High Court rejects Ofsted attempt to force UK’s only evangelical Christian fostering agency to abandon religious ethos
from The Christian Institute:
The High Court has ruled that England’s only evangelical Christian fostering agency, based in the north-east, can continue to work only with evangelical Christian carers – a judgment that confirms the freedom of Christian organisations to provide activities in line with their statement of faith.
It vindicates the decision by Cornerstone (North East), a small, independent adoption and fostering agency, to take legal action against Government regulator Ofsted over a highly controversial inspection report demanding that the agency abandon its religious ethos.
The judicial review of Ofsted’s actions was heard in the High Court sitting at Leeds on 6 May 2020. Lawyers from both sides presented their arguments by video link alongside written submissions.
The legal action followed an Ofsted inspection last year. Despite previously being rated “Good” in all areas, the report issued in June 2019 downgraded Cornerstone’s fostering work to “Requires Improvement”.
It accused the evangelical Christian charity of unlawful discrimination because it only recruits evangelical Christian carers.
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