Judge slams Gloucestershire council in adoption case

Social services bosses have been criticised by a family court judge over their handling of a case involving a four-year-old girl who had suffered “neglect” when at home.

Judge Stephen Wildblood outlined a number of “failures” by Gloucestershire County Council.

The judge said it was “very rare” that so many “points of bad practice” were “gathered into one case”.

He said the case had caused him “immense anxiety” and described it as “the most extreme example of institutional failure that I can remember”.

Judge Wildblood has outlined a series of criticisms in a written ruling following a hearing at a family court in Bristol earlier this week.

The judge said the little girl at the centre of the case could not be identified.

He ruled that the youngster should go into council care but said she would continue to have contact with her family.

Judge Wildblood said the girl was in council care and the council had asked for the little girl to be placed for adoption.

Both parents opposed that application and wanted the youngster to live with her father, but Judge Wildblood chose another option – saying she would stay in care and stay in contact with her family.

The judge said it had taken nearly 30 months for proceedings to reach a conclusion.

He said the hearing of the council’s adoption application had been adjourned a number of times and each adjournment had been “necessitated by the inadequacy of the evidence” provided by the council.

He said the “analysis of options” for the girl had been inadequate, professional assessments did not weigh up adequately the pros and cons of the competing options, and the social worker responsible for the case had not met the father but had carried out a “viability assessment” of him.

He said the council had not investigated the option of long-term fostering at all, despite saying it would on many occasions, and he had “absolutely no confidence” that the council would take “any effective steps” to support family relationships if the little girl was placed for adoption.

The judge said he had “very real doubts” whether the council would “ever find an adoptive place” for the girl and he thought it “highly likely” that the council would “allow the issue to drift”.

“Of course many cases reveal a few points of bad practice,” said Judge Wildblood. “However it is very rare that so many such points should be gathered into one case.”

The judge added: “The principal failures have been those of the local authority but there have also been failures within the court-led process and by those who represent the parties.”

He said he had given the case a “lot of thought”.

“This case has caused me immense anxiety,” he said. “It is the most extreme example of institutional failure that I can remember.”

Judge Wildblood said social workers had become involved after concerns were raised about domestic violence, neglect and her parents’ “misuse of alcohol”.

And he concluded that she could not live with her father because he could not meet her “emotional needs” and would again be exposed to harm through neglect.

He said she would have a permanent home if adopted.

But he doubted whether adopters would be found and said he was concerned about the “number of important relationships” she stood to lose.

“Not only has she moved from her home with her parents. She then lived with foster carers for a short period but spent a long time with her maternal grandparents. She then lived with one set of foster carers before moving to the current ones. I am concerned about her now losing all of her familial relationships as well,” said the judge.

“I have absolutely no confidence at all that the local authority would take any effective steps to support any family relationships if a placement order were to be made.”

He added: “She will also need skilled carers who are able to meet her complex demands. I have very real doubts about whether the local authority would ever find an adoptive placement for her … I think it highly likely that the local authority would continue to make some inquiries about an adoptive placement but allow the issue to drift.”

The judge concluded that the best option was for her to stay in foster care – and stay in touch with her family.

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