The Children Act is a major piece of legislation that affects all professionals working with children. Since the third edition of this book was published in 1996, there have been some important developments. This Fourth Edition takes these developments into consideration. Topics discussed include case law in the superior courts; the establishment of CAFCASS; and the Fostering Services Regulations of 2002; and much more.
How does the Children Act 1989 affect family support services? What are the implications for day care services for young children? What action should local authorities take? This guide provides a clear statement of the requirements placed on local authorities by the Children's Act 1989, highlighting the need for authorities to review their existing childcare policies. It outlines effective strategies and policies to help authorities give practitioners a framework within which to work, discussing the implications for policy, procedures and practice. The Act gives local authorities a new range of duties, including identification of children who are in need or danger, support of children's links with their families, provision of day care and the setting up of procedures to consider representations about the provision of services.
A brilliant, emotionally wrenching novel from the Booker Prize winner and bestselling author of Atonement about a leading High Court judge who must resolve an urgent case—as well as her crumbling marriage. Fiona Maye is a leading High Court judge who presides over cases in the family division. She is renowned for her fierce intelligence, exactitude, and sensitivity. But her professional success belies private sorrow and domestic strife. There is the lingering regret of her childlessness, and now her marriage of thirty years is in crisis. At the same time, she is called on to try an urgent case: Adam, a beautiful seventeen-year-old boy, is refusing for religious reasons the medical treatment that could save his life, and his devout parents echo his wishes. Time is running out. Should the secular court overrule sincerely expressed faith? In the course of reaching a decision, Fiona visits Adam in the hospital—an encounter that stirs long-buried feelings in her and powerful new emotions in the boy. Her judgment has momentous consequences for them both. Don’t miss Ian McEwan’s new novel, Lessons.
The UK's Children Act 1989, Pt III ('Local Authority Support for Children and Families') has considerable relevance both as an area of UK law in its own right, but also, increasingly, to practitioners in the field of child law. The recent threats to public funding in the more traditional areas of family work have led many practitioners to seek to broaden their experience in different areas. Judicial review in the field of child law is one area that has seen an increase in interest for child specialists. In addition, an understanding of the duties imposed on UK local authorities to provide services to children and families is becoming increasingly important to those representing local authorities, children, and parents in public law proceedings, where the need for these services is often seen to arise. This book will act as a useful companion, both for those making decisions on behalf of local authorities and their advisers, and also for child law practitioners more generally.
First published in 1999, this book provides a practical guide to those parts of the Children Act 1989 that relate to the provision of services by local authorities to children and families, dealing in particular with the powers and duties of local authorities in such circumstances, care and supervision proceedings and child protection issues. It combines a discussion of the legal framework of the Act and the regulations and guidance with information about good social work and legal practice, relevant research and recent case law. It is grounded on the author’s practical experience of providing an advice and advocacy service for families and training for social workers, lawyers and other child care professionals.
Schedule 1 applications provide an important way of ensuring children's financial needs are met where their parents are not married. This fully updated book is a comprehensive guide to the practice, law and procedure in respect of Schedule 1 applications and includes relevant legislation, rules and case summaries plus sample forms and orders.Essential reading for all family lawyers dealing with this rapidly developing area of law.
How will the Children Act affect work with disabled children? This guidance outlines the responsibilities of social services departments (SSDs) under the Act, stating that they have a clear duty to provide services to children with disabilities. Treating disabled children as children first is of paramount importance. However, there is a need for all staff who may be involved in providing a service to a child with a disability to be aware of legislation, and SSDs should ensure that advice, expertise and resources are available for their staff when needed.
This book identifies the definition of a child within the law, the rights of children, and discusses the extent to which primarily English law gives adequate recognition to and protection of these rights. To what extent does English law gives adequate recognition to and protection of the rights of children? Historically the idea of and protection of rights has focused on parental rights rather than the rights of the child. The rights of children have remained far less recognised and certain until recently. Using case studies from the United Kingdom and beyond, this book takes a thematic approach to children’s rights and considers topics including: underlying concepts such as the welfare of the child and safeguarding, the right to education and to medical treatment, the right to freedom from abuse and/or sexual and commercial exploitation, including contemporary challenges from forced marriage, FGM, modern slavery and trafficking, the role of the State in relation to children in need of care and protection, children's rights in the criminal justice system, the right to contract and employment. In addition, the book provides an introduction to key aspects of domestic and international law, including the Children Act 1989, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998. The book will be of great interest to law and social science students in the areas of Child Development and Protection, Human Rights Law, Family Law, Child Law, and Child Studies, as well as to social workers, police officers, magistrates, probation officers and other related professions.
The Children Act 1989 is one of the most important pieces of legislation relevant to children's services. In the 1990's the Department of Health initiated a programme of research on how it was being implemented. This publication summarises and brings together the findings from 24 of these studies.
