NHS South East London Integrated Care Board v AB & Anor [2024] EWCOP 28

Final hearing concerning the living arrangements and best interests of AB and whether there should be further attempts for her to live with her mother, M

It was common ground that AB required full time care and there had been two failed attempts for AB to  live with M with the help of carers. The first trial stopped after seven months in part because M failed to establish good working relations with the carers. The second attempt failed when a care worker said she now longer wished to work with M after which M decided she no longer wished to pursue care at home, even though the agency involved was prepared to find another carer, as AB now needed stability.

The purpose of this judgment then is to "record, in accessible format, the circumstances in which the position has been reached that no further attempts are required to return AB to living with her mother, M". HHJ Hilder also adds at [34]   

"having been her choice to end the second attempt to trial home care, it is also reasonable that M understands that she cannot expect unlimited, repeated exertions. The Court does not expect from the public bodies any further attempt to trial AB’s return to living with M."

Read the judgment on the National Archive