Hannah is a solicitor in the social welfare department at TV Edwards. She joined the team as a paralegal in 2016, having previously volunteered at the Disability Law Service and Just for Kids Law. During her time as a paralegal and trainee at TV Edwards she carried out work in housing (including defending claims for possession and homelessness appeals) and community care (including challenging Care Act assessments and decisions made under the Children Act). She qualified as a solicitor in September 2019.
Hannah’s practice now encompasses Court of Protection (health and welfare), community care and complementary housing work. In her Court of Protection cases she receives instructions from the Official Solicitor, professional advocates and family members in proceedings relating to best interests, capacity disputes and challenges to deprivations of liberty under section 21A of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Hannah is an Accredited Legal Representative, meaning she can be appointed directly by the Court of Protection to act for clients who may or do lack capacity to conduct court proceedings themselves, without the client needing to have a litigation friend.
Hannah is on the executive committee of Junior HLPA (Housing Law Practitioners Association).
Examples of Recent Cases:
Court of Protection
- Hannah acted for a client in Court of Protection proceedings relating to the client’s son after he was moved to a placement several hours away from the family home. As a result of this case, the client’s son moved much closer to the client, meaning he could again have regular contact with his family.
- Representing the family member of someone with dementia and substance misuse issues who was going to be discharged from hospital to unsuitable accommodation, Hannah made an urgent application to the Court of Protection. This prevented the client’s loved-one from being discharged into potentially unsafe circumstances. At the conclusion of the case, the family member had obtained a suitable care home placement near Hannah’s client.
- A professional advocate instructed Hannah to challenge the circumstances of a client’s deprivation of liberty in a care home where he was mostly restricted to the ward. After careful care and transition planning the client was able to move to a supported living placement, where he had much greater freedoms and regular access to the community.
- Hannah’s client wanted her son to move back to the family home after living in institutional settings for several years. Hannah assisted her to make an application to challenge the client’s son’s deprivation of liberty. Through the course of the proceedings, Hannah’s client obtained a substantial care package for her son, meaning he could return to live with his family.
- Hannah acted for a client with dementia in Court of Protection proceedings concerning safeguarding issues and best interests disputes concerning care, residence and contact.
Housing
- Hannah represented a tenant with undiagnosed Korsakoff’s dementia whose landlord was seeking to evict him due to allegations of anti-social behaviour. Expert evidence confirmed that the tenant was very vulnerable and was likely being ‘cuckooed’, rather than causing the behaviour alleged. Alongside the possession proceedings Hannah acted for the client in his community care matters; following correspondence under the judicial review pre-action protocol the local authority’s adult social care department concluded that the tenant had extensive care needs and they sourced a suitable care home placement for him, where he has been able to receive regular visits from family and friends.
- A client with physical and mental health issues was at risk of becoming unwell as a result of living in unsuitable accommodation. Hannah successfully reviewed the local authority’s decision not to award them any priority on the housing register; after obtaining expert evidence and making submissions the local authority accepted that the tenant’s health was at risk and that they should be awarded additional priority, meaning they would be able to move to better accommodation as soon as possible.
- Instructed by the Official Solicitor, Hannah acted for a client with a learning disability whose landlord was seeking an anti-social behaviour injunction against him. Hannah secured evidence from an expert confirming that the client lacked capacity to conduct the proceedings and comply with the terms of the injunction sought. At a contested hearing the court ordered that the landlord’s application for an injunction was dismissed.
Human Rights
- Hannah has experience bringing cases involving potential claims for damages under the Human Rights Act for clients who may have been unlawfully deprived of their liberty
