• 01616 966 229
  • Request a callback
Stephensons Solicitors LLP Banner Image

Services
People
News and Events
Other
Blogs
Sophie Maloney
 

Specialist Court of Protection solicitors

  • Posted

At Stephensons our specialist Court of Protection solicitors deal with all contentious health and welfare related cases including disputes surrounding mental capacity and best interests as well as disputed property and affairs matters. ...

An end-of-life decision in the Court of Protection

  • Posted

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust v KT & Ors [2023] EWCOP 46 (25 August 2023) “…there comes a point where the laudable aspiration to prolong life is overtaken by the equally strong moral imperative not to protract death. Where...

Challenging local authority decisions - what can I do if I disagree with my loved one's care home placement?

  • Posted

When a local authority determines that a care home placement is necessary for a loved one, but you disagree with the decision, it can be an incredibly distressing and challenging situation. However, it is important to remember that you have rights and...

New guidance on the streamlined procedure for the deprivation of liberty of 16 and 17 year olds

  • Posted

In the case of Bolton Council v KL [2022] EWCOP 24 Her Honour Judge Hilder provided guidance on when the streamlined procedure to authorise a deprivation of liberty may not be appropriate. The streamlined procedure enables the ...

CQC fines NHS Trust for failures around consent

  • Posted

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has recently issued two fixed penalty notices to University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust totalling £8,000. Their investigation relates to the failure to seek consent to care for and treat a patient in...

Contact with relatives in care homes - new guidance from May 2021

  • Posted

Throughout the pandemic, concerns about the inability to visit and speak with family members in care homes have been widely reported, with different care providers taking different approaches. As we are navigating the government’s...

Contact with relatives in care homes during third national lockdown

  • Posted

Throughout the pandemic, concerns about the inability to visit and speak with their family members in care homes have been widely reported, with different care providers taking different approaches to facilitating contact. Now that we are in what is...

Visiting relatives at care homes during coronavirus pandemic - November update

  • Posted

The Court of Protection is a specialist court that safeguards the rights of the most vulnerable people in society. With the coronavirus pandemic leading to increased restrictions on vulnerable adults in care settings, including some care homes stopping...

Court of Protection decides that man with irreversible stoma has the right to choose to die

  • Posted

On the 29 May 2020, Mr Justice Hayden received an urgent application (made out of business hours) by Barnsley NHS Foundation Trust. The application related to a 34 year old man with a history of complicated and painful abdominal problems dating back 10...

Contact with relatives in care homes during coronavirus pandemic

  • Posted

The Court of Protection is a specialist court that safeguards the rights of the most vulnerable people in society. With the coronavirus pandemic leading to increased restrictions on vulnerable adults in care settings, including stopping all visits from...

The impact of the Coronavirus Act 2020 on social care assessment and support

  • Posted

The Coronavirus Act 2020 came into force on 25 March 2020. This is temporary legislation which has a huge impact on vulnerable adults in need of, and currently receiving, social care support. Key duties imposed under the Care Act 2014 are now suspended,...

Court of Protection case highlights the need for mental capacity assessments on an issue specific basis

  • Posted

In a recent case, the Vice President of the Court of Protection, Hayden J, reminded us of the importance of the presumption of capacity and the requirement for proper assessment of mental capacity on an issue-specific basis. Everyone is assumed to have...

Applications made under the Mental Capacity Act increased in 2019

  • Posted

The third quarter of 2019 (July-September) saw a record number of applications made under the Mental Capacity Act according to a recent update on family court statistics. A total of 9,407 applications were made under the act during this period which...

Woman forcibly checked for possible cancer

  • Posted

The Court of Protection has last week heard a case in which an NHS Trust applied for a declaration that it would be in a woman’s best interests for her to undergo a formal diagnostic examination for cancer, ‘despite her long-standing fear of...