Overview

The Public Law Outline (PLO), which will replace the current Protocol for managing care cases, and revised statutory guidance to assist local authorities in preparing applications, are to be introduced from April 2008. Together they aim to reduce unnecessary delay and put the child at the heart of care proceedings by promoting better co-operation between all the parties involved. Training to support the introduction of the PLO and local authority guidance is taking place in England and Wales throughout February and March. There are currently around 14,000 applications for care and supervision orders made annually and whilst there is an element of purposeful delay in some cases, the majority of cases would produce better outcomes for the child if delay could be reduced from current levels.

For implementation of the new procedures to be successful and the desired outcome to be achieved, a change of culture and a sense of interagency working needs to be engendered amongst those proffesionals who work with vulnerable children and their families.

The training courses will be delivered through 25 inter-disciplinary seminars across England & Wales and is targeted at social workers, local authority legal advisers, legal practitioners, family court staff and Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru staff. The seminars will be delivered by experienced family legal and social work experts and will equip attendees with the necessary skills and knowledge they will require to be able to cascade the training to their peers and colleagues.

Places at the seminars are offered free to representatives of the various agencies involved in child care proceedings and interested individuals are encouraged to register their intererest now. A number of places are also available to book for a fee which will attract CPD accreditation from the Law Society, Bar Council and Institute of Legal Executives. Upon completion delegates will be ready to deliver the training and be provided with the relevant training materials including audio visual presentations.