Member

Professor Luke Clements’ work reveals how local authorities sometimes misuse Section 47 powers when families challenge inadequate support, opting for investigation over assistance. Too many professionals default to bad parenting assumptions rather than questioning whether their own parenting is failing. The numbers are stark. In Darlington, nearly 80% of disabled children and their families are subject to Section 47 investigations, compared with just over 10% in Ealing. Under this Bill, families in the wrong borough could find themselves automatically barred from withdrawing their child, purely because of where they live, with no meaningful judicial oversight.