29 Care Proceedings
1 Introduction
This leaflet outlines your legal position if social services are concerned about your child’s welfare and are considering care proceedings. The leaflet is written mainly for parents and carers, but the information in it is also for other people, including other family members, who are involved in the welfare of a child and may become involved in care proceedings. It explains:
Download Care Proceedings (PDF File 311kb)
To download a PDF version of this leaflet click on the PDF icon above. PDF files require you to have a copy of Acrobat® Reader in order to be able to read them. This piece of software is freely available from the download pages on Adobe's web site.
There is information on:
2. Who can make decisions about my child´s care?
3. Why would social services get involved in my child´s care?
4. What happens when social services start care proceedings?
5. What happens at the first hearing?
6. What orders can the court make at the first hearing?
7. Who will represent my child during proceedings?
8. What happens after an interim order is made?
9. How do I prepare for the final hearing?
10. What happens at the final hearing?
11. How does the court make its decision?
12. What types of order can the court make?
13. How long does a care order last?
14. How can I apply to end a care order?
The leaflets are regularly updated but the law may have changed since they were printed so the information in them may be incorrect or out of date.
Leaflet Version: January 2006