Council kept boy, 9, in care for whole of his life, judge reveals

Herefordshire council used section 20 orders to keep children in care without seeking court approval

A boy was kept in local authority care for nine years, the whole of his life, on a stopgap basis that should never have continued beyond a few months, a high court judge has revealed.

Mr Justice Keehan revealed the case in a damning family court judgment that accused Herefordshire county council of “dreadful failures” for keeping 14 children in care for “wholly inappropriate” periods of time without court approval. The judgment also revealed that another boy had been kept in care between the ages of eight and 16 on a stopgap basis.

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from Children | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2FI79Tu