localauthoritylawyerasc | Local Authority Lawyer in Adult Social Care

“Authorisation …would serve only to protect the local authority from acting unlawfully”

I was reading through the many case updates that arrived in my inbox the other morning and one really stood out to me: the case of Nottinghamshire v LH [2021] EWHC 2584. It is a judgement of the High Court under its inherent jurisdiction, and it relates to a child. So it wouldn’t normally catchContinue reading ““Authorisation …would serve only to protect the local authority from acting unlawfully””

I’ve been notified about s21A proceedings, what do I do?

This is a question I get asked a lot, so I will try to talk you through the process as well as I can, both for professionals and family members. If you don’t know what s21A proceedings are, don’t worry, not many people do. They are very specialised proceedings in the Court of Protection broughtContinue reading “I’ve been notified about s21A proceedings, what do I do?”

Here’s the thing with DoLS… Reflections on the LGO’s recommendations to Kent County Council

I, like many of you, have been following the latest chapter in the DoLS saga with interest. I am referring, of course, to the Local Government Ombudsman’s report regarding Kent County Council’s delays in processing standard authorisations and Kent County Council’s, frankly very honest, response to those Ombudsman’s recommendations. The circumstances reported to the OmbudsmanContinue reading “Here’s the thing with DoLS… Reflections on the LGO’s recommendations to Kent County Council”

Social care law in the spotlight: what if Britney Spears’ conservatorship was in the English courts…

I think now is a very interesting time to be an adult social care lawyer (or community care lawyer as it is referred to at my new place of work). We tend to slip by under the radar and it’s certainly not a specialism that attracts attention the way criminal law does, for example. ButContinue reading “Social care law in the spotlight: what if Britney Spears’ conservatorship was in the English courts…”

Care Act assessment: part 4 the write-up

This is the final post in my series about Care Act needs assessments. So far we have looked at the actions to be taken at first contact with an individual, the eligibility criteria and the need for the process to be person-centred, appropriate and proportionate. This last post will explore one of my favourite topics:Continue reading “Care Act assessment: part 4 the write-up”

Care Act assessment: part 3 tailored assessments

This is the third post in my series about Care Act assessments of need. The first post explored the issues to be considered at the beginning of the assessment, and the second post talked through the eligibility criteria. This post will discuss how authorities tailor their assessment process to the individual being assessed. The careContinue reading “Care Act assessment: part 3 tailored assessments”

Care Act assessment: part 2 the criteria

This is the second post in my series on Care Act needs assessments. You can read the first part here. That post discussed the start of the process, and issues practitioners have to be mindful of at that stage. This post explores the eligibility criteria against which assessments must be conducted. These criteria are setContinue reading “Care Act assessment: part 2 the criteria”

The DoLS eligiblity test: possible routes out of the mire

I am talking here specifically about the eligibility assessment for the purposes of granting a standard authorisation under the deprivation of liberty safeguards (commonly referred to as the DoLS scheme). In case you aren’t familiar with the DoLS scheme, I’ll give a brief overview. It is the mechanism by which deprivation of an individual’s libertyContinue reading “The DoLS eligiblity test: possible routes out of the mire”

An example of when locking the door can be a sign of something much more troubling

I spoke before about why steps that family members take with good intentions can actually be a significant issue for social care practitioners to navigate. Shortly afterwards a judgement was published which demonstrated that issue very well for me. And it’s not that every instance of these measures always does turn out to be aContinue reading “An example of when locking the door can be a sign of something much more troubling”