Pre proceedings

[Fizzy!]

Hi, i wonder if anyone could give advice about pre proceedings? What exactly do you have to do, what courses etc do you have to do, and how do you know if things are going well? Has anyone successfully gone through it?

[ItJustMe2026]

Hearing the word "pre-proceedings" is incredibly scary, but it is important to know that this is not court yet. This is actually your window of opportunity to fix things and keep your family together. Many, many parents go through this successfully and get Social Services out of their lives.

Here is a simple breakdown of how it works and what to look out for:

1. What exactly is Pre-Proceedings (PLO)?
PLO stands for Public Law Outline. It means Social Services are worried enough that they are thinking about going to court, but the law says they must give you one final chance to turn things around first.

You will get an official letter (a PLO Letter).

The most important step: Take that letter to a family solicitor immediately. Because it is a PLO matter, you get free legal aid automatically, regardless of your income. Your solicitor will sit in the meetings with you to protect your rights.

2. What courses do you have to do?
There isn't a single set list of courses because it depends entirely on why they are involved.

If it’s about behaviour/routines, they might ask you to do a parenting course (like Triple P or Freedom Programme).

If it’s about domestic abuse, mental health, or substance use, they will expect you to engage with specific local support services.

Do not argue about doing the courses. Even if you feel they aren't needed, show them you are 100% willing to cooperate. Voluntary engagement looks brilliant to a Judge if it ever did go to court.

3. How do you know if things are going well?
The PLO Meetings: You will have review meetings every 6 to 8 weeks with your solicitor, the social worker, and their manager. At the end of each meeting, ask directly: "What are the outstanding concerns, and what specific targets do I need to meet before the next review?"

Make sure you get the written minutes from every meeting. If the minutes say you are cooperating and the home is safe, things are going well.

If the social worker is turning up less frequently or their visits are relaxed and positive, it's a good sign the pressure is dropping.

The PLO process usually lasts between 3 and 6 months. If you do the work, attend the meetings, and work with your solicitor, the local authority will step down the proceedings, and the threat of court goes away.

You can absolutely do this. Find a legal aid solicitor first thing tomorrow morning and let them help you

[VD2ER]

As per ItJustMe2026's post, engage with the social workers. Find out what they are looking for and don't argue or push back to their suggestions but embrace them.

If the PLO process has started then you have access to free legal help. My experience is from the awful to the very good. I'm not sure how to choose your solicitor. I have come across two awful and one good. The Local Authority will give you a list of solicitors on the Children's Panel. They will be paid limited Legal Aid and not all solicitors will work for this.

Good luck and try and get a road-map from Children Services to improve your perceived parenting skills.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Hi, i wonder if anyone could give advice about pre proceedings? What exactly do you have to do, what courses etc do you have to do, and how do you know if things are going well? Has anyone successfully gone through it?

Dear Fizzy!,

Thank you for your post. This is Suzie, the online adviser at Family Rights Group. I am sorry to hear that pre-proceedings have now started and I hope that the following information is helpful to you. You can click on the links in my post to take you to more information and advice on our website.

For information about the pre-proceedings process, a good place to start would be by reading the information on our website HERE. It explains exactly what to expect from the pre-proceedings process and answers some frequently asked questions such as ’What is the best way to prepare for a pre-proceedings meeting?’ and What happens after a pre-proceedings meeting?’.

As several other posters have said, it is very important that you get a solicitor to support you. You are entitled to legal aid (all parents are, regardless of their income), and you can either ask the social worker for a list of solicitors in your local area, or you can find a solicitor yourself using the search function on the Law Society website HERE (search for one under ‘family and relationships’).

It is very important that you understand exactly what children’s services are expecting of you, and what the perceived risks are to your children. If you are unclear about anything it is important that you ask your solicitor or the social worker to carefully explain this. If there are any courses that are recommended then I would strongly advise you to do these. The courses recommended will vary depending on what the concerns are, and what is available in the area you live in.

We have some top tips in our guides to working with a social worker and a solicitor which you can find HERE. These can help you to get the best out of working with a social worker and a solicitor.

In my previous post I suggested that you ask for a family group conference (FGC) to be held so that any support that your family or friends can offer can be put in place. FGCs can really make a difference and if you haven’t already had one, I would suggest that you ask the social worker for one to be arranged.

You ask if anyone has successfully gone through the pre-proceedings process. I hope it is reassuring for you to hear that there are certainly many cases in which someone has been through the pre-proceedings process and ended up with the case being stepped back down to the child protection or child in need process. To give yourself the best chance of this it is important that you:

1) Get a solicitor to represent you

2) Ensure that you fully understand the concerns and the perceived risks to your children

3) Ensure that you fully understand what is expected of you (any safety plans you have agreed to comply with, any courses/assessments you have been asked to complete and any changes that you have been asked to make to your home or parenting)

4) Attend all meetings and appointments (if you are unable to attend then ensure that you inform the professionals in good time if possible)

5) Do your best to have a good working relationship with all the professionals involved

6) Be open and honest with all professionals at all times


I hope that this is of some help. Please post again if you have any further queries or you can call our free, confidential adviceline on 0808 801 0366 (Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 3pm). We also have a webchat which is currently open on Monday and Thursday afternoons.

Best wishes,
Suzie