Public Law Outline

Public Law Outline is sometimes called 'PLO' or 'pre-proceedings'. It is a legal process that happens when social care is extremely worries about a child's safety.

Public Law Outline means the social work team have been given legal advice that the worries for a child are so high that they may need to ask a court how to keep a child safe.

More work and assessments are needed to better understand what could help a family. There is hope that with a lot of support a family can make things safer and they won't need to go to court.

It is important that during this legal process, the family think about other family or friends who could be able to support them and their children.

This should include taking part in a Family Group Conference.

The start of Public Law Outline

Parents will receive a letter from their social work team which explains:

what the social worker is worried about
examples of times when these worries have been evidenced
what the social worker thinks needs to happen next to make things safer.

It includes:

details of different solicitors the family can use
details of the Public Law Outline meeting.

The letter will ask the family to share details of any family or friends who could help them make things safer for the child.

Parents, with their solicitor, will attend the Public Law Outline meeting with the social work team and the local authority's solicitor. They will talk about what was written in the letter, and agree a plan for different support or assessments to try and make changes and understand the family’s situation better.

The meeting will always aim to include the wider family in a plan of support.

Legal advice

Parents are encouraged to share this letter with a solicitor of their choice, to receive legal advice and representation. They can talk to a solicitor about whether they agree or disagree with what the letter says, and what they think might help them to make changes.

Families do not need to pay for this legal advice and it is independent of the local authority.

If parents do not appoint a solicitor or attend the meeting, the social work team and their solicitor may decide they need to go to court.

During Public Law Outline

The social work team and the family will follow the plan agreed in the Public Law Outline meeting.

This may include:

different visits and meetings
assessments or work between the family and professionals
following an agreed safety plan at home
if parents agree, meetings with other family members to discuss how they can help.

It is important that everyone talks about any other family members who could look after the child if the parents cannot make the changes needed. This may include family members taking part in their own assessments.

The Child Protection Plan will continue during this time, and there should still be Core Group Meetings and Review Conferences.

Ending Public Law Outline

Public Law Outline should last approximately 12 weeks, but sometimes it is shorter or longer.

There will be a final review meeting and if things have got better then Public Law Outline will end. If this happens, the parents' solicitor will stop being involved, but the social work team will continue to support the family to keep positive changes going, under a Child Protection or Child in Need Plan.

If things do not get better, the social work team may decide they need to ask a court on how the child should be kept safe. This is called 'Court Proceedings'.

This may happen before the final review meeting, if there are more worries, or things happen that mean the child isn't safe in the immediate future.

If the decision is made to start Court Proceedings, the social work team and the local authority solicitors will let the parents and their solicitor know.

Parents will continue to have free legal advice throughout the Court Proceedings.