The Child in Court

This page contains Guidance and Regulations on the court-related aspects of the 1989 Children Act

Children Act Guidance and Regulations.  Vol 1: Court Orders (DCSF 2008)
Chapter 3 (pp 28 - 48) Covers Care and Supervision Orders
Chapter 4 (pp 49 - 65) Covers the Protection of Children
Chapter 5 (pp 69 - 93) Covers Secure Accommodation
Annex 1 is the Letter Before Proceedings Template
Annex 2/3 are the Public Law Outline and Flowcharts

Preparing for Care and Supervision Proceedings
A best practice guide for use by all professionals.  Produced by the Care Proceedings Programme, Ministry of Justice (2009).

Briefing note (Ministry of Justice 2010)
Recent revisions made to the PLO

Guidelines for Judges meeting children subject to Family Proceedings
Produced by the Family Justice Council

Using Family Group Conferences for children who are, or may become, subject to public law proceedings
Developed by Family Rights Group in consultation with the Family Group Conference Network (2008)

Local guidance promotes good practice in court related social work

Care Planning and the Public Law Outline (Revised April 2010)
Takes account of the recent PLO revision

The Checklist for Legal Strategy Meeting provides the framework for agreeing a legal strategy

The Legal Strategy Meeting Agenda provides a standard agenda for legal strategy meetings

Finding Kinship Support for Children on the Edge of Care sets out a framework for identifying and supporting kinship care


family


Legal briefing and de-briefing (PDF, 42Kb)
Placement with Parents Regulations 1991 (PDF, 152Kb)

Specific Children Act orders:
family



Guidance about Section 7 of the Children Act (PDF, 69Kb)
Guidance about Family Assistance Orders (PDF, 31Kb)
Guidance about Secure Accommodation Orders (PDF, 51Kb)
Protocol for the preparation of Section 7 and Section 37 reports (PDF, 55Kb) sets out the framework for working with Cafcass and Suffolk Family Courts.