The Children’s Commissioner for England has published a report detailing the experiences of children with complex needs who have been deprived of their liberty. Interviews were carried out with 15 children with experience of living under a Deprivation of Liberty (DoL) order. Key themes include: all children had experienced significant instability and struggled to get appropriate support before a DoL order was put in place; most children felt there were limited opportunities to have their voices heard and be involved in decisions while living under the order; and most children were in solo placements and were socially isolated. Recommendations include that all children deprived of their liberty should benefit from a statutory framework guaranteeing their rights and setting out the responsibilities of others to promote their welfare.
Read the report: Children with complex needs who are deprived of liberty: interviews with children to understand their experiences of being deprived of their liberty