Written question asked by Joan Walley (Labour) on Friday, 3 September 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 8 September 2010. It was answered by Tim Loughton (Conservative) on Monday, 4 October 2010 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Children: Protection

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance is given to social workers in court proceedings on child protection cases on discussing with the grandparents of the child in question their role in the proceedings.

Answer: [holding answer 8 September 2010]: The relevant guidance to social workers is set out in the Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations, Volume 1 Court Orders. This states at paragraph 3.8 that:"'In presenting a care plan to the court in any application for a care order, the local authority will be required to demonstrate ""that it has considered family members and friends as potential carers at each stage in its decision making.'"The authority should therefore have assessed the suitability of any possible arrangements and have considered the most appropriate legal status of such arrangements. The appropriate options and the implications for the potential carer of such options should have been discussed before the care plan is submitted to the court.

Secondary information