Partnership and the limits of procedure: prospects for relationships between parents and professionals under the new Public Law Outline

Karen Broadhurst · Kim Holt

42 citations0/0 files storedChild & Family Social Work

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Child Welfare and Adoption Family and Matrimonial Law Legal and Social Justice Studies

Abstract

ABSTRACT April 2008 saw the introduction of a new Public Law Outline (PLO) that aims to improve judicial case management of Public Law Children Act cases. The PLO is a response to concerns about the rising number of care proceedings, associated costs, and the difficulties of achieving case resolution given this volume. Based on an ethos that care proceedings should be avoided wherever possible, the new approach to case management, which places significant emphasis on pre‐proceedings work and the effective engagement of parents, can be seen to reinforce the ‘no order principle’ enshrined in the Children Act (CA) 1989. Focusing specifically on relationships between parents and professionals, this paper provides a critical discussion of the potential of the PLO to further promote consensual practices with parents. Discussion traces the introduction of the concept of partnership within the CA 1989, provides a review of the evidence to‐date of effective partnership working, before considering the prospects for the PLO with respect to parental engagement. A number of key contextual obstacles are highlighted that will inevitably undermine the aspirations of the new outline, and a more general observation is drawn about the limits of procedure in effecting change in complex social issues.

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References

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2013Child-centered approach in the context of the assessment of children in need: Reflections of child protection workers in Estonia 2012Resistant Parents and Child Protection: Knowledge Base, Pointers for Practice and Implications for Policy 2013Partnership by Law? The Pre-Proceedings Process for Families on the Edge of Care Proceedings 2010Advocacy for parents and carers involved with children's services: making a difference to working in partnership?

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