Free Webinar – Disabled Children’s Social Care: How Should the Law Be Reformed?

The Law Commission recently consulted on restructuring the law for disabled children’s social care. This webinar discussed various perspectives on potential changes, including whether there should be a distinct legal framework for disabled children’s social care separate from Section 17 of the Children Act, when a child should be able to make their own decisions, effective ways to challenge social care decisions, whether there should be greater alignment with SEN law, and what overarching principles should guide reform.

Speakers
Dame Christine Lenehan, Director, Council for Disabled Children at the National Children’s Bureau
Christine began her career as a social worker in 1980. In 2000, Christine joined the Council for Disabled Children, part of the National Children’s Bureau. Christine has carried out Reviews for both the DoH and DfE, both Reviews received a very positive response from Government, and implementation of their recommendations is likely to make a significant impact on practice in this area and the experiences of the children and young people affected. Most recently, Christine was a lead member for the review of safeguarding children and young people with disabilities and complex health needs in residential settings in partnership with The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. The recommendations urge government departments to work together to transform the education, health and care offer so that disabled children and young people and those with complex health needs thrive and are supported to achieve. In 2009, Christine was awarded an OBE for services for disabled children and young people, and in 2013, was made an Honorary Fellow of the RCPCH. In 2016, she was awarded a Damehood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in recognition of her outstanding work for disabled children and young and those with special educational needs, spanning over 35 years. In October 2024, she was appointed by the Government to the role of Strategic Advisor on SEND to support the Government on developing reforms to the system.

Rosalind Compton, Legal and Practice Development Manager, Coram Children’s Legal Centre (Chair)
Rosalind is Legal and Practice Development Manager for the Policy and Practice Change team at Coram Children’s Legal Centre (part of the Coram group of charities), and coordinated CCLC’s response to the Law Commission’s review of disabled children’s social care. She sits on a number of working groups related to children and education, care, asylum, and immigration, and is leading the Coram group’s engagement as a core participant in Module 8 of the Covid Inquiry (on children and young people). She co-manages CCLC’s legal training programme, as well as specific funded projects. Rosalind is an immigration solicitor with extensive experience in working with children, young people and families. She qualified in 2013 at Fisher Meredith, before running outreach advice projects across London with the Migrant Children’s Project. In 2018, she was seconded to the Greater London Assembly, working on the Citizenship and Integration Initiative for a year.

Bethan Harris, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Bethan is co-convenor of Garden Court Chambers’ Community Care Team. She practises in community care law, social housing, Court of Protection and related public law. She is an editor of the Community Care Law Reports and a member of the panel of counsel to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. She was shortlisted for Legal 500 Barrister of the Year awards in 2023 and 2024. She speaks regularly on Welsh language media on human rights law issues.

Ollie Persey, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Ollie has a broad public law practice focusing on the rights of children, asylum seekers, migrants and disabled people. He is ranked in Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 across his core practice areas. His community care practice spans age assessments, asylum support, welfare benefits, and health and social care. He is a member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s panel of preferred counsel and won a Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (‘LALY’) Award in 2024. Ollie writes and teaches alongside practice; he is the consultant editor of Halsbury’s Laws on Judicial Review and a visiting lecturer at Oxford University. He co-convenes Garden Court’s Education Law and Community Care Teams.