April the Ministry of Justice announced that an additional £6 million would be made available to people looking to provide care for vulnerable children within their extended family group. Under the plans funding for free legal advice will be provided to family members seeking to offer a long-term stable home to…
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Child Law
Bretherton Law’s experienced and reputable child law team specialises in cases involving social services, including child protection, PLO and care proceedings. We understand parents’ rights against social services and represent families across London and the Northern Home Counties including Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Essex and Oxfordshire. If you and your family are experiencing social services’ intervention…
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The launch of a new, not-for-profit, organisation called Now Foster is aimed at encouraging a new generation of foster carers to come forward. The focus will be on people who have not previously considered becoming foster carers, and those who now have the time and resources to make a difference to the lives of young…
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Hertfordshire County Council’s Children’s Services department has been given an “Outstanding” rating for overall effectiveness following an unannounced inspection by Ofsted in January. This is an improvement on the ranking of “Good” which the council had been given four years ago, and is the highest classification available. The review places Hertfordshire Children’s Services among the…
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A new law came into force in February which raises the legal age of marriage to 18 in England and Wales. The introduction of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 means that 16 and 17 year olds will no longer be able to marry or enter a civil partnership, even with parental…
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A two-year programme, backed by £200 million of government funds, has been launched with the aim of transforming the children’s care system. Under the plans vulnerable children will be given more support to stay with their families, using early intervention as a way of avoiding crisis actions later on. The proposals follow three independent reviews…
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A year-long pilot scheme began on 30th January to allow accredited journalists to attend and report on family court hearings, with the aim of increasing transparency and public confidence in the workings of courts. Three courts have been chosen to provide a mix of rural and urban cases – Leeds, Cardiff and Carlisle. The move…
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The newly-released report by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has recommended that adults who work with children who fail to report cases of sexual abuse to police or social workers should be prosecuted. This mandate would also apply to priests and members of other religious denominations. In addition, internet providers should be…
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Since September, 2019, it has been illegal for local authorities to place children in care under the age of 16 in unregulated homes. At the same time it has been illegal for companies to run unregistered children’s homes, and although exemptions exist to allow unregulated placements for holidays or leisure activities it is feared that…
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Following care proceedings where a child has been made the subject of a Care Order, most parents hope that one day the Care Order will be discharged and the child can return home to them. Whether that is realistic depends on a number of factors. The timing of an application is also key. Section 39…
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