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Public Law Outline: The Liverpool Experience

Public Law Outline: The Liverpool Experience. How we changed practice Sue Ashton Jo Hornby Steve Pickthall. What is the Public Law Outline?. A new case management system for children involved in Care Proceedings in the family courts

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Public Law Outline: The Liverpool Experience

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  1. Public Law Outline: The Liverpool Experience How we changed practice Sue Ashton Jo Hornby Steve Pickthall

  2. What is the Public Law Outline? A new case management system for children involved in Care Proceedings in the family courts President’s Practice Direction April 2008 • Replaced Judicial Case Management Protocol (2003) • Four stages rather than six • Advocates meetings • Timetable focused around the needs of the child • Reducing delay – reducing the needs for experts • Expectation that Local Authorities produce related documentation on Issue • Cafcass reporting style changed

  3. How did we do it? • Prior to implementation it was agreed that Liverpool Care Centre would be one of the pilot areas from August 2007 - (10 across the country). • 4 Merseyside teams service the Liverpool Care Centre. • Developed local implementation plan • Liaised closely with Designated Judge and other interested groups (e.g. Local Authorities) • Established local working group • Contributed to national working group • Changed working practice on all new care allocations from 1st August 2007

  4. How Practice Changed on Merseyside • Fuller Involvement at an early stage - More Information at the beginning - More work undertaken prior to 1st Hearing • The Childs Timetable - Child more centre stage within proceedings - Every Child Matters – 5 Outcomes - Welfare Checklist

  5. Narrowing Issues towards resolution - Critical issues to be determined - Identifying evidence requirements (e.g need for expert report) - Avoiding delay - Focused enquiries - Advocates meetings Reporting Style A number of shorter reports Analysis and Recommendation format Issue focused How Practice Changed on Merseyside (con’t)

  6. Advantages • Keeps child centre stage • Avoids delay • Optimises court time • Information available at commencement of proceedings • Documentation produced earlier within proceedings • Children’s Guardian enabled to form preliminary views • Focused shorter analytical reports • Handover to Independent Reviewing Officers • Closer working relationships with other professionals e.g. Child’s Solicitor / Social Worker

  7. Puzzles Rate of Issue of Care Proceedings have dropped • Previous trends show that applications fall when new developments have been introduced • Change in fee structure relating to issuing applications • Availability of Cafcass resources in the event that rate of applications rise to former levels. Have other professionals adapted as quickly as FCA’s? • Changes in the CG role • Acceptance of new style of Cafcass reports PLO should result in shorter proceedings but remains to be seen whether circumstances of individual cases enable this to happen

  8. The Future • So to sum up • The Liverpool Experience • we feel that as practitioners we are:- • More confident – we are able to become involved more quickly and make a more informed contribution on behalf of the children and young people, which we believe leads to better outcomes.

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