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20th August 2009 - Celtic Knot supports BASW's call for a College of Social Work to be led by Social Workers and encourages social workers to sign the online petition.
23rd July 2009 - Allan Norman spoke at the Birmingham launch of the Fabian Society/Joseph Rowntree Foundation publication, Understanding Public Attitudes to Tackling Economic Inequality. The event report is here.
15th July 2009 - a former social work student represented by Celtic Knot has been restored to the social care register following a successful appeal to the Care Standards Tribunal. More information is in our Press Release.
14th July 2009 - we have discovered there is an alternative design for our website available online. Do you prefer it? Let us know!
22nd June 2009 - our blog and subsequent forum post on the question, 'Should a conviction for conspiracy to murder bar you from social work' have generated a very healthy response. Community Care invites you to vote on the issue, on its home page.
17th June 2009 - the Court of Appeal yesterday ended the stay preventing publication of the judgment in Bath & North East Somerset Council v A Mother & Ors [2008] EWHC B10 (Fam) (22 December 2008) in which we acted for newly qualified 'Social Worker C'.
Read our commentaries under the headings Murder and mayhem in the world of social work and Getting that Care Order - Ends do not justify Means.
7th May 2009 - Celtic Knot is a contributor to the Ministry of Justice research report, Access to Justice: a review of existing evidence of the experiences of minority groups based on ethnicity, identity and sexuality, which was published this week.
Blog entry published 1st February 2009 - Got a social worker? You'll need an advocate then ...Now, it appears, we must not advocate for our service users...
28th January 2009 - Mike Wardle, GSCC Chief Executive, responds to our criticisms of the GSCC conduct system. Read our comments in context. Here is Community Care's report, which includes the GSCC's response.
On 21st January 2009, the House of Lords ruled that the POVA/POCA system of provisional listing of social care workers was incompatible with their human rights. You can read our commentary on the case here.
8th January 2009 - we are pleased to announce the winner of our online law-of-social-work quiz Quizblawg is Nick Pike, Director of Studies Social Work at Gloucestershire University, who wins a John Lewis hamper courtesy of Community Care. Nick achieved a score of 43/45 in just over 45 minutes. Well done! The quiz raised over £800 for the Social Workers' Benevolent Trust.
On 11th December 2008, Celtic Knot received a mention in Parliament in a debate on the fallout from the tragic death of Baby P.
On 10th December 2008, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights had its 60th anniversary. Our reflections are available here under the title 'Happy Birthday, Human Rights!'
Blog entry published 6th December 2008 - commentary on S. AND MARPER v. THE UNITED KINGDOM - 30562/04 [2008] ECHR 1581 (4 December 2008).

A nail in the coffin for universal databases? ...Now, I would like to think that the conclusions of this case are a nail in the coffin of other databases, in particular that associated with ID cards, and the universal children's database...
On 1st December 2008 we launched Quizblawg, the online multiple choice law-of-social-work PRTL prize quiz to raise funds for the Social Workers' Benevolent Trust.
Blog entry published 30th November 2008 - commentary on  Peters v East Midlands Strategic Health Authority & Ors [2008] EWHC 778 (QB) (12 May 2008) and AK v Central & North West London Mental Health NHS Trust & Anor [2008] EWHC 1217 (QB) (30 May 2008).

Social Care, Compensation and the Archon of Athens Two recent developments in the field of social care can be said to share a characteristic that they extend the scope of available compensation...
Baby P: is the Integrated Childrens' System part of the solution or part of the problem? Our reflections are in the Comment Article “Social workers cannot be out seeing families while they are in the office inputting data.” published in Family Law Week 24th November 2008 jointly with John Hemming MP and Professor Sue White. 
Blog entry published 23rd October 2008 - commentary on Re H (a child) [2008] EWCA Civ (25 September 2008).

Respecting the child's wishes So, you are satisfied that the child is likely to suffer significant harm, and that a care order is appropriate. Inconveniently...
Blog entry published 15th October 2008 - commentary on Forbes v General Social Care Council [2008] EWCST 1267(SW) (03 October 2008) .

Another child at risk, another scapegoat? I had a sense of déjà vu as I read the decision of the Care Standards Tribunal in the appeal of Tricia Forbes...
On 8th October 2008, we were at the BASW England Conference 'Ethical and Effective Practice' in Derby. Our reflections are available here under the title 'Social Worker - an unwanted job title?'
Blog entry published 27th September 2008 - This week, the UK Government finally announced it is to begin the process of lifting the Reservations it put in place when signing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child... Continue reading Every Child - without any Reservation - Matters
On 25th September 2008, we were at the event 'Believe in me!' at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, on social work's portrayal in the media. Our report is available here under the title 'Believe in me! ...The Tide is Turning'
Debt leaflet series published 23rd September 2008. This series of 8 leaflets is aimed at supporting those in debt through the process of securing debt advice, and understanding and managing the debt advice process. Created by Celtic Knot's Allan Norman, and funded by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, the leaflets are freely available. © Celtic Knot, Birmingham Law Centre and the University of Salford.
Blog entry published 18th September 2008 - commentary on London Borough of Lewisham v Malcolm [2008] UKHL 43 (25 June 2008).

Mauling the guide dog: disability discrimination revisited I've written before about the dog in the night-time. The dog in the day-time is proving curious too. It features in a most surprising way in the judgement of the House of Lords...
Blog entry published 5th September 2008 - commentary on Anwar, Re Possible Contempt Of Court [2008] ScotHC HCJAC_36 (01 July 2008).

I'm still allowed to blog! Therefore, since law itself is perfect wrong/ How can the law forbid my tongue to curse? Shakespeare, King John, Act III, Scene I
Blog entry published 27th August 2008 - Children's Databases, Lost Datasticks, and 'Informational' Social Work
See our contributions on 14th & 15th August 2008 to the CareSpace Forum on honesty and harm in social work practice.
August 2008 - we now have our own moodle area, a virtual learning enrironment, where online learning resources can be accessed.
The final seminar in our current seminar programme - 'Can I? Should I? Must I?' is on charging for services on 10th September 2008. See our blog entry on the artwork for the series published 15th August 2008.
Blog entry published 7th August 2008 - commentary on M, R (On The Application of) v Slough Borough Council [2008] UKHL 52 (30 July 2008).

Sick asylum seekers: Somebody Else's Problem ...asylum seekers who are sick, or vulnerable for other reasons are the responsibility of statutory social services authorities, while those who are not are the responsibility of the Home Office. Or so we thought for the last decade...
'Outsourcing Abuse' - published 14th July 2008, by Birnberg Pierce, Medical Justice & NCADC. See also our blog entry on 15th July 2008.
Blog entry published 14th July 2008 - Destitution at Mornington Crescent

Having heard argument from Slough on 9th and 10th June, on social work's duties to destitute and ill failed asylum seekers, the House of Lords is due to play 'Destitution at Mornington Crescent' in the next few days... 
Blog entry published 24th June 2008 - commentary on B (Children), Re [2008] UKHL 35 (11 June 2008).

Mediaeval trial by ordeal for child protection social workers? "If we don't intervene, we don't know what we might find!" My discussion with the students was taking an interesting turn...
Blog entry published 9th June 2008 - commentary on LA v General Social Care Council [2007] EWCST 985(SW) (2 June 2008).

Who won Lisa Arthurworrey's appeal? Who will be pleased by the decision of the Care Standards Tribunal on Lisa Arthurworrey's registration?
Article published May 2008 in Professional Social Work - Can I? Should I? Must I? ...take this child into care