Deprivation of liberty: Joint working with young people aged 16 and 17 years
Deprivation of liberty: Joint working with young people aged 16 and 17 years
Delivered online using Teams
12:00 - 13:30 Thursday, 11 February 2027
The UK Supreme Court's landmark judgment in A Reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland [2026] UKSC 16 (AGNI) marked a fundamental shift in the legal understanding of deprivation of liberty. The ruling overturned Cheshire West and replacing the acid test with a more nuanced, multi-factorial approach to determining whether a person is deprived of their liberty.
The implications are significant for 16 and 17-year-olds, where questions of age, maturity, disability, family life, parental responsibility, transition planning and human rights often intersect. For practitioners working across Children’s and Adult Services, AGNI raises important questions about how restrictive care arrangements should be assessed, planned and reviewed.
Join Alex Ruck Keene KC (Hon), barrister at 39 Essex Chambers and Professor of Practice at King's College London, for a webinar exploring the implications of AGNI for social care practice with 16 and 17-year-olds. The session will examine the key themes emerging from the judgment, consider their application in practice, and explore the respective roles and responsibilities of children's and adults' practitioners in supporting lawful, rights-based decision-making.
Alex Ruck Keene KC (Hon) is both an academic and a leading barrister specialising in mental capacity and human rights law, known for his influential work in deprivation of liberty across health and social care.
The session is suitable for practitioners, practice educators, managers, commissioners, and professionals across a range of roles in children and families and adult social care seeking to stay current with legal and policy developments.
This event is a webinar.
A webinar is a facilitator-led online seminar that explores key topics and insights.
Audience Types
Commissioners
People with lived experience and their families
Policy makers
Practitioners
Principal Social Worker (PSW)
Residential / care home workers
Senior leaders
Senior practitioners
Social workers
Strategic leads
Team leaders
Workforce development teams
Professional Standards
PQS:KSS - Analysis, decision-making, planning and review | The law and the family and youth justice systems | Developing excellent practitioners | Emotionally intelligent practice supervision | Performance management and improvement | Shaping and influencing the practice system | Lead and govern excellent practice | Developing excellent practitioners | Support effective decision-making | The role of social workers | Mental capacity | Safeguarding | Direct work with individuals and families | Supervision, critical analysis and reflection | Influencing and governing practice excellence within the organisation and community | Developing confident and capable social workers | Assuring good social work practice and development | Promoting and supporting critical analysis and decision-making
CQC - Safe | Effective | Responsive
PCF - Rights, justice and economic wellbeing | Knowledge | Critical reflection and analysis | Intervention and skills
From Cheshire West to the Northern Ireland Reference – what now for social care?
On 2 June 2026, the UK Supreme Court handed down a landmark judgment. We outline the immediate and significant impact for practitioners across social care and health.
Responding to policy, legislation and key case law in adult social care
Join a webinar with Dr Alex Cisneros, a barrister at 39 Essex Chambers, and Turan Hursit, a barrister at Old Square Chambers, who will provide an overview of key case law, legislative changes and policy developments shaping adult social care.