On 12th October 2021, William Dean delivered a legal update lecture at Community Care Live, an annual conference event for social work professionals.
William’s lecture addressed the provision of accommodation by local authorities for vulnerable children under section 20 of the Children Act, including the legal basis for that provision, recent developments in case law from the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, and the recommendations of the Public Law Working Group published earlier this year.
The lecture was attended by social workers, managers and other professionals working with children and families from authorities across England and Wales.
Much of children law involves the exploration of the facts relating to the child’s care and welfare, often coloured by the complex relationship dynamics between the adult protagonists. Occasionally, however, the facts which need to be established can be more fundamental. In John v Jane…
By Laura Hibberd Re E (A Child) (Special Guardianship Order: Public Law Proceedings) [2026] EWCA Civ 1167 Special guardianship orders are often thought of as the “middle ground” of permanence: more secure than a care order, less final than adoption, and with the child’s legal…
By Tim Parker KC The President of the Family Division handed down judgment on 29th September 2026 the decision in the first appeal following the introduction of Child-Focused Courts pilot. In Re C (Child Arrangements Orders; Domestic Abuse; Child Focused Court) [2026] EWCA Civ 1216…
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