We all remember the case of Baby P 2007 – it was a tragic case which came with serious repercussions.
Those repercussions are still being felt around the country almost a decade later and there has been a dramatic increase in care proceedings being issued by local authorities.
There have been around 15,000 care cases before the Family Court this year alone compared with an average of 6,500 per year prior to the case of Baby P. There has also been a 60% increase of children being placed on Child Protection Plans since 2007.
It is estimated that if proceedings continue to increase at the same rate each year, there could be over 25,000 cases before the Family Court in 2020.
Sir James Munby, President of the Family Courts has expressed concerns about the increase workload for Courts and Solicitors alike. He is currently advocating for more support for the Family Court system so as not to allow it to buckle under the pressure of more proceedings.
He has stated that the Family Court faces a “clear and imminent crisis” and steps must be taken to ensure that the standards of the Court do not drop so as to handle a larger workload.
Legal aid is available to parents of children for whom the Local Authority have concerns. If the Local Authority are involved in connection with the arrangements for your child Farleys have a large team of legal advisers who can advise, attend conferences and represent you in Court. You should not hesitate in seeking the advice and assistance that you are entitled to. To speak to a family solicitor at Farleys contact us here or call 0845 287 0939.