M (Children)

Paul Diamond (instructed by Michael Phillips) for the Appellant Debra Gold (instructed by Cambridgeshire County Council) for the 1st Respondent Suzy Shackleford (instructed by CB4 Law) for the 2nd Respondent Hearing date: Tuesday 19th January 2016 ____________________

i) The alleged lack of support or otherwise given to the parents and the impact it had upon their care of the children.

ii) Findings as to the regime in the household: were there a few perhaps understandable examples of over chastisement at a time when the parent's were unsupported and JK's behaviour was unbelievably difficult? Alternatively, was this a rigid and controlling environment where the parents, notwithstanding their love for the boys, were unable to accept help and responded to the challenges posed by the children with a rigid and punitive regime which went far beyond 'strict' in any ordinary sense of the word and served only to re-traumatise the children?

iii) The extent to which the parents undoubted willingness to co-operate with the local authority in the future, and if so advised, to apologise to the children for what had happened, was underpinned by a true and genuine understanding of the effect that their parenting style had had on their children.

iv) What support could the local authority provide in the event that JA was to return home on his own?