Social Welfare Updates

Our social welfare pages provide bite-sized updates on recent case-law and policy, written by Garden Court barristers specialising in adult social care, children’s services, Court of Protection (health and welfare), housing and homelessness, and welfare benefits.

Filter by:

Latest Updates

Garden Court Chambers | Thursday 16 November 2023

Remedying past injustices: local authorities’ discretion to treat young people as former relevant children following flawed assessments

Blog post by Tessa Buchanan of the Garden Court Chambers Community Care Team.

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 10 October 2023

Home Office publishes new policy instruction on lifting NRPF conditions for those on student leave following concession in test case

Blog post by Nadia O'Mara of the Garden Court Chambers Immigration and Community Care Law Teams.

Nadia O’Mara

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 21 August 2023

Which local authority must provide s117 duty after-care services after someone has been detained and discharged from hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983?

Blog post by Sophie Caseley of the Garden Court Chambers Mental Health Law and Community Care Teams. R (on the application of) Worcestershire County Council v Secretary of State for Health and Social Care [2023] UKSC 31 (10 August 2023)

Sophie Caseley

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 31 July 2023

Home Office breached statutory duty to ensure provision of adequate accommodation for pregnant asylum seeker and children

Blog post by Maria Moodie of the Garden Court Chambers Community Care and Immigration Teams.

Maria Moodie

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 30 May 2023

Open Justice and the Mental Health Tribunal: Maher v FTT

Blog post by Tim Baldwin and Alex Schymyck of the Garden Court Chambers Public Law and Mental Health Teams.

Tim BaldwinAlex Schymyck

Administrative and Public Law, Community Care Law, Children’s Rights | Friday 20 January 2023

Human Rights Assessments: Local Authority concedes Children Act 1989 duties take precedence over residual & discretionary Immigration Act 1999 powers

The claimant, HTT, was represented by Amanda Weston KC and Maria Moodie of Garden Court Chambers. Counsel instructed by Verity Cannell of Bindmans LLP.

Amanda Weston KCMaria Moodie

Garden Court Chambers | Thursday 1 July 2021

Home Office dispersal of asylum seekers in Bristol – failure of Secretary of State to lawfully apply her own policy

Adrian Berry and Tim Baldwin acted in the case R (on the application of IO) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department. Blog post by Tim Baldwin.

Adrian Berry KCTim Baldwin

Garden Court Chambers | Thursday 1 July 2021

Proposed return to sheltered accommodation did not breach Local Authority and CCG’s duties under s117 MHA 1983

Blog post by Tim Baldwin of the Garden Court Chambers Community Care Team. R. (on the application of ZK, by her litigation friend, JU) v Norfolk County Council, Norfolk and Waveney CCG and LB Camden [2021] EWHC 1249 (Admin)

Tim Baldwin

We are top ranked by independent legal directories and consistently win awards.

+ View more awards