Several members of the Fountain Chambers Family Team were instructed in a complex public law final hearing concerning 14 respondent parties (including six respondent children) where allegations of significant harm were pursued by the local authority.
The factual matrix pursued by the local authority relied upon the expert evidence of an expert paediatrician and psychologist. A number of the respondent parties also required intermediary support and the issues pursued by the local authority required extensive cross-examination of an expert, as well as cross-examination of a two-person assessing social work team, adult social care worker, contact supervisors, previous assessing social worker and respondent parties.
There were also additional linked proceedings which concluded only shortly prior to this final hearing. The representation on behalf of Chambers was as follows:
- Collette Price, Head of Chambers, acted for the applicant local authority. Ms Price was also instructed in the linked proceedings to represent the applicant local authority.
- Gill Kane, Head of Family, acted for a parent with a learning need who required the support of an intermediary. Ms Kane was also instructed in the linked proceedings.
- Kate Dodds acted for the six respondent children by their children’s guardian. Ms Dodds was also instructed in the linked proceedings to represent the child.
- Scott Smith acted for a parent with a significant hearing impairment. Mr Smith successfully resisted a section 34(4) application which was advanced by the local authority in respect of his client. Mr Smith was able to successfully pursue the reinstatement of significant contact alongside a plan of works being produced for consideration of further assessment.
- James Colwell acted for a parent who was one of the two individuals within the proceedings facing allegations of significant harm. James was led by Ravinder Randhawa for the final hearing following undertaking a significant portion of the case management as sole counsel. James also undertook cross-examination of some witnesses as part of the Final Hearing. Following extensive evidence and cross-examination, the court did not find there was a risk of sexual harm arising from the actions of that parent.
- Alison Lynch acted for a parent with a learning need who required the support of an intermediary. Alison’s client successfully retained care of their child at the conclusion of the proceedings.