Having conducted age assessments across local authority, criminal court, and judicial review contexts - and having reviewed hundreds of assessments written by other practitioners - I've seen first-hand what separates assessments that hold up from those that fall apart under scrutiny. The patterns are remarkably consistent. When assessments are successfully challenged, it's rarely because the court reaches a different view on age. It's almost always because of process failures

A practical guide for social workers conducting Merton-compliant age assessments Age assessments are among the most challenging and consequential tasks undertaken by social workers. When conducted on unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, these assessments determine whether a young person receives vital child protection services or is treated as an adult. The stakes couldn't be higher, and the margin for error is slim. Since the landmark Merton judgment in 2003, the courts ha

Age assessments for unaccompanied minors in the UK are critical but complex, determining access to vital support for vulnerable young...

When local authorities and legal firms conduct age assessments in the UK, one of the most important benchmarks remains the Merton-compliant framework. With changing legislation and increasing scrutiny—especially following the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 and the introduction of the National Age Assessment Board (NAAB)—it's crucial to ensure assessments are conducted lawfully, ethically, and with due care in 2025. But what does it mean to be Merton-compliant in today’s co