Commenting on the latest MoJ family court statistics Helen Lincoln, Chair of the ADCS Families, Communities and Young People Policy Committee, said:

“These statistics show that local authorities and the courts have made some good progress in improving the timeliness of care proceedings and more cases are being completed within the 26 week statutory target. There will be a number of reasons why timeliness is improving, for example, local authorities are carrying out more effective pre proceedings work and at the start of last year, the President of the Family Division relaunched the Public Law Outline after the pandemic to restate the importance of timeliness in proceedings, which is having an impact as we can see more newer cases are closing within this timeframe. Reducing unnecessary drift and delay in the system is important, however, our main aim should always be meeting children’s needs, even if this falls outside the 26 week limit.

“The data shows a fall in the number of applications for secure accommodation orders over the past few years, while the number of applications for deprivation of liberty orders has increased. Secure children's homes offer intensive support to our most vulnerable children and young people at times of extreme crisis or distress, but many local authorities report major difficulties sourcing a placement. Demand for a bed far outstrips supply, despite local authorities only making a handful of placements a year which may be a reason for the decline in the number of applications being made. Applications to the DoLs Court are often sought to use restrictive practices to manage complex mental health presentation and high-risk behaviours in the community due to a lack of Tier 4 beds and secure welfare placements. This is always a last resort.”

ENDS