SYP (A Child) (Extension of Supervision order and Child Arrangements Order), Re

Facts

SYP was born in April 2018 and is eight years old. She lives under shared care arrangements with her parents, SAO (her mother, who is Chinese and has had an interpreter throughout) and EZE (her father, who is named on her birth certificate and holds parental responsibility). SYP has been the subject of a supervision order in favour of Gateshead Council since 20 January 2025, when earlier public law proceedings concluded; she has been the subject of five sets of proceedings, both private and public law, over some six years. A prohibited steps order restricting the mother's ability to remove SYP from the jurisdiction had been made in earlier private law proceedings and was expressed to last until further order. On 18 December 2025 the local authority applied to extend the supervision order for 12 months, and on 16 January 2026 the order was extended to the end of the final hearing. The disputed matters at the final hearing, held on 27 and 28 July 2026 before District Judge Dodsworth, concerned SYP's living arrangements, the form of the child arrangements order, and whether the prohibited steps order should be widened to prevent removal from the North East of England. The mother sought a live with/live with order and a week on/week off arrangement; the local authority, father and Children's Guardian sought a live with father/spend time with mother order.