A planning and legal portal meeting is an opportunity to fully discuss a case and consult with colleagues to ensure that children are actively managed in the case and that appropriate legal action is taken as necessary to promote and protect the child`s well-being. Usually, when social services are concerned about a child protection issue, they work with parents and other agencies to investigate those concerns. They will also try to take steps to ensure that children can be protected from other difficulties. A planning and legal portal meeting should be held to discuss the way forward in a particular case where a request for jurisdiction may be required. This may include: In other circumstances, an application is likely to be made because Children`s Services believes that the threshold for receiving a need or order for care is met, but the committee decides that a final attempt should be made to work with the family. In this case, the committee will send a letter to the parent(s) before the procedure. If, at a meeting with a legal threshold, it is decided to send a letter before the procedure, the formal pre-litigation phase begins. When social services take care of your family, it is important to consider your legal situation and how best to work with them to protect children from difficulties. The child`s social worker, manager and legal counsel usually attend the legal threshold meeting. Is there legal advice regarding housing associations and noisy neighbours? Children`s Services Report s37, Residence, Ex Morals and Models While it is very important to work with social services and follow the advice of social services, social services can only remove children from their custody without your consent with a court order.

A police officer can only temporarily remove children in an emergency. Video Resources – Conducting a Legal Planning Interview Can I take legal action against social services after 4 years? The meeting should consider whether and when further legal portal and planning meetings are required. New information may emerge that requires a change in the plan for the child. In this case, the legal gateway and planning meeting must be reconvened to consider the legal implications. Natasha Watson, Co-Chair of the Sussex Family Justice Board and Senior Counsel at Brighton and Hove City Council, discusses the importance of legal planning meetings Given the importance of decisions that can be made at a legal gateway meeting for a child`s journey, a written record of the meeting is always made. The chair of the meeting is responsible for ensuring that the written minutes of the meeting are prepared. The Chair should verify the accuracy of the file before being distributed to all participants. Participants will have the opportunity to propose amendments to the protocol. These are legally privileged and should not be made available to parents or other parties as part of a potential proceeding.

Does a judge always agree with children`s services? The purpose of the legal gateway meeting is to provide legal advice to the social welfare of children on the legal options available to ensure and promote the well-being of the child. The meeting will decide, taking into account the quality of the available evidence, whether the issuance of a letter prior to the proceedings, the issue of a public care procedure or the support of a private law application is in the best interests of a child and achieves the desired objective. If working with the family cannot protect a child, a legal threshold meeting should be convened. This is sometimes referred to as a legal strategy meeting or a legal gateway meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to seek advice on whether the « threshold criteria » for a care order or need for care are being met. Of course, it`s best to avoid problems that get worse, and early legal advice is often essential in such circumstances. The Legal Portal / Planning Meeting is an essential part of the process of dealing with children`s public affairs within the framework of the public law structure. Its purpose is to examine all available information and decide whether the legal threshold for the opening of pre-litigation proceedings or the opening of urgent proceedings has been reached. Legal aid is available for advice on the involvement of social services in your family. If a hearing date has been set, free legal aid is automatically available.

In other circumstances, you should be financially eligible for legal aid. Cornwall Council has developed a protocol for holding legal planning meetings, which includes a useful template for meetings and a checklist template. In times of crisis, social services can investigate concerns about children`s well-being or to support children in need.