The Public Law Outline and Family Group Conferences in Childcare Practice

In the United Kingdom, the Children Act (1989) states that children are best brought up with their families. However, if a child is suffering from or likely to suffer from significant harm, then the local authorities may initiate care proceedings under section 31 of the Children Act (1989). The Public Law Outline is a judicial case management tool that aims to keep children with families when possible and ensure timely care proceedings when it is not. Emphasis is given to involving children and their immediate and wider family members in trying to address the concerns or identifying alternative kinship care. The pre-proceedings guide of the Public Law Outline states that Family Group Conferences or family meetings should be convened as relevant. Family Group Conferences are a decision-making forum where children and their families take responsibility for making plans to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children. The purpose of this paper is to explore the advantages and limitations of using Family Group Conferences within the context of the Public Law Outline. A proposal is made that there should be greater flexibility in using Family Group Conferences within the timescales of the Public Law Outline. Also, more research is needed to fully explore how effective Family Group Conferences are in supporting families to make plans that allow children to be safely cared for by their own families.