Care Proceedings During Coronavirus – What Will Happen to My Case?
‘What will happen to my Care Case during Coronavirus?’ A question that I am asked most days at the moment.
Although our offices are closed, our Care Team at Timms are continuing to work behind the scenes to maintain our provision of legal services to both parents and to children via their Guardians. Your family will not be forgotten. The Government has confirmed that the Justice System must continue to operate during the current Coronavirus pandemic. All care proceedings are extremely important, and your case will carry on. Other public services such as Local Authority’s and CAFCASS also continue to work in line with Government guidelines.
Court Hearings During Covid-19 (Coronavirus)
Changes have been made to the way Court hearings take place. Following Government advice, the Courts are closed to the public. As a result, Hearings are taking place remotely until further notice. This means that they will take place via a video link over the internet or by telephone. Because Hearings are being conducted differently, some Hearings might have to be put back for a few weeks so that Judges can focus on immediate issues of child safety. Your solicitor will contact you if any alterations are made to the timetable of your proceedings and also to obtain your instructions if they need to.
How Can I Contact the Care Team During Coronavirus?
Although for the time being our offices remain closed, our Care Team are still contactable via telephone or email. It is important to continue to engage with the proceedings and to maintain contact with your children. The Social Worker dedicated to your family will contact you to arrange an alternative method of contact for you and your child/children. My colleague, Jo Taylor, has recently written a blog ‘How Does Covid-19 Affect Family Contact with Children in Care’.
If you have any questions or worries about the impact the Government guidelines, in respect of Coronavirus, have on any childcare matters or otherwise, please do not hesitate to call or email either myself or any of our Childcare Team.
Leonnie Watson
21st April 2020