A father has won his appeal against a judge’s decision to place his daughter under a supervision order for three years.

The case involved a three-year-old girl. The ability of her parents to provide proper care was not in doubt but she was thought to be at risk from her maternal grandmother’s partner who had a history of committing sexual offences. It was not disputed that he was likely to pose a threat until the girl was able to protect herself. With this in mind the County Court awarded the local council a three-year supervision order.

However, the Court of Appeal overturned that decision and ruled that three years protection could only be provided by making two orders. The first order could be for a maximum of 12 months followed by a second order extending the period by another two years.