Care planning for children and young people subject to the Public Law Outline pre-proceedings in Conwy County Borough Council
The review took place in March 2023.
The purpose of the review is to provide external scrutiny, assurance and to promote improvement in relation to the care planning for children and young people subject to the Public Law Outline (pre-proceedings).
When social services are concerned about the welfare of a child they may hold a Public Law Outline Meeting (PLO) or a pre-proceedings meeting. If adequate change or improvements are not made following this meeting then the local authority may need to make an application to the court and ask them to make orders to protect the child.
We found Conwy County Borough Council benefits from an experienced and stable management team overseeing PLO-related procedures. A particular strength is the common understanding within the local authority of the threshold for instigating the Public Law Outline pre proceedings, supported by the various meetings held in line with the pre – proceedings and PLO policy.
Overall, we found the standard of assessments are satisfactory, with the best of these providing clear analysis, reflecting what was important to the child / young person, together with a clear sense of their lived experience. In some instances, we noted delays in assessments, which had the potential to delay decision-making and ultimately affect the provision of timely support. Other assessments clearly identified the individual strengths of those involved but would have been more robust if explicitly linked to risk reduction.
To see all our findings and recommendations, read the full letter below.