In The News

27 Wednesday Mar 2019

Posted by Natasha in News, Researching Reform

≈ 4 Comments

The child welfare stories that should be right on your radar:

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Legal Advice Groups Launch Event Hosted By Magic Circle Law Firm.

26 Tuesday Mar 2019

Posted by Natasha in event, legal aid, LIP Service, LIPs, Researching Reform

≈ 4 Comments

An event looking at ways in which lawyers, lay advisors, charities and academics can help improve access to justice has been launched by the Advice Service Alliance, the Access to Justice Foundation, LegalVoice and the Litigant in Person Support Strategy.

The event is being bankrolled by Magic Circle law firm Allen & Overy.

Researching Reform was very kindly sent the invite from the Access to Justice Foundation.

There are three confirmed sessions so far, which include:

Identifying and supporting distressed clients – a psychiatrist view
Driven to digital distraction – re purposing tech for good so it works for us
Supporting health and well-being in your organisation

Allen & Overy’s press briefing for the event offers further details:

About

This collaborative event, aimed at people working in the access to justice sector, will provide space and time to share work, experiences, problems and learning points on some of the key issues facing the sector, as identified by the sector. The conference will create a dialogue between professionals and explore the potential to develop solutions and further collaboration.

Delegates will have the opportunity to engage in and contribute to strategic developments for the sector, network with access to justice and related sectors and benefit from expertise in allied and external sectors. Our aim is for attendees to leave the event with relevant and practical information in priority areas which can support the delivery of services in their organisations.

The aims and objectives of the conference are as follows:

Aims

Host a collaborative event working in partnership with access to justice organisations, for people working in the access to justice sector.
Provide a space and time for people to share their work, experience, problems and learning and discuss issues in particular focus areas that stakeholders in the sector have identified.
Bring in external sector expertise to understand how other professions and sectors support similar issues in these areas.
Focus on solutions and invest resources to investigate the potential to further develop the solutions and collaborations identified at the event.

Objectives

Delegates who attend the event will have:

Useful and practical advice or specific outputs which can be implemented in their work
Increased understanding of what other work is going on inside the access to justice sector and where their work and experiences are shared.
Opportunity to network with the access to justice sector and related external sector experts.
Opportunity to engage in and contribute to strategic developments for the sector.

While we were reading up on the event, we came across a legal support website called Advice Now, which is run by the Access To Justice Foundation. There is a Family and Personal section which deals with Family Law issues like care proceedings. Do let us know what you think of it.

The Litigant In Person Network is also interesting. Members include the Bar Pro Bono Unit and Child Law Advice.

The conference takes place on 21 May, 2019 at Allen & Overy’s London Office.

Tickets can be booked here. The event is free however the organisers request a £20 deposit which attendees will get back upon arriving at the venue.

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Family Law Judge Investigated Over Condescending Bevahiour in Court

25 Monday Mar 2019

Posted by Natasha in Judges, judicial bias, Researching Reform

≈ 7 Comments

Judge Judith Hughes has been investigated for condescending behaviour during a family law hearing in which she allowed her bad temper to get the better of her by banging her head on a desk after a litigant in person appeared before her in court.

Lord Chancellor David Gauke and Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett acting on behalf of the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) found that Hughes’ behaviour was “sarcastic and condescending”, and “failed to demonstrate the standards expected of a judicial office holder”.

Very little information about the context of the complaint is offered by the JCIO though it seems as if the complaint may have been made by the litigant in person, who is likely to have been a parent. Litigants in person are typically members of the public who cannot afford to pay for legal fees, and find they have to represent themselves in court through no fault of their own.

Hughes was issued with ‘formal advice’, and will continue to sit as a family court judge.

This is not the first time Hughes’ temper has been documented. The Telegraph reports an incident from 2017 when the judge also allowed herself to get angry about matters that came before her.

We are encouraged to see parents making use of complaints bodies who appear to be fair and balanced. Perhaps more complaints where warranted might help to put an end to judicial bullying of parents and children in the family court.

Social Workers Spying On Families Are Breaking The Law

22 Friday Mar 2019

Posted by Natasha in Researching Reform, social work

≈ 36 Comments

Social workers in the UK are breaking the law as they spy on families through Facebook, The Times reports this morning. Social work professionals are also setting up fake social media accounts to spy on parents and children.

A study carried out by researchers at Lancaster University found that social workers were failing to adhere to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA). The Law allows government investigators including social workers to view a citizen’s social media accounts once, but thereafter requires the actor to get permission for repeat viewing or continued surveillance.

The Times explains that the social workers observed in the study did not seek out this permission. The researchers concluded that the behaviour showed an “apparent lack of awareness or conscious disregard of Ripa”.

Describing one of the recorded incidents from the research, The Times said:

“At one meeting, discussing a mother who was deemed a high risk to her baby, a social worker asked a colleague: “Do you spy on Facebook?”

The colleague answered: “Oh, yeah, I’m a big fan of Facebook stalking and [our manager] always comes in when I’m looking at it, she thinks I’m on Facebook all the time. I’ve got a fake Facebook account and I have to be very careful with the families that I don’t reveal something I’ve seen on Facebook.”

The Times reports that four months later the children were removed from the family and that the social worker involved had checked Facebook on the morning the children were taken to “gauge” how the mother was feeling.

The findings have concerned the researchers who have identified legal concerns through the study: social workers are clearly breaking the law to spy on families.

The practice of spying on families through social media has been around for at least two years and may be aggravated by judges who are unfamiliar with legislation like RIPA. In 2017 this site wrote about a judge who gave social workers the green light to search for families through Facebook.

Justice Holman took the view that it was appropriate for child welfare professionals to use the social media platform to track down missing parents – but did not offer any information about RIPA or the need to contact police in the first instance, who are tasked with locating missing persons. Social workers do not have a duty in law to track missing members of the public.

Researching Reform also shared research from America which offered alarming insight into how social workers were using the internet to spy on families with no regard for the law. The report concluded that while social workers found the internet useful for work, they were unclear about how it should be used in a child welfare setting.

Other concerning observations from the report show a real and urgent need to address the profession’s behaviour around investigating families:

Over half of the workers (58%) reported that searching for a client on Facebook out of curiosity was acceptable in some situations and 43% reported that they had done this.
Over half of workers (53%) stated that it was acceptable in some situations to search for a client on Facebook that the agency would like to locate, such as a missing parent and about half (49%) had done this.
61% of the child welfare workers stated that it was acceptable in some situations to search for a client on a site like Facebook when the information might give insight into client risk factors and close to half (46%) had done this.
About 65% of the child welfare workers reported that it was acceptable in some situations to search for a client on a site like Facebook when conducting a child welfare investigation or assessment and about a third had done this.

After Researching Reform called on the then President of the Family Division Sir James Munby to issue guidelines for social workers in the UK, guidance was published in September 2017 by the social care ombudsman. The guidance is a step in the right direction but remains incomplete.

Exactly one year later in 2018, online magazine Community Care published a survey asking social workers if they thought spying on families through social media platforms was legal. The outcome of the survey is not known.

Online Event: Family Court Reform

21 Thursday Mar 2019

Posted by Natasha in Family Law, Researching Reform

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The government is launching an online event in April to showcase improvements it has been working on for the UK’s family courts. The changes make up part of a broader reform programme involving all courts and tribunals in the country.

The courts and tribunals reform programme has received £1bn in funds to carry out its work.

The Family Reform event offers more information on proposed improvements inside family courts and provides an opportunity to offer feedback on the changes made so far.

The event was due to take place on 11th February but was postponed and is now set to take place on Tuesday, 2nd April. If you signed up previously to take part there is no need to re-register. New attendees can sign up here.

The invitation offers further information:

“The event will include an overview of the latest developments in family reform. You will hear about our new digital divorce service which aims to provide an improved, more consistent service for divorcing couples. You will also see an overview of the work in the public law and adoption project.

You’ll have the opportunity to learn more, view and ask questions about the progress and ambitions of the reform programme.

The event will be hosted online, so you won’t need to travel. Presentations, a recording of the event and responses to any unanswered questions will be published on GOV.UK afterwards. If you would like to submit questions beforehand, please email us and include your name.

You can also find the latest information and updates on the HMCTS reform programme web page.”

You can join the online event here.

The event runs from 1pm to 2pm.

Dads House Receives Prime Minister’s Point of Light Award

20 Wednesday Mar 2019

Posted by Natasha in child welfare, Researching Reform

≈ 1 Comment

Leading fathers’ charity DadsHouse has received the Prime Minister’s Point of Light Award. The prestigious award is a personal ‘thank you’ from the Prime Minister, which recognises outstanding individuals who are making positive changes in their communities and around the world.

The award has been given to Dads House on the Day of the Single Parent (March 20) to honour the work Dads House does in supporting single fathers. Dads House CEO Billy McGranaghan will be given a certificate and a signed letter from Prime Minister Theresa May at a ceremony due to take place in the Houses of Parliament.

The government has issued a press release about Dads House receiving the award:

PM awards outstanding single fathers charity founder

The Prime Minister has today, 20 March, recognised William McGranaghan, known as Billy, from London, for providing support for single fathers.

Billy is the founder of ‘Dads House’, a charity providing practical support to single fathers across the UK. After supporting his son as a single parent, Billy realised the lack of provision for fathers raising their children alone, despite 200,000 fathers across the UK acting as their main carers. He established ‘Dads House’ in 2008 to provide practical support and advice for single fathers, such as parenting and mindfulness courses, as well as serving as a social hub to bring fathers and their children together. Within the first year of launching, over 1,400 fathers signed up as members for the charity, and following continued expansion, a new hub was established in Kent in 2013. Billy is now working closely with Government to inform policy on supporting fathers in the workplace and early parenthood, working closely with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Single Parents chaired by Rupa Huq MP.

Billy is the latest recipient of the Points of Light award, which recognises outstanding volunteers who are making a change in their community and inspiring others. Each day, someone, somewhere in the country is selected to receive the award to celebrate their remarkable achievements. Billy’s award coincides with the Day of the Single Parent.

In a personal letter to Billy, Prime Minister Theresa May said:

“Through ‘Dads House’ you are bringing together dads to share their experiences and receive practical and emotional support. Drawing on your own experience, you are connecting single fathers across the country and having a profound impact on their lives and the lives of their families.”

Billy said:

“It’s so nice to be given the award, as there are so many dads who are at a loss on what to do with the little ones, and ‘Dads House’ is a point of contact.”

Billy is the 1148th winner of the Points of Light award, which has been developed in partnership with the hugely successful Points of Light programme in the USA. Over 6,000 Points of Light have been awarded in the USA, and former Presidents have publicly supported the partnership with Points of Light UK. There is a similar cross-party approach to the UK programme and MPs from different parties often present their constituents with their Points of Light awards.

Regardless of whether it’s a doctor restoring local monuments in her free time, a father teaching young people life skills, or a local musician giving a voice to lonely people, the Points of Light award honours shining examples of volunteering across the UK.

Notes to Editors

1. The Points of Light awards recognise outstanding individual volunteers, people who are making a change in their community and inspiring others.

2. The Prime Minister makes daily announcements of the winners to celebrate, encourage and promote volunteering and the value that it brings to the country.

3. If people know someone who could be a Point of Light they should write to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street.

4. Website: www.pointsoflight.gov.uk

Researching Reform is absolutely thrilled for Dads House and delighted that the government has acknowledged Billy as a pioneer and outstanding charity head in family welfare. We hope the government will continue to support the charity’s mission so that Dads House can carry on growing, and expand its much needed services.

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Government Funds Helpline For Offending Paedophiles

18 Monday Mar 2019

Posted by Natasha in child abuse, CSA, CSE, Researching Reform

≈ 1 Comment

Welcome to another week.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid has pledged £600,000 to fund a support helpline for child sexual abuse offenders.

The phone line will be run by The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, whose work has been funded from a £2.6 million government pot dedicated to prevention work.

The Home Office’s press release about the phone line explains that the charity provides confidential advice to offenders who want to address personal child exploitation behaviours. The charity says it has seen a 65% rise in callers and visitors to the Stop It Now! helpline and self-help website in relation to viewing sexual images of children online.

The latest figures which were published in September 2018 indicate a 700% increase in child abuse images being referred to the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the last 5 years. The data also estimates that up to 80,000 people in the UK currently present some kind of sexual threat to children online, with exploitative material increasingly featuring ever younger children.

The press release says that over 2,000 people contacted Stop It Now! last year through the helpline and its secure messaging service in 2018.

No data has been offered on whether the help line has managed to reduce offending behaviours or the commission of child sexual offences by those who called through to the charity’s help line to ask for support.

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Shadow Children’s Minister Resigns

15 Friday Mar 2019

Posted by Natasha in child welfare, Researching Reform

≈ 3 Comments

Shadow Children’s Minister Emma Lewell-Buck has resigned over the Labour Party’s position on Brexit.

The social work sector has reacted with disappointment to Lewell-Buck’s resignation. Community Care commented on the departure this morning saying that Lewell-Buck, who was a former social worker, had “left government education ministers and Labour’s shadow ministers without a social worker influence. ”

Emma was a vocal critic of the government’s austerity measures and the budget cuts that followed in children’s social care. She also criticised Parliamentary Under Secretary Nadhim Zahawi for a lack of concern as to how the government’s policies were affecting children.

Simon Buck, Emma’s husband, made the headlines last year after it was revealed that he had been investigated over allegations of abuse while carrying out his duties as a care worker. Council chiefs called Ms Buck’s husband a “perpetrator of elder abuse”
after an ombudsman’s ruling found Mr Buck guilty of abusing an elderly man in his care. The council paid Mr Buck £400 in compensation after a watchdog found that the local authority had also made procedural errors.

Allegations about Mr Buck’s conduct were raised by the elderly man’s wife, who said Mr Buck swore at her husband and neglected him. Further allegations were raised by a whistleblower, who said that Mr Buck swore at vulnerable people and their families, used homophobic language, inappropriately referred to a colleague about the mental state of a vulnerable person and missed care calls.

Emma Buck attended the debate on children’s social care in January which was kept from the public despite being an open event. No MPs or attendees taking part in the debate mentioned the event before it took place.

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