Home » Case law » Local authorities, care orders, consent and deprivation of liberty: J v Bath and North East Somerset Council & Ors [2025] EWCA Civ 478

Local authorities, care orders, consent and deprivation of liberty: J v Bath and North East Somerset Council & Ors [2025] EWCA Civ 478

Case Date: 29 April 2025

Publication Date: 7 May 2025

Photo: Kirill Gorlov/Adobe Stock

Introduction

By Tim Spencer-Lane The relevant legal framework applies in England and Wales, and therefore this case is relevant for practitioners in both countries. Introduction This Court of Appeal decision considered the vitally important issue of consent and deprivation of liberty. Specifically, it looked at whether a local authority can, in the exercise of its “corporate” […]

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Title *
Local authorities, care orders, consent and deprivation of liberty: J v Bath and North East Somerset Council & Ors [2025] EWCA Civ 478

Date *
12-05-2025 (dd-mm-yyyy)

Learning or development activity, resource or URL
https://adults.ccinform.co.uk/case-law/local-authorities-care-orders-consent-and-deprivation-of-liberty-j-v-bath-and-north-east-somerset-council-ors-2025-ewca-civ-478/

Learning

Use the boxes below to record what you have learned from this activity. The form below replicates that used by Social Work England in your online account, so that when you need to renew your registration each year, you can easily transfer examples of CPD. Everything you write will be stored in your My CPD log on CC Inform. You can return to each piece of CPD and edit or add to it at any time - for example, if you reflect on it with a peer. You can export all the information as a Word file and copy it into Social Work England's form for the pieces you choose to submit during renewal, and print it off for other uses - for example, in supervision or peer reflection.

1. Describe what you have learnt from doing this CPD activity. (Social Work England recommend that you write 250-500 words, and they say that you may want to refer to the CPD standard 4.1-4.8 - see below.)

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2. Reflect on and describe the positive impact the CPD has had (or will have) on your practice and the people you work with.

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Social Work England say: "Peer reflection means that you have discussed the content of your CPD activity with a peer, your manager or another professional.

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4. Which parts of the CPD standard have you met by doing this activity? By going through the recording process, you will automatically meet standards 4.6 and 4.7. You can use the box below to note the other standards you have met with this piece.

4.1 Incorporate feedback from a range of sources, including from people with lived experience of my social work practice.
4.2 Use supervision and feedback to critically reflect on, and identify my learning needs, including how I use research and evidence to inform my practice.
4.3 Keep my practice up to date and record how I use research, theories and frameworks to inform my practice and my professional judgement.
4.4 Demonstrate good subject knowledge on key aspects of social work practice and develop knowledge of current issues in society and social policies impacting on social work.
4.5 Contribute to an open and creative learning culture in the workplace to discuss, reflect on and share best practice.
4.6 Reflect on my learning activities and evidence what impact continuing professional development has on the quality of my practice.
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4.8 Reflect on my own values and challenge the impact they have on my practice.

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Add item to CPD Log (SCW)

Title * Local authorities, care orders, consent and deprivation of liberty: J v Bath and North East Somerset Council & Ors [2025] EWCA Civ 478

Date * 12-05-2025 (dd-mm-yyyy)

URL https://adults.ccinform.co.uk/case-law/local-authorities-care-orders-consent-and-deprivation-of-liberty-j-v-bath-and-north-east-somerset-council-ors-2025-ewca-civ-478/

Learning Use the boxes below to record what you have learned from this activity. Everything you write will be stored in your Inform account and you can export all the information as a Word file or print it off. When you have to renew your social work registration with Social Care Wales, you can include this as evidence of continuing professional development.

1. What have you learned from this activity?

2. How has it contributed to your practice?

3. How much time have you spent on this activity?

4. Next steps (any additional learning you need in this area)?

For more details, visit Social Care Wales

Citation

Full Harvard reference for this document:

Spencer-Lane, T (2025) Local authorities, care orders, consent and deprivation of liberty: J v Bath and North East Somerset Council & Ors [2025] EWCA Civ 478. Case Law.
Community Care Inform
[online]
https://adults.ccinform.co.uk/case-law/local-authorities-care-orders-consent-and-deprivation-of-liberty-j-v-bath-and-north-east-somerset-council-ors-2025-ewca-civ-478/
[accessed: 12 May 2025]

If you are directly quoting the author's own words from this document you must acknowledge that they are not your own words by putting them within quotes marks, reference the source in the text and then provide the full reference at the end of the document. For example:

In the text: Baim argues that "understanding adult attachment patterns can also help practitioners to more readily identify the behaviour patterns that the client uses to maintain safety and comfort and which also, in some cases, serve to keep the client stuck in behaviour that no longer serves them as adults". (Baim, 2015)

Full reference to insert at the bottom of the document: Baim, C. (2015) Using attachment theory to work with adults, Guide. Community Care Inform Adults [online]. Available at: https://adults.ccinform.co.uk/guides/guide-using-attachment-theory-work-adults/ [accessed: INSERT DATE HERE (eg 9 October 2015)]

Local authorities, care orders, consent and deprivation of liberty: J v Bath and North East Somerset Council & Ors [2025] EWCA Civ 478

Introduction

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