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Councils are responsible for children with SEN who are “ordinarily resident”, even when temporarily abroad: Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal brought by Hampshire County Council in a case concerning the council’s decision to cease to maintain an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for a disabled child when the family temporarily relocated abroad due to the father’s service in the Royal Navy.
January 27, 2026
Councils are responsible for children with SEN who are “ordinarily resident”, even when temporarily abroad: Court of Appeal

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Fix it fast: How “Awaab’s Law”
is forcing action

Eleanor Jones sets out what "Awaab's Law"
will mean in practice for social landlords.

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Housing management in practice
Rebecca Rees provides key takeaways
on six key challenges in housing
management including how to tackle
anti-social behaviour.

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Local authority legal teams after Mazur
Local authority legal teams will need to review
their practices and work allocation in the wake
of Mazur, but there is no need for
panic writes Timothy Leader.

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Why AI must power
the next wave
of Social Housing
delivery

 

 

 

 

 

 

For years, national housing policy has wrestled with the tension between aspiration
and delivery. Targets have been set and missed; waiting lists have grown longer,
and the most vulnerable people in our society have been left with fewer safe,
affordable places to call home. Technology has a key role to play to address this
situation writes Andrew Lloyd of Search Acumen.

Features

Features

Hoarding and learning from inquests – safeguarding to prevent tragic outcomes

December 12, 2025
Hoarding is a recognised disorder where someone acquires an excessive number of items and stores them in a chaotic manner, usually resulting in unmanageable amounts of clutter. George Riach, Julia Jones, Kate Hicks and Matthew Watts consider the importance of the wide scale issue for local authorities, housing providers and health and care providers. They also offer some practical recommendations…

Natural justice and costs in the Court of Protection

December 12, 2025
A recent case raises questions about the fitness for purpose of a key plank of the costs provisions contained in the Court of Protection Rules. Alex Ruck Keene KC (Hon) analyses the ruling.

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Case study: using enforcement powers for the remediation of buildings

The Government has made funding available, up to £100,000 per building, for local authorities to obtain legal advice on pursuing those responsible for remediating buildings – the Remediation Enforcement Support Fund. (The closing date for local authorities to apply for funding is fast approaching and is currently set for midnight on 28 February 2026.) But how does a local authority effectively…

How Finders International Supports Council Officers

Councils across the UK face a growing number of complex cases involving deceased individuals with no known next of kin, unclaimed estates, and long-term empty properties. These situations demand not only legal precision but also sensitivity, efficiency, and resourcefulness.

Unlocking legal talent

Jonathan Bourne of Damar Training sets out why in-house council teams and law firms should embrace apprenticeships.

Webinars

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Data Centres Enter the NSIP Regime

January 15, 2026
James Goldthorpe and Emyr Thomas explain the UK government facilitating data centre developments through the NSIP regime and how stakeholders, including host local authorities, can prepare.

Promptness in bringing judicial review claims

January 15, 2026
A recent judicial review decision in the Planning Court concerning carbon capture and storage highlights the importance of acting promptly, writes Glyn Lancefield.

Webinars