Council and NHS trust criticised after judge refuses to authorise deprivation of liberty of 14-year-old girl on hospital ward

[Alison J Stevens]

https://www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/child-protection/392-childr...

A High Court Judge has heavily criticised a Local Authority, in this case Manchester City Council over a DOLS case.

The case involves a 14 year old girl, and demanded that the hospital that she was under, and not named should give him a precise clarification of how the situation occurred.

The Judge also stated that the hospital trust senior managers might be required to attend Court as witnesses in the future.

The Judge said that the Court was used to dealing with the issues regarding vulnerable children and young people.

The Judge also said that the case that came to the Court that morning, was shocking, in the fact that the child had been known to the Local Authority for a while and had her own key Social Worker.

The child was found to be suffering from an autistic spectrum disorder with moderate learning difficulties, she also had challenging behaviour, which included physical violence and damaging other persons property.

At the time of the Court hearing the child was placed in a hospital.

The Judge stated that the situation that was set before him, and the hospital had made an application under jurisdiction of being granted the DOLS, thus authorising the DOLS.

The Judge was also not happy that Manchester City Council failed to give its Barrister instructions until the datr of the hearing, about what they intended to do regarding the child legally.

The case is very complex you can finish reading the account can be found on the link.

The Judgment link is below.

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2022/719.html