A district court judge in a rural town heard a progress report on a 16-year-old child in care who had recently undergone major neurosurgery, had a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and was due to be transferred to a specialist residential placement in Scotland. The court had previously been told that the cost of placing the child there could exceed €1,000,000 per annum (£23,000 per week).
The Child and Family Agency (CFA) lawyer told the court that the transfer to Scotland had taken place. The judge said he was “impressed to hear all of this has happened, it is incredible”.
The social worker told the CFA lawyer that a High Court special care order had been obtained and validated in the Scottish courts. The child had moved to the specialist facility. The social worker said the move had gone very well, the child had never flown before and had gone straight to their new home. The child had a two-to-one specialist staff ratio, with additional waiting staff, and a GP had been allocated. The child resided in a house alone on facility grounds. The child had met their teacher several times. No self-harming behaviour had been reported. The social worker said the child regarded the move as the start of their new life. In the time they had been there, they had gone ice-skating, shopping and had formed a positive relationship with their key worker.
The social worker said monthly meetings with CFA staff would occur on-line, and child-in-care reviews would be in person. A single incident had happened since the move when a vase had been broken and the child threw shards at staff, but no other incident of concern had occurred. The was told that school would start the following week, with a four-to-one child-to-teacher ratio on site.
The judge asked whether gender dysphoria was being dealt with by the facility. The social worker said the facility was familiar with the child’s profile. The child received support and would start a twelve-week psychological assessment. The social worker stated, “[the child] is a very bright girl or boy, whatever she is identifying as”.
The judge said the child was in the right place, which was important, and congratulated all parties on their efforts. He directed a further review in four months’ time.