Petition · past parliament · Department for Education
Limit when welfare assessments under the Children Act 1989 can be conducted
Closed
36 signatures
What the petition asks
Local authority enquiries into a child’s welfare can be triggered by a single referral, and can involve medical assessments which can be distressing to the children. We believe these assessments should only be allowed where a local authority has received referrals from at least two clinicians.
Reforming Section 47 of the Children Act 1989 to limit when assessments of children can be conducted would help ensure that unnecessary assessments, which can be upsetting and traumatic to children, do not happen.
Timeline
| 25 Feb 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 25 Aug 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
36
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Education
Opened
25 Feb 2021
Closed
25 Aug 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.