What is a Public Law Outline (PLO) meeting?
When social services become concerned about the care, safety, and/or welfare of a child there are steps that they must take to safeguard that child.
A Public Law Outline meeting is part of a procedure that takes place when social services have identified there to be issues with a child’s welfare, but they believe that an agreement can be arranged with the parents to improve this. They then invite the parents, or those that have parental responsibility, to a Public Law Outline meeting.
Before a Public Law Outline Meeting
The local authority will initially send a ‘Letter before Proceedings’ to those that have parental responsibility (PR). The letter will set out the local authority’s concerns and invite the parents to attend a PLO meeting. Attached to the letter will also be a list of local child and family law lawyers to assist parents with finding legal representation ahead of the meeting.
It is important you seek legal advice before attending the Public Law Outline meeting. Having the correct legal advice will help guide you through each stage of the process and also help you demonstrate how you will make any necessary changes to improve the care your child is receiving. This level of support will not only make the PLO meeting easier but may also prevent formal care proceedings from starting.
During the Public Law Outline meeting
During the initial PLO meeting, the social worker will address their concerns and reasons for these. The parents or their legal representative, if they prefer, will have a chance to respond to these concerns and ask questions if necessary.
The social worker will also create a Schedule of Expectations (SOE). The schedule is essentially an agreement detailing what the parents can expect the social worker to do during the PLO process, as well as a list of things that the parents will be expected to adhere to. For example, the social worker may be expected to conduct a parenting assessment, and the parents will be expected to fully engage in the assessment process.
Throughout the proceedings, parents can expect to participate in various courses to either strengthen their parenting abilities, gain a wider understanding of domestic abuse, and/or seek medical expert assistance through their social worker and legal team.
Timelines and Outcomes
The Public Law Outline process should be no longer than 16 weeks, however, each case is different and so will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
At the end of the process, there will be a final Public Law Outline meeting where the local authority will explain the outcome of the proceedings.
There are various potential outcomes:
- End the Public Law Outline process completely – If sufficient progress has been maintained, and the parents have put in the work to alleviate the local authority’s concerns, the local authority may decide to no longer consider care proceedings, and the PLO process will end.
- End the Public Law Outline process subject to further monitoring – The local authority may wish to monitor the family via a Child Protection Plan to ensure they are maintaining their progress, and a Child in Need Plan will replace the social worker’s direct involvement.
- Extend the Public Law Outline process – If the local authority believes further progress can be made by extending the proceedings, they may wish to do so. The local authority must ensure that they do not exceed the 16-week time frame.
- Care proceedings – If the local authority’s initial concerns remain the same or progressively get worse, they may issue an application to the family court.
Can you claim Legal Aid?
Legal aid is automatically available to parents of the children, or anyone who has parental responsibility in these circumstances. You will need to provide your legal team with a copy of your initial Public Law Outline letter and provide them with details to complete a legal help form.
Next steps
If you have received a Letter before proceedings and require legal representation, please contact our experienced care team in Plymouth at GA Solicitors. Call 01752 203500 or email enquiries@GAsolicitors.com.
GA Solicitors in Plymouth has a highly regarded family law team that is ranked in both Chambers UK and The Legal 500.
You can also read our recent article about Fact Finding Hearings here.
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