Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 - 08 A guidance note ... · PDF fileSection 20 of the...
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Section20oftheChildrenAct1989-Aguidancenotefor
parents&professionals
TheTransparencyProject
February2016
www.transparencyproject.org.uk
(CharityRegistrationno:1161471)
08
Section20oftheChildrenAct1989-Aguidancenoteforparents&professionals
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CONTENTS
GENERALEXPLANATION 4
WHATTHISGUIDANCEAPPLIESTO 5
SUMMARYOFKEYISSUES 6
PART1:SECTION20ACCOMMODATIONANDPARENTALRESPONSIBILITY 7
WHATHAPPENSIFONEPARENTAGREESBUTTHEOTHERDOESNOT? 8
WHATWEIGHTISGIVENTOTHECHILD’SVIEWS? 9
PART2:THERESPONSIBILITIESOFTHESOCIALWORKERWHENASKINGPARENTSTOAGREETO
SECTION20ACCOMMODATION 10
ONLYPEOPLEWITH‘CAPACITY’CANAGREETOSECTION20ACCOMMODATION 11
PARENTSMUSTHAVETHERELEVANTINFORMATION 12
OTHERIMPORTANTCONSIDERATIONSFORTHESOCIALWORKER 12
EXAMPLESOFSITUATIONSWHICHARELIKELYTOBEPARTICULARLYDIFFICULT: 13
SECTION20ACCOMMODATIONFORANEWBORNBABY 13
PARENTSWHODONOTHAVEENGLISHASTHEIRFIRSTLANGUAGE 14
SHOULDTHEPARENTS’AGREEMENTBERECORDEDINWRITING? 14
PART3:LAWFULOPTIONSFORREMOVALOFACHILD:WHATHAPPENSIFTHEPARENTSHAVE
AGREEDTOSECTION20ACCOMMODATIONBUTTHENCHANGETHEIRMINDS? 16
SOMECONSIDERATIONSABOUTUSINGPOLICEPOWERSTOREMOVEACHILD 17
PART4:PLANNINGFORTHECHILD’SFUTURE 18
PART5:SECTION20ACCOMMODATIONAND‘SCHEDULESOFEXPECTATIONS’ 19
PART6:OTHERISSUES 21
SECTION22OFTHEADOPTIONANDCHILDRENACT2002 21
FOSTERINGFORADOPTIONPLACEMENTS 21
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REVIEWANDMONITORINGOFACHILD’SCAREPLAN 22
MAKINGPARENTSPAYFORSECTION20ACCOMMODATION? 23
PARENTSONBAILWITHACONDITIONNOTTOCONTACTTHEIRCHILDREN? 23
PART7:POSSIBLEBENEFITSOFSECTION20 24
ANNEX1:TEXTOFSECTION20CHILDRENACT1989 25
ANNEX2:MODELAGREEMENT 27
Section20oftheChildrenAct1989-Aguidancenoteforparents&professionals
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We’veputthewordingofSection20oftheChildrenAct1989attheendofthisGuidance,at
Annex1.We’regoingtousetheabbreviation‘s.20’torefertosection20inthisdocument.
Inbrief,s.20isaboutalocalauthority(socialservices/childrens’services)providing
accommodationforchildrenwhodonothavesomewheresuitabletolive.Itissometimes
called‘voluntarycare’or‘voluntaryaccommodation’becauseusuallyparentsmustagree
tothechildbeingaccommodated.
S.20‘accommodation’isnotjusthousing.Itistakingachildintothecaresystemby
agreementratherthanbycourtorder.Thelocalauthorityisresponsiblefortakingcareof
thechildwhiletheyareins.20accommodation.
Thisguideisaboutmakingdecisionstouses.20andhowitshouldbedone.
Theguidancenoteisgeneralguidanceonlyandmustnotbetreatedaslegaladvice.
Youcanfindmoreinformationonhowalocalauthoritymustcareforachildins.20
accommodationintheFamilyRightsGroupAdviceSheet11:‘DutiesonChildren’sServices
whenchildrenareinthecaresystem’,availableontheFamilyRightsGroup(FRG)website
(www.frg.org.uk).
Childrenwithnowheretoliveincludethosewhohaveno-onetolookafterthem,for
example,iftheyarerefugeeswhohavetravelledtotheUKontheirown.Theymayalso
includethosewhoseparentscan’tlookafterthemforaperiodoftime,duetoillnessor
otherdifficulties.
Alocalauthoritymayalsooffertoprovides.20accommodationforachildwhenthatlocal
authorityhasmadeanapplicationtocourtforacareorsupervisionorder,oristhinking
aboutmakinganapplication.Iftheparentsconsent(agree)tos.20accommodation,their
childwillthenmovetofostercarewhilethelocalauthoritycarriesoutfurtherinvestigations
orthecourtcasestarts.
GENERALEXPLANATION
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Whereparentsagreetheirchildshouldbeaccommodatedunders.20,thereisnoneedfora
localauthoritytoapplytocourttogetanorderbeforethechildisaccommodated:the
decisiontoaccommodatethechildismadebythelocalauthorityafterobtainingthe
parents’consent.Becauses.20canbeusedwithoutajudgefirstbeinginvolved,itisvery
importantthatitisonlyusedwheneveryoneunderstandswhatishappeningandwhy.The
courtmaystillbeinvolvedlateronifthereisadisputeorifthelocalauthoritydecidethat
thechildreallycan’treturnhome.
Therehavebeenanumberofrecentcaseswherejudgeshavebeencriticaloftheuseof
s.20;forexample,wherechildrenwereaccommodatedformanymonthswithoutaclear
planabouttheirfuture.Therehavealsobeenexamplesofparentswhohavecomplained
thattheydidnotunderstandwhatwasinvolvedins.20accommodationanditwasnot
explainedtothemproperlyatthetime.
Wehopethisguidancewillbeusefultoparents,fostercarersandprofessionals(e.g.social
workers)inunderstandingwhens.20accommodationcanbeusedandtheimplicationsof
usingormisusingit.
Thisguidancerelatesonlytochildrenagedunder16,astherearedifferentconsiderations
whereyoungpeopleaged16and17areaccommodatedunders.20(Forexampleover16’s
cangoorstayinthecaresystemunders.20againsttheirparent’swishesandthelocal
authoritycanagreetheircareplanwiththemdirectly).
Atthedateofwriting,thisguidanceappliestoEnglandandWales(notScotland),butfrom
April2016,thispartoftheChildrenActwillnolongerapplyinWales.
WHATTHISGUIDANCEAPPLIESTO
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Wesetoutthekeypointshereandexplaintheminmoredetailbelow:
1. S.20doesNOTallowthelocalauthoritytoshareparentalresponsibilitywiththe
parents,whocanremovetheirchildrenfroms.20accommodationatanytime.
(‘Parentalresponsibility’isalegaltermwhichincludestherighttomakedecisions
forthechild).
2. Thesocialworkerhasaresponsibilitytomakesurethatparentsaregenuinely
agreeingtos.20accommodation.Ifthesocialworkerisworriedthattheparentsdo
notunderstand,thesocialworkershouldgetfurtheradviceaboutwhattodo.
3. Iftheparentsdonotagreetos.20accommodation,thereareonlytwolawful
optionsavailabletoalocalauthoritytoremoveachildfromtheircare–eitherasking
thepolicetoexercisetheirpowerstoremoveforashortperiodoftime(upto72
hours,seesection46oftheChildrenAct1989)orbymakinganapplicationtothe
courtforanEmergencyProtectionOrderoranInterimCareOrder(theseare
temporaryorders).
4. Ifachildgoesintofostercareunders.20,thereshouldbeclearplansaboutthe
child’sfuture-ifthelocalauthorityareworriedthattheparentscan’tlookafterthe
childinthelongterm,theymustthinkaboutapplyingtothecourtforacareorder,
ratherthanlettingthechild‘drift’ins.20accommodation.Buttheycanuses.20to
accommodateachildwhilsttheycarryoutassessmentsthatareneededbeforegood
decisionscanbemadeforthechild.
5. Anyagreementthattheparentisaskedtosignshouldbewrittenclearlyandshould
beinsimple,unambiguousterms.Wehaveattachedanexampleofa‘modelwritten
agreement’atAnnex2tothisGuidance,whichhasbeenkindlymadeavailableby
Brighton&HoveCityCouncil.
SUMMARYOFKEYISSUES
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ThelocalauthoritydoesNOTshareparentalresponsibilitywiththeparentsifachildis
accommodatedunders.20.Thisisverydifferenttothesituationwhenachildlivesaway
fromhomeunderacareorder–thenalocalauthorityDOESshareparentalresponsibility
andisinchargeofmakingmostimportantdecisionsaboutachild’slife;forexamplewhere
heorshelivesorwhoheorshehascontactwith.
Thesedifferencesareveryimportant.Aslongasitispractical,thelocalauthoritymust
agreetheplanstheymakeforthechildwithparents(andanyoneelsewhohasparental
responsibilityforthechild);andsincethelocalauthoritydoesnotshareparental
responsibilityunders.20,theparentscantaketheirchildhomeatanytimeUNLESSoneof
thefollowingdisagrees:
• Someonewhohasachildarrangementsorderwhichsaysthatthechildliveswith
him/her,
• Someonewhohasaspecialguardianshiporder,or
• SomeonewhohascareofthechildbyaspecialorderoftheHighCourt(wardship–
thisisrare).
• BeforethedecisionofthecourtinthecaseofReN[2015](seebelow)itusedtobe
commonforlocalauthoritiestoaskparentstoagreea‘noticeperiod’iftheywanted
totaketheirchildrenhome,forexample7days.Itisnowclearthatthecourtsare
unlikelytoconsiderthisgoodpractice,asthelocalauthorityhasnopowertorequire
sucharestrictionontheparents’righttoexercisetheirparentalresponsibilityfor
theirchild.S20doesn’tallowalocalauthoritytorefusetogiveaparentinformation
aboutwherethechildisliving.
PART1
SECTION20ACCOMMODATION&PARENTALRESPONSIBILITY
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Iftheparentswon’tagreetos.20accommodation,theirchildcanonlyberemovedbycourt
orderortemporarilybytheinterventionofthepoliceusingtheirpowersundersection46of
theChildrenAct1989.Weexplainthisinmoredetailbelow.
Sometimes,oneparentagreestos.20accommodationbuttheotherparentobjects.
S.20(7)saysthatthelocalauthoritycannotprovideaccommodationforachildifthereis
someonewhohasparentalresponsibilityforthechildandwhoobjects.Ifalocalauthority
thinksthatachildneedstobelookedafterbythemandoneparentobjectstheywillusually
needtoapplytocourtforanordertoallowthat(orinemergencythepolicemayremove
thechildtemporarily–seebelow).
Ifaparentcannotbefound,thisdoesnotprevents.20beingusediftheotherparent/
anyoneelsewithparentalresponsibilityagrees,butasamatterofgoodpractice,alocal
authorityshouldalwaystrytogettheconsentofeveryonewhohasparentalresponsibility.
S.20onlyrequirestheconsentofanyonewhoholds‘parentalresponsibility’.Notevery
fatherwillhaveparentalresponsibilityforhischildren,buthewillifheisonthebirth
certificateofhischild,registeredafter1December2003,orwasmarriedtotheirmother
whenthechildwasborn.Otherpeoplewhomayhaveparentalresponsibilityforachild
includetheirSpecialGuardians,peoplewhoarenamedinachildarrangementsorderasa
personthatthechildliveswith,civilpartners,stepparentsandsecondsame-sexparents
(dependingonthecircumstances).SeeFRGAdviceSheet2:‘ParentalResponsibility’for
moreinformationonthemanywaystoobtainparentalresponsibility.
WHATHAPPENSIFONEPARENTAGREESBUTTHEOTHERDOESNOT?
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Unders.20(6),thelocalauthorityshouldmakeanefforttofindoutwhatthechildthinks
abouts.20accommodationandgive‘dueconsideration’tothewishesandfeelingsofthe
child.
Obviously,foraveryyoungchild,thisisnotgoingtobepossible.Olderchildren(under16)
shouldbelistenedtobutwillnotbeabletovetoadecisionabouts.20accommodationif
theirparentsagreetoitandthelocalauthoritythinksuchaccommodationisconsistentwith
thechild’swelfare.
WHATWEIGHTISGIVENTOTHECHILD’SVIEWS?
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Therehavebeenanumberofimportantlegalcaseswhichdealtwiths.20accommodation
whichwentwrongbecausetheparentsdidnotunderstandwhatwasgoingon,felt
pressuredintoagreeing,orwherematterswerelefttodriftformanymonthswithoutclear
plansabouttheirchild’sfuture.
Thesearesomeimportantrecentdecisions:
• ReCA(ABaby)[2012]EWHC2190(Fam)
• WilliamsandAnothervLondonBoroughofHackney[2015]EWHC2629QB
• MedwayCouncilvMandT(ByherChildren’sGuardian)[2015]EWFCB164
• ReN(Children)(Adoption:Jurisdiction)[2015]EWCACiv1112
Thesecasessetoutusefulguidancethatwethinkitwouldbeusefulforsocialworkersto
read.Theycanbefoundatwww.BAILII.org.Thisguidancenoteisbasedonwhatthosecases
say.
Itisimportantthatprofessionalsunderstandwhatthecourthassaidisimportantaboutthe
useofs.20accommodation.Alocalauthoritythatplacesachildins.20accommodation
withoutmeetingthenecessarylegalrequirements,isnotonlyseparatingparentsand
childrenunlawfullyandcausingemotionalharmtothefamily,butalsorunningariskthatat
somelaterstageacourtmayfindthemtohaveactedunlawfully.Thecourtcouldthenorder
thelocalauthoritytopaycompensationtotheparentsand/orthechildforbreachoftheir
Article8righttorespectfortheirprivateandfamilylifeundertheEuropeanConventionof
HumanRights.
PART2
THERESPONSIBILITIESOFTHESOCIALWORKERWHENASKINGPARENTSTOAGREETOSECTION20ACCOMMODATION
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Everyparentwhoisabletomakedecisionshastherighttoagreetos.20accommodation
fortheirchild.Beingabletomakedecisionsisdescribedbylawyersas‘havingcapacity’.If
theydon’thavecapacity,parentscannotgivegenuineconsenttos.20accommodationand
thesocialworkerwillhavetogetfurtheradviceaboutwhattodonext.
Theissueof‘capacity’isexplainedinsections2and3oftheMentalCapacityAct2005.Ifan
adulthaseitherapermanentortemporaryproblemwiththeirmentalfunctioning,theywill
besaidto‘lackcapacity’tomakeadecisionifthey:
• Can’tunderstandtheinformationwhichisrelevanttothedecision;OR
• Can’tretaintheinformationaboutthedecision;OR
• Can’tuseorweighupthatinformationaspartofthedecisionmakingprocess;OR
• Can’tcommunicatetheirdecision,byspeech,signlanguageoranyothermeans;
Thesocialworkerisunderapersonaldutytobesatisfiedthattheparentshavecapacityto
givetheirconsent.Obviously,someonewhoisunconsciousinhospitaldoesnothave
capacitytomakedecisions,butotherexamplesarenotsoclear-cut.Capacitycanchange
overtimeandmaydependonwhatkindofdecisionaparentisbeingaskedtomake.For
example,aparentmayhavecapacitytodecidewhattheywanttoeatthatdaybutNOT
havecapacitytomakedecisionsaboutmorecomplicatedissues.Ifthereisdoubtabout
whetherornotsomeonehascapacity,thenanexpertassessmentwillbeneededandthe
socialworkershouldtakeurgentadvice.
Aperson’scapacitycanfluctuate(change)–forexamplesomebodywhohasmentalhealth
problemsbutwhonormallyhascapacitytomakedecisionsmaylosethatcapacityin
momentsofveryhighstress.
ONLYPEOPLEWITH‘CAPACITY’CANAGREETOSECTION20ACCOMMODATION
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Onceasocialworkerissatisfiedthataparenthasthelegalcapacitytodecideabouts.20
accommodation,thenextimportantissueistoensurethattheparentshavetherelevant
informationinordertomakethebestchoicefortheirchild.
Someusefulquestionsforthesocialworkertoaskarewhetherornottheparents:
• understandtheconsequencesofconsentorrefusal?
• appreciatethefullrangeofchoicesavailable?
• knowalltherelevantfacts?
TherecouldbeparticularproblemswhendealingwithparentswhodonotspeakEnglishas
theirfirstlanguageorwhoareunfamiliarwiththechildprotectionsysteminthiscountry.
Carewillhavetobetakentoensurethattheyunderstandwhatisbeingdiscussed,byusing
interpretersifnecessary.Wediscussthisfurtherbelow.
Onceasocialworkerissatisfiedthattheparentshavebothcapacityandtherelevant
informationtomakeadecision,thecaselawidentifiesfurtherimportantprincipleswhich
thesocialworkershouldconsider:
• Thecurrentphysicalandpsychologicalstateoftheparent,whetherornottheyhave
alawyer,orhavebeenencouragedtoseeklegaladvice.
• Whetheritisnecessaryforthechild’ssafetytoberemovedatthistimeorwhetherit
wouldbefairertoseekacareorderfromthecourt.Ifthesituationappearstobe
particularlyurgentandserious,itisusuallybettertoseekacourtorder.Courtsare
abletomakeordersatshortnoticeincasesofemergency,evenoutofnormaloffice
hours.
PARENTSMUSTHAVETHERELEVANTINFORMATION
OTHERIMPORTANTCONSIDERATIONSFORTHESOCIALWORKER
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• Removingachildtolivewithunrelatedfostercarersunders.20mustbeanecessary
andproportionateresponsetothelocalauthority’sconcernsaboutachild’swelfare
–ifthereissomeothersafealternativethatallowsachildtoremainathomeorwith
familymembers,removalisunlikelytobenecessaryandproportionate.
• Parentsmustbetoldtheyhavearighttotakelegaladvice.
• Parentsmustbetoldtheyhavearighttowithdrawtheirconsenttos.20
accommodationatanytime–theydonothavetogivethelocalauthorityadvance
warningandtheyshouldnotbeaskedtodothis.
Thisislikelytobeaveryhigh-pressureandstressfulsituation.Thecourtshavesaidthats.20
canbeusedtoaccommodatebabies,butclearlythesocialworkerisgoingtohavetotake
extracaretomakesuretheparentsunderstandwhatisgoingonandarenotfeelingunder
pressureto‘agree’tosomethingtheydon’twant.
Thecourtshavealsomadeitplainthatthepracticeofhavingapoliceofficerpresentor
nearbyduringdiscussionsabouts.20,withtheexplicitorimpliedthreatof“ifyoudon’t
agree,thepoliceofficerwillremovethechild”iscompletelyunacceptable.
Therefore,ifasocialworkerhasseriousconcernsaboutthesafetyofanew-bornbaby,itis
likelytobeabettercourseofactiontoseekacourtorderratherthantheparents’consent
tos.20accommodation.
EXAMPLESOFSITUATIONSWHICHARELIKELYTOBEPARTICULARLYDIFFICULT:
SECTION20ACCOMMODATIONFORANEWBORNBABY
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IfthesocialworkerthinkstheparentsarehavingdifficultiescommunicatinginEnglish,this
hasobviousimplicationsfortheirabilitytogiverealconsentunders.20.
Thesocialworkerwillneedtoconsidergettinghelpfromaqualifiedinterpreterandthinking
abouthowrelevantdocumentscanbetranslated.Ifitisnotpossibletotranslatethe
documentsbeforeaskingtheparentstosignanywrittenconsent,itissensibletorecordin
thedocumentthatithasbeenreadtotheparentandexplainedintheirfirstlanguage.
Thereisnolegalrequirementforthistohappenbutitisalwaysagoodideatogetthe
parentstosignadocumentsayingthattheyconsenttotheirchildbeingaccommodated
unders.20.LocalguidancefromHisHonourJudgeBellamy,publishedbytheLeicester
FamilyJusticeBoardinJanuary2016,suggestedthat,asaminimum,suchadocument
shouldcontain:
• Thenamesoftheparents
• Thenamesanddatesofbirthoftherelevantchildren
• Thenameandstatusoftheprofessionalwhoisgettingtheparents’agreement
• Thedate,timeandplacewherethedocumentissigned
• Somedetailsaboutwhatcontactthereisgoingtobebetweentheparentsandthe
child(ren).
Weagreethatissensibleandgoodpractice.
Whetherornottheparents’consentisobtainedinwriting,itissensibleforthesocial
workertomaketheirownwrittennotesassoonaspossibleaboutwhathappened.
A‘modelwrittenagreement’issetoutatAnnex2attheendofthisguidance.ManyLocal
Authoritieshavelongtickboxformssettingoutwhatsortsofdecisionsaparentdoesand
doesnotagreecanbetakenbyafostercarerorlocalauthorityontheirbehalf(from
medicaltreatmenttoschooltrips).Thesecanbeconfusingandcaremustbetakento
PARENTSWHODONOTHAVEENGLISHASTHEIRFIRSTLANGUAGE
SHOULDTHEPARENTS’AGREEMENTBERECORDEDINWRITING?
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explainthemtoparentsandtosensitivelymakesurethatliteracydifficultiesarenot
affectingtheirabilitytounderstandwhattheyaresigning.
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Iftheparentsdonotwanttheirchildtoremainins.20accommodation,theycanwithdraw
theirconsentatanytimeandaskthattheirchildisreturnedtotheircare.
Ifthelocalauthoritythinksthatreturningthechildtotheparentswouldnotbethebest
thingforthechild,theyhaveonlytwolawfuloptionstopreventthechildreturning:
• Requestthatthepoliceexercisetheirpowerstotakeachildtoaplaceofsafetyfor
upto72hoursundersection46oftheChildrenAct1989.Thisissometimes
(wrongly)calledaPoliceProtectionOrderbutitisNOTanorderasthecourtisnot
involved;theChildrenAct1989allowsthePolicetoactwithoutacourtorderforthis
shortperiodonly.OR
• ApplytothecourtforanEmergencyProtectionOrderorInterimCareOrder.
Insomesituations,parentsmightbebetteroffiftherewasanapplicationforacareorder.
Someofthebenefitsofbeing‘incourt’are:
• Thecourtwillbeinchargeofcheckingoverthelocalauthority’splansforthechild
andwillmakesurethatastricttimetableof26weeksappliesbywhichtimeafinal
decisionmustnormallybemade.
• Thecourtcanmakeordersaboutcontactbetweentheparentsandchild(section34
oftheChildrenAct1989)ifthechildrenareremoved.
• ThechildwillhaveanindependentChildren’sGuardianappointedbythecourtto
representtheirinterests.Thechildwillqualifyforlegalaidandwillberepresentedat
courtbyalawyer.
• Theparentshaveanautomaticentitlementtolegalaidincareproceedingsandwill
thereforehavethebenefitoffreelegalrepresentationandadvice.
PART3:
LAWFULOPTIONSFORREMOVALOFACHILD:WHATHAPPENSIFTHEPARENTSHAVE
AGREEDTOSECTION20ACCOMMODATIONBUTTHENCHANGETHEIRMINDS?
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• Thecourtmightnotauthorisetheremovalofthechildren.Ajudgecanrefuseto
makeaninterimcareorderoremergencyprotectionorderiftheythinkthelocal
authorityhasgotthingswrong.
Asageneralrule,theseparationofaparentandchildshouldusuallybeadecisionfora
court.Ifitispossibletoseekacourthearing,thatshouldbedone.Thepoliceshouldnotbe
askedtousetheirpowersofprotectiontobypassthecourtandtheparenthavingafair
hearingaboutremoval.Policeprotectionshouldnotbeusedbecauseitisconsidered
quickeroreasierattheendofaworkingday.Courtsareabletomakeordersatshortnotice
incasesofemergency,evenoutofnormalofficehours.
Ifadecisionistakentoremoveachildunderpoliceprotectionratherthangotocourt,there
mustbewhollyexceptionalreasonsforthis.Thoseinvolvedwouldneedtoshownotonly
thattherewasaneedforseparation,butthatthisneedhasarisenbecausenoother
reasonablestepscouldbetakentokeepthechildsafeWHILSTacourthearingwas
arranged.Thelocalauthorityhastotryveryhardtomakealternativearrangementssothat
thedecisioncanbemadebythecourt.Forexample,ifforsomereasonachildcannotsafely
remainathome–cantheystaywithafriendorgrandparentovernightuntilahearingat
courtcanbearrangedtodecidewhatshouldhappennext?
Itisvitalthatfullanddetailedrecordsofthedecision-makingprocessarekept,andthat
thoseinvolvedsetoutclearlywhateffortsweremadetoobtainacourthearingandwhythe
riskcouldnotbemanageduntilthathearing.
Misuseofpoliceprotectiontoremoveachildcanresultinunfairnessandhumanrights
breaches,andthecourtmayholddetailedenquiriesastowhythishashappenedandmay
awardcompensation.
SOMECONSIDERATIONSABOUTUSINGPOLICEPOWERSTOREMOVEACHILD
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Thecasessetoutabovehavehighlightedthecourts’seriousconcernsabouts.20
accommodationwhichgoesonfortoolong,particularlyifthechildisjust‘drifting’inthat
timeandtherearenoclearplansaboutwhetherornotthechildshouldreturntothe
parentsorbelookedafterpermanentlybysomeoneelse.Delaysindecisionmakingfor
childrenaregenerallyconsideredtohaveaverynegativeimpactonchildrenunlesssuch
delayis‘plannedandpurposeful’.
HisHonourJudgeBellamy(theDesignatedFamilyJudgeforLeicester)issuedguidancein
January2016whichstatesthats.20isNOTintendedtobealongtermalternativetocare
proceedingsbutisrathera‘shorttermmeasurependingthecommencementofcare
proceedings’(paragraph18).TheGuidancesuggeststhatanychildwhoisaccommodated
formorethan3monthsshouldhavetheircasereviewedbyseniormanagement.Thatisjust
theviewofonejudgebutothersarelikelytoholdsimilarviewsinlightofthecaseofReN.
PART4:
PLANNINGFORTHECHILD’SFUTURE
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Often,s.20agreementsgohandinhandwithotherwrittendocuments,oftencalled
‘schedulesofexpectations’ora‘writtenagreement’,whichsetoutwhatthelocalauthority
wouldliketheparentstodoorstopdoing,whiletheirchildisinfostercare.These
documentsarenotlegallybindingorenforceable,buttheyareoftenreliedoninevidencein
latercareproceedingstoshowthatparentsweregiventheopportunitytomakechanges
andwhetherornottheyhavebeenableorwillingtodoso.
Anydocumentwhichsetsoutexpectationsaboutpeople’sbehaviourneedstobeasclearas
possible,otherwiseitcancauseproblemslaterifparentsandprofessionalsdisagreeabout
whattheruleswereandwhy.
Ifparentsareaskedtosignanydocumentbythelocalauthority,theymayhaveanumberof
questionsorconcerns.Askingthesequestionsorbeingreluctanttosignshouldnotinitself
makeprofessionalsconsiderthattheparentiseitherhostileorunreasonable.Thefollowing
issuesmayberelevantforparents:
• Ifyoudon’twanttosign,youdon’thaveto.
• Don’tsignunlessyouunderstandeverysinglebit,andyou’vebeentoldclearlywhat
willhappenifyoudon’tsticktoit.
• Ifyouhavealawyer,youshouldaskforlegaladviceBEFOREyousignit.Ifyoudon’t
havealawyerbutyouwantone,youcouldsaythatyouwantthelocalauthorityto
holda'pre-proceedings'meeting,sothatyoucanhavefreelegaladviceaboutthe
agreement.
NB:Unlesstherearecareproceedings(acourtcasebegunbysocialservices)only
parentswhoarereceivingstatebenefitsorhaveaverylowincomeANDwhocan
showtheyarethevictimofdomesticabuseORwhocanshowtheyaretakingsteps
toprotectachildfromabusewillqualifyforfreelegaladvice,andsolicitorscanbe
PART5:
SECTION20ACCOMMODATIONAND‘SCHEDULESOFEXPECTATIONS’
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hardtofindlocally.Atthepointwherethelocalauthorityissueaformallettersaying
thattheyareconsideringcareproceedingsandarecallinga‘pre-proceedings’or
‘PublicLawOutline’(PLO)meetingtoseeifcareproceedingscanbeavoided,all
parentsqualifyforfreeadviceandrepresentationatmeetingsregardlessoffinances.
Ifyougetaletterlikethisyoushouldtakeittoalocallegalaidlawyer(youcanfind
onebysearchingwww.gov.uk).
• Ifyouthinkthatsomethingisn’tfair,sayso.
• Ifyou’rewillingtodowhatisbeingasked,butyouwanthelp,askforthathelptobe
identifiedandputintheagreement.
• Nevereversignascheduleofexpectationsifyoudon’tintendtosticktoit–your
positionismadeworsebysigningitandnotdoingitthanbynotsigningitinthefirst
place.
• S20doesn’tallowalocalauthoritytorefusetogiveaparentinformationabout
wherethechildisliving.
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Therecanbeseriousconsequencesflowingfroms.20accommodation,andparentsneedto
beawareofthese.Inparticular,parentswillneedtobearinmindthatifalocalauthorityis
providingaccommodationforachild,s.22oftheAdoption&ChildrenAct2002saysthatthe
localauthorityMUSTapplyforaplacementorderifcertaincircumstancesaremet.A
‘placementorder’istheorderwhichallowsthelocalauthoritytolookforadoptiveparents
forachildandplacethechildwiththem.
Therelevantcircumstancesare
• Thechildisbeingaccommodatedbythelocalauthority,and
• Thechildhassufferedorisatriskofsufferingsignificantharmbecauseofthe
parentscare/lackofcare(section31oftheChildrenAct),and
• thelocalauthorityaresatisfiedthechildoughttobeplacedforadoption.
Forfurtherdiscussionofthisissuesee:
LBvLondonBoroughofMerton[2013]EWCACiv476.
Afurtherseriouspotentialconsequenceofachildbecominga‘lookedafterchild’through
beingaccommodatedunders.20isthatthereisa(relatively)newdutyuponlocal
authoritiesinEnglandto‘consider’a‘fosteringforadoptionplacement’.Thismeansthatif
thelocalauthorityisconsideringadoptionforthechild,itmustalsoconsiderplacingthe
childwithfostercarerswhoarealsoapprovedaspotentialadopters.(s.22C(9A)ChildrenAct
1989).ThisdoesnotapplyinWales.
PART6:
OTHERISSUES
SECTION22OFTHEADOPTION&CHILDRENACT2002
FOSTERINGFORADOPTIONPLACEMENTS
Section20oftheChildrenAct1989-Aguidancenoteforparents&professionals
22
Ifalocalauthoritythinkstheyneedtomakeplansforadoptionorplaceachildinfostering
foradoptionagainstthewishesoftheirparents,theyshouldapplyforacareorder.Parents
whoarenotinagreementwithadoptionshouldseekimmediatelegaladviceincluding
aboutwhetherornottheyshouldconsenttos.20accommodation.
UndertheReviewofChildren’sCasesRegulations,thelocalauthoritymustappointan
IndependentReviewingOfficer(IRO)to:
• participateinthereviewsofthechildinquestion’scareplan.
• monitortheperformanceofthelocalauthority’sfunctionsinrespectofthechild’s
case
• referthecasetoCAFCASS,iftheIROthinksitisappropriate.(CAFCASSisthe
Children&FamiliesCourtAdvisoryandSupportService).
Everychild’scareplanmustbereviewedwithin4weeksofthechildbeingprovidedwith
accommodationandasecondreviewmustfollowafterthatwithin3months.Atthesecond
review,thechild’sneedsforpermanencemustbeconsidered.Afterthissecondreview,the
reviewsmustbeatleastevery6months.Thelocalauthorityshouldbeconsideringwhether
ornotthechildcangohomeatthesereviewmeetings.
TheIROmust:
• makesurethatthechild’sviewsareunderstoodandtakenintoaccount.
• identifywhoisresponsibleformakingsuredecisionstakeninthereviewgetacted
upon.
• informseniormanagementatthelocalauthorityifreviewsarenotproperlycarried
out.
• assistthechildtoobtainlegaladvice,or
REVIEW&MONITORINGOFACHILD’SCAREPLAN
Section20oftheChildrenAct1989-Aguidancenoteforparents&professionals
23
• findoutwhetheranappropriateadultisableandwillingtoprovidesuchassistance
orbringtheproceedingsonthechild’sbehalf.
Schedule2para21(1)oftheChildrenAct1989says“Wherealocalauthorityarelooking
afterachild…theyshallconsiderwhethertheyshouldrecovercontributionstowardsthe
child’smaintenancefromanypersonliabletocontribute('acontributor').”
However,chargescan’tbeimposedonanyparentwhoisreceivingstatebenefitsandthey
don’tapplytoanychildsubjecttoacareorder.
AsthecourtmadeclearinWilliamsandAnothervLondonBoroughofHackney[2015]EWHC
2629(QB),aparentbeingonbaildoesNOTmeanalocalauthoritynolongerhastoobtain
genuineandinformedconsenttos.20accommodation(Seeparagraph60ofthejudgment
forfurtherdiscussion).
MAKINGPARENTSPAYFORSECTION20ACCOMMODATION?
PARENTSONBAILWITHACONDITIONNOTTOCONTACTTHEIRCHILDREN?
Section20oftheChildrenAct1989-Aguidancenoteforparents&professionals
24
Therecanberealbenefitsforchildrenandfamiliesofs.20whenusedproperly.Parentscan
askfortheirchildrentobelookedafterbythelocalauthorityunders.20whiletheysortout
atemporarydifficultysuchasashortprisonsentence,leavingaviolentpartner,orduring
temporaryphysicalormentalillness.‘Shortbreaks’(respitecare)forfamilieswithdisabled
childrencanbeagreedunders.20(4).Parentscanworkinclosepartnershipwiththelocal
authorityretainingtheirlegalrightstoagreetheplansmade,andendthearrangementif
necessary.Theymaybeabletoavoidbeingtakentocourt.
Childrenwhoareaccommodatedbyalocalauthorityeitherunders.20orunderacare
orderaredescribedintheChildrenAct1989asbeing‘lookedafter’bythelocalauthority.
This‘lookedafter’statusmeansthatplanningforchildreniskeptunderreviewandthatthe
childmaybeentitledtolong-termsupportafterreachingtheageof18(usuallywhenachild
hasbeenlookedafterforsometimeuptoandincludingtheirsixteenthbirthday).
Sometimesachildisaccommodatedunders.20withamemberoftheirextendedfamily
whoisafostercarerandcangetfinancialsupport.Alocalauthoritymightarrangefora
childtogoandlivewitharelativeforchildwelfareorchildprotectionreasons,withthe
parent’sconsent,butthensaythisisnots.20accommodationbuta‘privatearrangement’.
Unlessithasbeengenuinelyagreedbythecarer,adviceshouldbesoughtonthe
implicationsforsupportfortherelativeandcareplanning,includingthedutytoconsider
whetherthechildcangohome.
PART7:
POSSIBLEBENEFITSOFSECTION20
Section20oftheChildrenAct1989-Aguidancenoteforparents&professionals
25
Thetextbelowwascorrectatthedateofpublicationofthisguidance.
Provisionofaccommodationforchildren:general.
(1)Everylocalauthorityshallprovideaccommodationforanychildinneedwithintheirareawhoappearstothemtorequireaccommodationasaresultof—
(a)therebeingnopersonwhohasparentalresponsibilityforhim;
(b)hisbeinglostorhavingbeenabandoned;or
(c)thepersonwhohasbeencaringforhimbeingprevented(whetherornotpermanently,andforwhateverreason)fromprovidinghimwithsuitableaccommodationorcare.
(2)Wherealocalauthorityprovideaccommodationundersubsection(1)forachildwhoisordinarilyresidentintheareaofanotherlocalauthority,thatotherlocalauthoritymaytakeovertheprovisionofaccommodationforthechildwithin—
(a)threemonthsofbeingnotifiedinwritingthatthechildisbeingprovidedwithaccommodation;or
(b)suchotherlongerperiodasmaybeprescribed.
(3)Everylocalauthorityshallprovideaccommodationforanychildinneedwithintheirareawhohasreachedtheageofsixteenandwhosewelfaretheauthorityconsiderislikelytobeseriouslyprejudicediftheydonotprovidehimwithaccommodation.
(4)Alocalauthoritymayprovideaccommodationforanychildwithintheirarea(eventhoughapersonwhohasparentalresponsibilityforhimisabletoprovidehimwithaccommodation)iftheyconsiderthattodosowouldsafeguardorpromotethechild’swelfare.
(5)Alocalauthoritymayprovideaccommodationforanypersonwhohasreachedtheageofsixteenbutisundertwenty-oneinanycommunityhomewhichtakeschildrenwhohavereachedtheageofsixteeniftheyconsiderthattodosowouldsafeguardorpromotehiswelfare.
(6)Beforeprovidingaccommodationunderthissection,alocalauthorityshall,sofarasisreasonablypracticableandconsistentwiththechild’swelfare—
(a)ascertainthechild’swishesandfeelingsregardingtheprovisionofaccommodation;and
ANNEX1:
TEXTOFSECTION20CHILDRENACT1989
Section20oftheChildrenAct1989-Aguidancenoteforparents&professionals
26
(b)givedueconsideration(havingregardtohisageandunderstanding)tosuchwishesandfeelingsofthechildastheyhavebeenabletoascertain.
(7)Alocalauthoritymaynotprovideaccommodationunderthissectionforanychildifanypersonwho—
(a)hasparentalresponsibilityforhim;and
(b)iswillingandableto—
(i)provideaccommodationforhim;or
(ii)arrangeforaccommodationtobeprovidedforhim
objects.
(8)Anypersonwhohasparentalresponsibilityforachildmayatanytimeremovethechildfromaccommodationprovidedbyoronbehalfofthelocalauthorityunderthissection.
(9)Subsections(7)and(8)donotapplywhileanyperson—
(a)whoisnamedinachildarrangementsorderasapersonwithwhomthechildistolive;.
(aa)whoisaspecialguardianofthechild;or
(b)whohascareofthechildbyvirtueofanordermadeintheexerciseoftheHighCourt’sinherentjurisdictionwithrespecttochildren,
agreestothechildbeinglookedafterinaccommodationprovidedbyoronbehalfofthelocalauthority.
(10)Wherethereismorethanonesuchpersonasismentionedinsubsection(9),allofthemmustagree.
(11)Subsections(7)and(8)donotapplywhereachildwhohasreachedtheageofsixteenagreestobeingprovidedwithaccommodationunderthissection.
Section20oftheChildrenAct1989-Aguidancenoteforparents&professionals
27
Anexampleofa‘modelwrittenagreement’fromBrighton&HoveCityCouncil.Ourthanks
toBrighton&Hove,forlettingusreproducethis.
Section20AgreementIthasbeenexplainedtome/usthatasection20agreementinvolvesme/usagreeingthatourchild/renbeingplacedinfostercareandstayinginfostercare.IthasbeenexplainedthatI/wehavethefollowingrights:-
(a) Tosaynotothisproposal(b) TochangeourmindatalaterdateandbringtheagreementtoanendATANY
TIME(c) Toobtainlegaladviceaboutthisagreement(d) Fortheagreementtobekeptunderreviewandspecificallytobeconsideredby
anIndependentReviewingOfficerateachLookedAfterChildReview
IhavereadthedocumentandIagreetoitstermsI/Weagreetomy/ourson/daughterbeingaccommodatedbyBrightonandHoveCityCouncilSignature Name Date
ANNEX2:
MODELAGREEMENT
Section20oftheChildrenAct1989-Aguidancenoteforparents&professionals
28
Thesocialworkershouldsignbelowtoconfirmthefollowing:-
1. Thattheyaresatisfiedthattheparentsigningthisdocumenthasthecapacitytodoso.
2. Thathavingthatcapacity,theconsentisinformedconsent,considering(a)Doestheparentfullyunderstandtheconsequencesofgivingsuchaconsent?(b)Doestheparentfullyappreciatetherangeofchoiceavailableandtheconsequencesofrefusalaswellasgivingconsent?(c)Istheparentinpossessionofallthefactsandissuesmaterialtothegivingofconsent?
3. Evenwheretheparentisconsenting,thesocialworkermustconsiderwhetheritisnecessaryandproportionateforthechildtobeinfostercareandshouldhaveconsideredparticularly:(a)Whatisthecurrentphysicalandpsychologicalstateoftheparent?(b)Iftheyhaveasolicitor,havetheybeenencouragedtoseeklegaladviceand/oradvicefromfamilyorfriends?(c)Isitnecessaryforthesafetyofthechildforhertoberemovedatthistime?(d)Woulditbefairerinthiscaseforthismattertobethesubjectofacourtorderratherthananagreement?Andthatconsideringallofthesematters,theyconsiderthatthevoluntaryaccommodationofthechildisnecessary[Theiranalysisofthesemattersshouldberecordedonthechild’sfile]
4. IftheparentisnotfluentinEnglish,thiswrittendocumentshouldbetranslatedintotheparent'sownlanguageandtheparentshouldsigntheforeignlanguagetext,adding,intheparent'slanguage,wordstotheeffectthat'IhavereadthisdocumentandIagreetoitsterms.'
SignedDated