admin – Luke Clements

Facilitated communication

For an important and profoundly troubling article concerning the use of 'facilitated communication' click here.

Harm resulting from geniuine cases of Fabricated or Induced illness (FII)

A recent (May 2025) research paper by Professors Andy Bilson and Alessandro Talia involved a comprehensive review of Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) in England from 2010 to 2021. It found…

Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII): a new critical report

St George's House, based in the grounds of Windsor Castle was founded in 1966 by the (then) Duke of Edinburgh and the (then) Dean of Windsor. It seeks to effect…

FII ~ Welsh Government Failing to End the ‘Cruel Abuse’ of Autistic Parents and Autistic Children

Mark Isherwood North Wales MS and Chair of both the Cross-Party Autism Group and the Cross-Party Group on Disability, has endorsed the comments of one of his Flintshire constituent’s –…

Special Needs Jungle Petition

There are strong rumours that the Government is planning to impose drastic restrictions on the provision of specialist educational support for children and young people – or indeed – scrapping…

Why is ‘listening’ so difficult?

The Shropshire Parent and Carer Council has just published a powerful report ‘Mad, Sad, Glad’ that reflects on the feedback Parent Carers across their county have provided. Parent Carers were…

Putting the record straight

The posting that follows, has been published by the disabled children’s charity Cerebra at https://cerebra.org.uk/legal-rights/putting-the-record-straight/. It is a response to the lecture delivered by Baroness Hale of Richmond at The…

Families’ Alliance for Change

There is no shortage of Children’s Services’ authorities who have lost touch / stopped listening to the families that they are there to serve. As Lord Justice Munby said ‘the…

Relentless ICB cuts to Children’s NHS CC support

Arbitrary cuts by to gravely ill children's Continuing Care (CC) support packages appear (to me) to be occurring on a very regular basis. For a details of a crowd funding…

The Health and Social Care (Wales) Act 2025

The 2025 Act Health and Social Care (Wales) Act 2025 received Royal Assent on the 24 March 2025. Its major impact will be to restrict, in Wales, the making of…

Cerebra mass participation event

For details of a 2,500 km Cerebra Fund Raising Relay of 250 stages from Scotland and through England and Wales in June / July’ click here.

Parent Blame webinar

For details of an ADASS webinar (1.4.25) ‘Blamed Instead of Helped – Understanding Parental Blame in Autism Support’ click here.

too afraid to grasp the nettle

For scathing criticism of Welsh Government social care reform inaction, click here.

Children’s Wellbeing & Schools Bill

For a JUSTICE briefing concerning essential amendments to the Bill click here.

Disabled children’s continence care services: a national scandal

A major research report has been published concerning the degrading experiences of many disabled children who are denied adequate continence support services. The report, ‘Inaccessible, unacceptable and unaccountable: the provision…

Pam Coughlan

Pam Coughlan passed away on the 8th January 2025. Paralysed as a result of a spinal cord injury in 1971, she took on the Secretary of State for Health and…

Law Commission’s consultation ~ Disabled Children’s Social Care

The deadline for commenting on the Law Commission’s Disabled Children’s Social Care Consultation Paper has been extended, and is now Friday 31 January 2025 (23:59). A copy of my response…

Why everyone should be talking about Tash Ashby

Tash Ashby was 21 years old when she died. At the time of her death, she was street homeless, living in the undergrowth around Hereford bus station. Her lifeless body…

Autism and Parent Blame

An Association of Directors of Social Services (ADASS) report ‘Blamed Instead of Helped’ makes many important points, not least at page 12 - that autistic parents are three times more…

Medically complex children, Children’s Continuing Care, and Children’s Social Care: dispatches from no-man’s land

A guest posting by Lisa Ballesteros. Background My son, T, wasn’t expected to survive the night. Born at 26 weeks gestation with an alphabet soup of medical conditions, he…

Inherent jurisdiction detaining a minor

For a curious case involving Conwy Council and the Betsi Cadwaladr UHB click here and for a legal commentary on the judgment click here.

Mental Health Bill ~ urgent amendment

A recent High Court judgment Sammut & Others v Next Steps Mental Healthcare Ltd & The Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust [2024] EWHC 2265 (KB) has identified a…

High Court damages award for wrongful care proceedings

An important claim concerning wrongful care proceedings has finally been settled by an English Children’s Services council. The claim was brought by the campaigner Elly Chapple – the founder of…

Accountability: what accountability?

In an earlier posting we referred to a judgment of the Newport Family Court that concerned dreadful behaviour by a Welsh council and a Welsh police force. We expressed concern…

NHS Children and Young Peoples Continuing care and EHC Plans

An important judgment, R (A) v North Central London Integrated Care Board [2024] EWHC 2682 (Admin) that confirms the mandatory duty on ICBs to provide care plans that spell out…

A powerful short video

Grow Family Services – for an incredibly powerful video ‘A Parent’s Fight’ in which families describe the trauma of dealing with the SEND system – click here.

Law Commission Paper

The Law Commission has published its Consultation Paper on the reform of Disabled Children's Social Care Law. On first reading it looks pretty positive. The consultation closes on the 22…

Mumfighter – Swansea Grand Theatre

An important ‘must see’ play concerning a mother fighting for support and services in a world full of prejudice – it runs from October 15 – October 25 - click…

A lack of rigour and candour

A damning report by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales[1] (PSOW) into ‘a serious service failure’ by the Wrexham Maelor Hospital compounded by the lack of both rigour and candour…

A Newport Family Court judgment

An important (albeit partially redacted) judgment in the case of Re C (A Child) (Care Proceedings Withdrawal) [2024] EWFC 227 (B) has been published. The Transparency Project has released an…

‘Complex’ BBC Sounds

A powerful series concerning the challenges faced by families with disabled children. Episode 1 (concerning Disabled Facilities Grants) accessed by clicking here.

Making ‘Carers’ a protected category

For a Carers UK report on making unpaid carers the 10th protected category in the Equality Act 2010 click here.

Call to withdraw FII guidance

In an Open Letter to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, a number of researchers and NGOs called for the withdrawal of its guidance concerning FII (Fabricated or…

Systems Generated Trauma ~ survey

Cerebra and the University of Leeds are collaborating on research that seeks to better understand the extent to which parents of disabled children experience trauma as a result of navigating…

Abolishing home care charges

The Disability Law Service has published a report that makes the case for the abolition of home care charges for Disabled adults in England. The research that underpins the report…

Systems Generated Trauma Conference

For a brief note on the above (including a link to recordings of its first two sessions) click here.

Herefordshire children’s services – a public inquiry: if not here, then where?

A fascinating hustings took place in Hereford prior to the election concerning the ‘Crisis in Children's Services’. Nationally, as we all know, children's services are in crisis: a ‘scandal’ ……

Systems Generated Trauma

‘Trauma related practice’ is a phrase increasingly used by public bodies to convey their awareness that many of those with whom they interact have experienced life changing traumas. As a…

Election Hustings Hereford

For a chance to hear Herefordshire Parliamentary Candidates answer questions concerning 'the crisis in children's services' at a meeting on the 18th June - click here.

Criticism of the Ombudsman

For a news item in Nation.Cymru concerning the actions of a Welsh Council and the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, click here.

Health and Social Care (Wales) Bill

The Health and Social Care Committee has launched a consultation to inform its scrutiny of the recently introduced Health and Social Care (Wales) Bill. The consultation closes on the 28th…

Innovative short breaks scheme for parent carers

We all need quality ‘short breaks’ – but for many parents of disabled children they are a distant dream. Fit for purpose ‘breaks’ from heavy caring commitments depend on several…

National Office for Care and Support (NOCS)

The Welsh Government has launched the NOCS – the first rung in the ladder to the National Care and Support Service. For details click here.

Revised school transport guidance (England)

Cerebra, IPSEA, SOS!SEN and Contact have jointly written and article expressing concern about revised school transport guidance issued by the Department for Education and inviting families to complete a short…

FII on-line discussion: 29 April

An expert panel discussion concerning Fabricated & Induced Illness (FII) organised by Autistic Parents UK - for details click here.

On-Line Seminar 10 April a 1pm

Donald Forrester of CASCADE will discuss his recently published book on social work and human rights. To register for the seminar click here.

Social care charging consultation

The Welsh Government is proposing to raising the current charging cap for non-residential care from £100 to £120 per week. The announcement can accessed by clicking here and a commentary…

FII questions in the Welsh Parliament

For a details of questions raised by Senedd Member Mark Isherwood concerning the prevalence of Fabricated or Induced Illness allegations in Wales - click here.

Senedd Member’s concern about the prevalence and impact of allegations of Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII) in Wales

North Wales Member of the Senedd and Chair its Cross-Party Autism Group, Mark Isherwood, has raised concerns with the Minister for Health and Social Services that parents of neurodiverse children…

Decision making quality and the Local Government Ombudsman

Cerebra, the disabled children’s charity has published[1] an important and troubling analysis of data concerning the performance of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO). Over a decade of…

Archives

Facilitated communication

Harm resulting from geniuine cases of Fabricated or Induced illness (FII)

Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII): a new critical report

FII ~ Welsh Government Failing to End the ‘Cruel Abuse’ of Autistic Parents and Autistic Children

Special Needs Jungle Petition

Why is ‘listening’ so difficult?

Putting the record straight

Families’ Alliance for Change

Relentless ICB cuts to Children’s NHS CC support

The Health and Social Care (Wales) Act 2025

Cerebra mass participation event

Parent Blame webinar

too afraid to grasp the nettle

Children’s Wellbeing & Schools Bill

Disabled children’s continence care services: a national scandal

Pam Coughlan

Law Commission’s consultation ~ Disabled Children’s Social Care

Why everyone should be talking about Tash Ashby

Autism and Parent Blame

Medically complex children, Children’s Continuing Care, and Children’s Social Care: dispatches from no-man’s land

Inherent jurisdiction detaining a minor

Mental Health Bill ~ urgent amendment

High Court damages award for wrongful care proceedings

Accountability: what accountability?

NHS Children and Young Peoples Continuing care and EHC Plans

A powerful short video

Law Commission Paper

Mumfighter – Swansea Grand Theatre

A lack of rigour and candour

A Newport Family Court judgment

‘Complex’ BBC Sounds

Making ‘Carers’ a protected category

Call to withdraw FII guidance

Systems Generated Trauma ~ survey

Abolishing home care charges

Systems Generated Trauma Conference

Herefordshire children’s services – a public inquiry: if not here, then where?

Systems Generated Trauma

Election Hustings Hereford

Criticism of the Ombudsman

Health and Social Care (Wales) Bill

Innovative short breaks scheme for parent carers

National Office for Care and Support (NOCS)

Revised school transport guidance (England)

FII on-line discussion: 29 April

On-Line Seminar 10 April a 1pm

Social care charging consultation

FII questions in the Welsh Parliament

Senedd Member’s concern about the prevalence and impact of allegations of Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII) in Wales

Decision making quality and the Local Government Ombudsman