In the matter of SS

This is an application by the Minister for an order under Article 22(1) of the Children (Jersey) Law 2002 , namely for a secure accommodation order. It relates to SS, who is 13 and will be 14 in December. There is a long history of concern over SS's upbringing and in December 2010 a full care order was made in respect of his younger brother C.

In relation to SS, an interim care order was made on 8 th March, 2011. Following the making of that order SS was placed at La Preference Children's Home, and he remained there until 20 th September when he was placed in Greenfields under Article 2 of the Children (Secure Accommodation)(Jersey) Order 2005 which enables the Minister to place a child in secure accommodation for up to 72 hours. That order will expire at midday today; hence this application.

We must of course remind ourselves first of the provisions of Article 22(1) because it is only if we are satisfied that the conditions for that paragraph are met that we may make an order. The provision reads as follows:-

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Article, a child who is being looked after by the Minister may not be placed, and, if placed, may not be kept, in accommodation provided for the purpose of restricting liberty ("secure accommodation") unless it appears:-

(i) the child has a history of absconding and is likely to abscond from any other description of accommodation, and