An individual is given notice of a Pre-Proceedings meeting as a result of the Local Authority having on-going concerns with the parent’s ability to meet the needs of the child or be protective of them.
The Local Authority will believe that they have sufficient evidence to warrant Care Proceedings but will want to give the parent the chance to make the improvements the Local Authority are suggesting on their lifestyle and themselves as individuals. The Local Authority will then give the parent a timescale of six to eight weeks for the parent to make these improvements. These improvements will be dependent on the concerns the Local Authority have set out to the parent.
Examples of such concerns that could affect the parent’s ability to care for their child could include:
- The parent’s drug and/or alcohol abuse
- State of parent’s mental health
- Neglect issues
Representation at a Pre-Proceedings meeting
It is important that when the parent attends the Pre-Proceedings meeting that they bring with them their own legal representation. This will also be highlighted in the Pre-Proceedings letter to the parent to ensure they attend with representation. Failure to show with representation will mean that the meeting is likely to be re-arranged until the parent has appointed a legal professional to act for them.
At the Pre-Proceedings meeting
At the meeting, individuals present will include the Social Worker, Team Manager, Local Authority Solicitor, the parent and their legal representative, and sometimes the Family Support Worker.
After the Local Authority have expressed the relevant concerns to the parents, they will set out the improvements the parent is entitled to make and assessments are likely to be completed in the interim before the next Review Pre-Proceedings meeting. For example, if there are concerns of the parent’s drug and alcohol use, the Local Authority are likely to recommend for the parent to attend Turning Point – a drug and alcohol support organisation.
In terms of assessments, if the Local Authority feel that the parent does not have the capacity to understand then a cognitive assessment would be proposed for the parent, as well as further parenting assessments needing to be completed. The parent may also be obliged to attend relevant courses with the child if there are concerns with the child’s developmental needs. Courses such as SureStart could then be recommended to help with the child’s social interactions and speech development. Further requirements may include the parent to attend all necessary appointments, co-operate with all professionals involved and to notify the Social Worker of any future incidents.
The Local Authority will ask the parent to put forward alternative carers of the child, if in the event that care proceedings are issued by them. Alternative carers may include other family members, such as the maternal or paternal grandparents, brothers, sisters, etc. These are only taken as a precaution and viability assessments of each individual put forward will be undertaken to assess their capacity and ability to have full-time care of the child/children.
Provided the parent is in agreement with the requirements set out by the Local Authority, the matter will be reviewed in six to eight weeks’ time, so as to review the parent’s compliance and progress and to consider the outcome of any relevant assessments undertaken.
How Can Nelsons Help?
If you would like further advice in relation to Pre-Proceedings meetings, please contact our expert Family Law team in Derby, Leicester and Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.