Children Act 1989 – accommodation
Under Part III Children Act 1989 a local authority could make an offer to give financial assistance for a family to return to a country from where they had come and where it believed that the needs of the child would be best met. However if the offer was declined it was wrong for the local authority to withdraw or threaten to withdraw all further assistance for the child. The local authority could not limit its powers under s 17 Children Act 1989 by refusing to provide any services for a child in need unless the child’s mother agrees to take steps which the local authority considers to be in the best interests of the children.