Care proceeding reforms: a new approach

Care Proceedings Review Team, Department for Children, Schools and Families. Delays in public law Children Act cases, involving some of the most vulnerable children in our society, sit uncomfortably with the 'welfare of the child' principle. A number of proposals to improve the system for children and families were announced in the Review of Child Care Proceedings System in England and Wales, published in May 2006.

This article sets out the key recommendations of the review and explains what is being done to implement the proposed improvements, including an examination of the core features of the Public Law Outline, which will replace the Protocol for Judicial Case Management in Public Law Children Act Cases [2003] 2 FLR 719. The intention and expectation is that the new system will lead to a speedier resolution of cases in the future but success does rely on all agencies committing to the new procedures and the closer and more collaborative working this involves.

For the full article see August [2007] Fam Law.

Read the full article here.