Safeguards for Young Minds: Young People and Protective Legislation

Now in its second edition, this key title is concerned with the law in England and Wales as it applies to protecting the interests, health, safety and welfare of children and adolescents. The authors have provided a slim, up-to-date and easily readable handbook or summary of the most important legislative provisions that apply to safeguarding children and young people. The text has been thoroughly revised and updated. Since the first edition was published, the Human Rights Act 1998 has become law in the UK. Therefore, Safeguards for Young Minds now includes a brief overview of that Act. The core of this book is a summary of the Children Act 1989, the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Code of Practice to the Mental Health Act. A series of chapters covers application of the Mental Health Act 1983 to younger people, based on material developed from the Royal College of Psychiatrists' popular section 12(2) training courses. Also explained are amendments to the Children Act 1989 consequent on legal judgments and recent legislation, such as the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and the Adoption and Children Act 2002. Key chapters provide an updated account of matters relating to consent given by or on behalf of minors, and there are important additions on new procedures for courts in England and Wales to follow when appointing and briefing experts and about what is required of them. This new edition will meet the needs of child and adolescent psychiatrists who are training for approval under section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act 1983. It is also appropriate for social workers who are training as ASWs as it is directly relevant to assessing and managing young people under the age of 18.

• Suitable for the day-to-day needs of all practitioners who work with children and young people.
• Ideal for psychiatrists in training for section 12(2) approval.
• Valuable for approved social worker training.
• Recent case and statute law described and explained.
• Issues of consent and capacity, and work with courts, covered in detail.

Contents The authors
Preface
Acknowledgements

1. An overview of the Human Rights Act 1998.
2. An overview of the Children Act 1989.
3. Private law orders in the Children Act 1989.
4. Public law orders in the Children Act 1989.
5. Orders in the Children Act 1989 for protecting children.
6. Consent to assessment, examination and treatment.
7. Admission of minors to hospital.
8. Restricting liberty under the Children Act 1989.
9. Restricting liberty under the Mental Health Act 1983.
10. Choosing between alternative legal frameworks.
11. Placements, after-care and other services.
12. Wardship and the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court.
13. Special educational needs.
14. Complaints procedures.
15. Work in the courts.

Further reading
Bibliography
Index