D and R (Children), Re

On 13 th March 2015, Leicester City Council (�the local authority�) issued care proceedings in respect of two children, D, now aged 9, and R, now aged 5 (not their real names). The parents agree that the threshold set by s.31(2) of the Children Act 1989 is satisfied. It is agreed that R should remain in the care of her paternal aunt and uncle under a Special Guardianship Order. The main issue for determination by the court is the appropriate welfare outcome for D.

The family relationships are complex. I therefore begin this judgment by setting out the profiles of the principal characters.

D�s mother is NH (�the mother�). She is 28 years old. In February 2013 she began a same sex relationship with Miss T. The mother and Miss T have been living together since December 2014.

The mother has been diagnosed as suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder. In 2013 she was referred for therapy to the Personality Disorder Network. She did not engage. Following psychiatric assessment within these proceedings she has been re-referred. She is awaiting an appointment.

The mother experiences auditory and visual hallucinations, often simultaneously. There is no evidence of her responding to unseen stimuli. She has never experienced command hallucinations. However, she continues to experience hallucinations daily, even during the course of this court hearing. Her coping strategies are self-taught. Her principal strategy is to listen to music on her headphones. The hallucinations are intrusive. At times they make her feel suicidal.