Social Services Involvement with a child
Social Services Solicitors
When the Department of Social Care becomes involved in the lives of your children or the lives of the children of your relatives, it can be a stressful time for everyone. Our experienced team of Solicitors That Deal with Social Services in Braford and Keighley can help you with the process, particularly, at the following times.
When the Department of Social Care first become involved:
This may be if your children are considered to be "at risk" for any reason. In the very early stages they might work with your family on what is called a "child in need" basis. Our Social Services Solicitors in Bradford and Keighley can help you understand their expectations and what you need to do to prevent further, more formal steps, being taken.
The Child Protection Conference
A Child Protection Conference might be convened - this is a meeting of several professionals to look at whether or not your child should be made the subject of a Child Protection Plan (CPP). This used to be called being on the "At Risk" Register.
The meetings can be stressful for parents and all family members. Our Social Services Solicitors can support you through the process, giving you advice and, if necessary, attending the meeting with you.
The Public Law Outline (PLO)
Parents are invited to meetings in accordance with the PLO where the Department of Social Care is considering the issuing of care proceedings. It is intended to be a final step before care proceedings are issued. Social Care, should at the meeting, outline what steps a parent can take to prevent proceedings being issued.
You are entitled to have the assistance of a Solicitor That Deals with Social Services at such meetings - you will receive a formal letter informing you of this.
Our Social Services Solicitors can and will attend such meetings to assist you to prevent the issuing of proceedings.
Care Proceedings
Care proceedings are usually issued when the Department of Social Care decides that a child must be removed from the care of the parents. Our Solicitors That Deal With Social Services can help you with the process from beginning to end and help you understand the role of everyone within the care proceedings and complex legal principles such as:
- The meaning of the "Threshold Criteria" - the legal hurdle that Social Care must cross before proceedings can be issued.
- The role of the Children's Guardian.
- The first hearing - Emergency Protection Orders and Interim Care Orders. We will give you clear and realistic legal advice about the best strategy to be adopted and the best time at which proceedings should be contested.
- The role of experts within the proceedings, such as Psychologist, Paediatricians etc.
- The final hearing and all the options and orders that are available to the Court.
Other Types of Orders
There are several other types of order and proceedings that are linked to care proceedings that our child care solicitors can assist with such as:
- Placement Order/ Adoption Applications
- The making of Special Guardianship Orders
- Contact with a child that is already in care
- The discharge of a care order - an application that can only be made at least 6 months after the making of a care order.
If you need further assistance and wish to speak to one of our Social Services Solicitors, do not hesitate to call Williscroft now, for our Bradford Solicitors on 01274 305380, our Keighley Solicitors on 01535 600973 or Email Us.
