Welcome to another week.
The case, which was brought by a Bulgarian woman wanting to see her grandson, confirms that rights of access refer not only to those conferred on parents in relation to their child, but also includes other people who are considered to be important to the child.
As the UK is bound by EU law for the time being, this ruling will have a significant impact on our Family Court and the way it interprets contact.
Our question this week then, is just this: would you like the President of the Family Division to comment on this recent ruling?
Many thanks to Maggie for alerting us to this case.
Researching Reform 
Reblogged this on World4Justice : NOW! Lobby Forum..
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Nothing will change because access is at the discretion of social workers who are The British army and money will be lost so grandparents still no rights and it is yet another law passed for what families with no rights and children still screaming to be heard.
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A little hyperbolic there Maggie.
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obviously you are not aware how much the the courts and others would lose financially if grandparents were given rights, i have spoken to 100s of grandparents who have fought in the courts and do not get legal aid some have sold their homes to pay the legal teams and still go to their deaths never to see their grandkids again, and many social workers tell grandparents your grandchild does not want to see you and i know that to be true and many grandparents are given a book to sign, read from the link the facts, and i spent over £50.000 in legal fees just to see my grandson.
http://www.childrenscreamingtobeheard.com/dear-grandma/
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“social workers who are The British army” Not in my experience. If they were then we might expect professionalism, discipline and commitment to a plan, these are not qualities that I recognise in the majority of LA social workers.
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i have to disagree.
professionalism, discipline and commitment to a plan is exactly what Social workers are doing. only not for the benefit of parents and children. its for their own Agenda and thats why they win most cases in the family courts.
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Yes, as Munby seems so pleased with what he has achieved in the Family Courts, I would expect to see an enthusiastic backing from him with regard to Grandparent’s access. However, he has been reported as saying that the decline of the ‘nuclear family’ is a good thing so I’m a little confused as to his stance. . . . .
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The European Court of Justice has just ruled that EU law does not limit child contact rights solely to parents, but that it also includes grandparents.
Perhaps there is already too much bureaucratic interference and too little common-sense being applied by officials in their dealings with the everyday lives of ordinary people, so yet more of the same might not be welcome, but though the nuclear family’s parameters may have changed, the needs of children to be nurtured have not.
It would be normal for grandparents to figure in the lives of their grandchildren, so giving access to grandparents with grandchildren in care should be considered – as long as the existing relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is harmonious. Such access should not increase the possibility of bringing more stress to an already stressful situation.
Sadly, it is here that we would have to rely on human judgment and so risk human error or bias. Too often we adults, however well-meaning, perceive what we think others need, without being truly objective in our final analysis – and this is where social workers would be required to apply their finest qualities of analysis and judgement to each individual for whom they are responsible.
In these situations, support for the adults involved is as important as that offered to each child. Still not enough training and on-going training and support is currently being offered to those working in our social services; too often it is the recourse of graduates who are undecided about what exactly they want to do with their university degree once they have it.
It is fairly typical of those who wander into university from their school’s the sixth form , without a clear plan about their future, other than that their parents are keen for them to go to university. Or so it was – before the introduction of fees, mounting student debt and the current unemployment situation among graduates.
It was once commonplace for children, without a definite plan for their future, to opt for the civil service because it was regarded as ‘safe’. Then it was social services that became the ‘safe’ magnet for the undecided; the need for dedication and training was not recognised by all those in authority until comparatively recently, thanks to some dedicated free-thinkers and therapists over the last twenty years or so.
Not enough people have been convinced of the need – and even fewer trained – to deal with the intricate and diar problems of an increasing number of children and young people with special needs. Until we do recognise – and learn to respect the very special people needed to care for those with special needs – the situation can only get worse. Working through the traumas of a broken home; broken or violent relationships; special physical and/or mental needs requires specialist training of the very highest quality – and so far, our Establishment figures have not got the message.
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Munby has now said we should applaud the end of the nuclear family 9mum and dad married or partnered with children)
He does not sound a suitable person to ask this question !
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Yes JM should comment on this.
one of the comments on this story is quite interesting.
“I work in the Secret Family Courts, and I promise you “STOLEN” is the correct word in very many cases”.
i like whistle blowers.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5801847/Fury-family-court-judge-said-applaud-end-nuclear-family.html xx
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Reblogged this on tummum's Blog.
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it would be interesting to hear the Views of others re what powers they think Ofsted has.
in a resent correspondence re Corruption within a LA, this is what they said.
“Please be advised that Ofsted does not have any powers to regulate local authorities.”
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Dr M, one day people will learn there are no doors to open for families or the kids in care, or to lose half a million pounds to a fraudster and with all evidence produced i went to Ofsted and all other departments and was fobbed of even though the fraudster was found guilty, as for the families who have lost their kids in care as i well know still no doors to open only to keep spending thousands to go to court and still the door is shut, the justice system in the UK is so corrupt and with organisations such as Ofsted again its corruption
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