OCC v F & P

Ms Wilkins, Counsel, for OCC Mr Roy, Counsel, for the First Respondent Mother, CF Ms Stephens, Counsel, for the Second Respondent Father, JP Ms Orchover, Counsel, for the Third Respondent, LF, acting through his Children's Guardian ____________________

I am dealing with applications for Care and Placement Orders in respect of LF, aged six months. He is the child of CF and JP who separated in January of this year and who are no longer in a relationship. Both CF and JP are comparatively young parents and LF is their only child. CF is also a very vulnerable young parent who has a level of learning need and has had periods of poor mental health.

I have read all of the evidence contained in the Court Bundles, and heard from various witnesses during the course of this final hearing.

The application for a Care Order was made on 12 th November 2015, with an interim care order in respect of LF being granted on 13 th November 2015. Local Authority concerns in this case centred upon the parents' extremely dysfunctional relationship, involving allegation and counter-allegation and frequently involving the Police and the maternal grandmother, vulnerabilities of CF, personality difficulties of JP such as ADHD, anxiety and an emotionally unstable personality disorder, and neither parent having living accommodation.

Initially the Local Authority interim care plan provided for LF to be placed with his mother in a mother and baby foster placement. There were issues in the early weeks of the placement as it was felt that CF was distracted by her relationship and she was not attuned to LF's basic needs. After the parents separated, the placement was extended to allow CF the opportunity to improve her parenting without the distraction of JP. There was some improvement initially but sadly this was not sustained and, on 31 st March 2016, LF was placed in separate foster care with the endorsement of the Court.