London Borough of Barnet v X & Ors

Facts

These were care proceedings brought by the London Borough of Barnet in respect of Z, a girl aged 10 and a half, and her older brother Y, aged 17. The family had been known to Barnet Children's Services since 2016 following concerns about domestic abuse, drug use and the father's criminality. A referral followed a police raid at the family home in November 2024, at which substantial quantities of class A and B drugs, drug paraphernalia, a firearm, ammunition, a Samurai sword and a butterfly knife were found in areas accessible to the children; Z was present. Later that month both children were accommodated under section 20 of the Children Act 1989 and placed with their maternal grandmother, who then lived with the maternal grandfather, Mr X. Pre-proceedings began in February 2025 and the local authority applied for a care order in August 2025. An interim care order was made for Z in September 2025 and an interim supervision order for Y in October 2025. At a hearing in February 2026 His Honour Judge Jones found threshold met and made a final care order for Y, with a plan for him to live with Mr X. Mr X, joined as a party, sought to care for Z as well; the parents supported him. The local authority and the Children's Guardian sought a final care order with a plan of long-term foster care.