Emma Thompson film prompts independent advocacy call

[Alison J Stevens]

https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/law/emma-thompson-film-prompts-indepen...

I recently went to a Child Protection Case conference, within a West Midlands Local Authority, as an Advocate for the Parents.

The LA have a mandatory obligation to invite Children of the age of 13 years old or over to these meetings, and have a duty to inform them by letter at least 48 hours before the meeting, these children are deemed to be Gillick Competent , and in some cases are entitled to bring their own legal team in for representation.

I asked the Social Worker why the 13 year old Boy had not been invited to the meeting?, astonishingly she could not answer me.

But the Boy will be allowed to go to the next Child Protection Case conference with an Advocate, from Barnardos.

Until Children are given the chance to fill the Cafcass wishes and feelings pack in, and invited to LAC Reviews, Child Protection Case Conferences, and Children in need Conferences, very little will change, and these are just the basics of Children's Rights.