Grandmother keeps children in her care

A local authority was seeking to remove children from their Grandmother’s care.  The Grandmother, from West Sussex, instructed Helen Fitzsimons who successfully secured the Grandmother party status, obtaining an interim child arrangements order and securing the Grandmother parental responsibility.  As such the Grandmother is now entitled to legal aid and will be represented throughout the remainder of the care proceedings.  The Local Authority had refused any further assessment of the Grandmother but we were able to secure an Order that a full Special Guardianship Assessment be undertaken at the Local Authority’s expense.  The Grandmother is delighted and said ‘I am delighted with the representation received from Helen Fitzsimons; everything was clearly explained and efficiently dealt with’.