Create bundles designed around the PLO for care proceedings. From Emergency Protection Orders to Final Hearings, our stage-specific templates help you work within the rules with the 26-week timetable.
Every stop on the journey explains the step, with a template, official form or hearing bundle wherever one is needed
How do I prepare a care proceedings bundle UK?
A care proceedings bundle follows PD27A and includes the threshold document, local authority evidence, expert reports, statements, and guardian reports. Organise by PLO stage with Bates pagination restarting in each section. BundleCreator is designed to help you prepare it within the 26-week timetable.
Each stop is a step in the journey. Large rings are hearings where you build a court bundle; small grey dots are steps you file or take, hollow dots are deadlines or events, and diamonds are forms. The key below the map explains every symbol. Click any stop to see what it involves.
Lines:Emergency RouteLocal Authority — 26-week proceedingsParents — Responding to care proceedingsChildren's Guardian — Welfare oversightInterim Care OrderPost-care — Parent leversAppeal
Stops:Bundle hearing — a court bundle is built hereDecision hearing — the court or tribunal decides the case here; bundle requiredOptional hearing — dashed ring: only held in some casesProcess step — something you file or do, no bundleMilestone — a deadline or event; nothing to prepareOptional step — dashed: not always applicable (e.g. only if needed or agreed)Form-filing endpoint — apply on an official court form (for example a warrant, an enforcement order or a consent order)
Reading:Blog Insight — purple book icons link to a related article (opens in a new tab)
Timing:⚠ 14 daysstatutory — miss this and lose4 weeksrequired noticetyp. 8motypical wait
Laws:This journey summarises the procedure under Children Act 1989 (Parts III, IV and V — care, supervision, post-care), Children Act 1989 ss.34, 38(6), 39, 44, 46, 47 (procedural levers), Children Act 1989 s.31ZA (family group decision-making), Adoption and Children Act 2002 (esp. s.21, s.24), Children and Families Act 2014 s.13 (expert evidence), Family Procedure Rules 2010 Parts 12, 16, 25, 27 and 30; PD12A; PD16A; PD27A, Public Law Outline (Practice Direction 12A), Practice Direction 27A (Family Court bundles) and Re B-S (Children) [2013] EWCA Civ 1146 (proportionality analysis). General information only — not legal advice.
The map shows ALL THREE perspectives on care proceedings — the local authority (top line, the applicant), the parents (parents-route, often LiP), and the Children's Guardian (guardian-route, independent welfare representative for the child). All three meet at CMH, IRH, and Final.
Care proceedings follow the Public Law Outline (PLO) with a 26-week statutory timetable. Before proceedings issue, the LA typically follows a pre-proceedings process: a s.47 investigation (where there is reasonable cause to suspect significant harm), a letter before proceedings (which entitles parents to non-means-tested family help (lower) — reg.5(1)(e) Civil Legal Aid (Financial Resources and Payment for Services) Regulations 2013), and a pre-proceedings meeting where alternatives — family group decision-making and kinship options — are explored. The local authority must offer a family group decision-making meeting in that letter unless it would not be in the child's best interests (s.31ZA, in force 15 July 2026). The pre-proceedings period should ideally last no more than 16 weeks. Most successful diversions happen at this stage.
In emergencies, the pre-proceedings process is bypassed. Police may exercise police protection powers under s.46 CA 1989 to remove a child to safety (up to 72 hours), or the LA may apply for an Emergency Protection Order under s.44.
Once proceedings issue, the court appoints a Children's Guardian on Day 2 and Cafcass allocates the officer (PD12A; s.41(1)); the Guardian represents the child's interests throughout. The 26-week timetable runs from the date the application is issued. The 26-week limit may be extended only where necessary to resolve the proceedings justly, by no more than 8 weeks at a time, and not routinely (s.32(5),(7),(8)).
Between CMH and Final, s.38(6) residential or specialist parenting assessments may be directed only if necessary to resolve the proceedings justly (s.38(7A)); the court decides how the cost is met, and they should be completed within the timetable for the proceedings. Expert assessments under FPR Part 25 may also be directed at CMH.
The final hearing determines: care order (child in LA care), supervision order (child at home under supervision), Special Guardianship Order (kinship placement), no order, or placement order (s.21 ACA 2002, with the parents' consent or dispensation under s.52, and the Re B-S analysis). Post-care, parents have s.34 contact, s.39 discharge of care order, and s.24 ACA 2002 placement-order revocation routes — shown on the post-care-fan group.
Important: This journey map shows the typical stages of the relevant court or tribunal proceedings. It is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different. For advice about your specific situation, consult a solicitor or instruct a barrister directly.
The law, court fees and time limits can change. We work hard to keep this map accurate, but it may contain errors or become out of date, so please check anything important against the official source — for example legislation.gov.uk or GOV.UK. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Steleo Publishing Limited does not accept liability for any loss arising from reliance on this map. Each stop represents a stage where a separate bundle may be required; BundleCreator handles the formatting — it does not replace professional legal advice.
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Care proceedings bundles follow the Public Law Outline (PLO) and PD27A. Key documents include the threshold document, social work evidence, expert reports (ISW, psychological), and Cafcass guardian analysis. BundleCreator is online court bundle software designed to help you organise these into the PD27A sections for each PLO stage.
Last reviewed: 27 September 2026 by Stevie Hayes
What to look for in court bundle software for care proceedings
Care proceedings under Part IV of the Children Act 1989 generate large, fast-moving bundles handled by local authority solicitors, parents' solicitors, the Children's Guardian, and increasingly self-representing parents. These are the features to weigh up.
PD12A Public Law Outline structure
Care proceedings move through Advocates' Meeting, CMH, IRH, and final hearing within the 26-week timetable (s.32 Children Act 1989) under the Public Law Outline. Software should support a bundle profile per stage so the bundle reflects the directions in force at each milestone.
Threshold document and parents' response sections
The local authority threshold document and the parents' response sit at the heart of every care case. Templates should carry both as discrete sections that update as the case develops.
Children's Guardian and Cafcass report handling
The Guardian's analysis is filed late and is essential reading. Software should let you slot the analysis into the bundle without renumbering everything before it.
PD27A-aligned section pagination
Care bundles use the same Bates per-section restart (A1, A2 … B1, B2 …) that non-financial-remedy family proceedings use under PD27A para 1.2. Software should default to that format for care work.
Multi-party bundle distribution
Care proceedings have many parties — local authority, mother, father, children's solicitor, Guardian, sometimes wider family. The tool should handle bundle distribution to multiple parties cleanly.
UK data residency and AES-256 encryption at rest
Care bundles contain children's data, social work records, and medical reports. Keep that data UK-resident, encrypted at rest with AES-256, and in transit over TLS 1.3.
Transparent pricing without a sales call
A 7-day trial and published pricing lets parents' solicitors and self-represented parents evaluate the tool against a live case.
Public Children Law Care Proceedings Bundle UK: In Brief
A public children law bundle is the evidence pack for care proceedings issued by a local authority under section 31 of the Children Act 1989. Section 32 of the Children Act 1989 requires the court to aim to decide the case within 26 weeks of issue, and the Public Law Outline (PD12A) sets the timetable. Bundles for Case Management Hearings, Issues Resolution Hearings, and Final Hearings follow PD27A and assemble the threshold document, statements, expert evidence, and the Children's Guardian's analysis.
Key forms
C110A (local authority application for a care or supervision order; the threshold is set out in it), C2 (application within existing proceedings, including permission and joinder), C1 with supplement C13A (special guardianship order, for example by a relative); section 8 orders use C100, not C1
Time limits
26 weeks from the day of issue (Children Act 1989 s.32(1)(a)(ii), inserted by Children and Families Act 2014 s.14(2)); extensions of up to 8 weeks at a time only where necessary (s.32(5), (8))
Key parties
Local authority (applicant); every person with parental responsibility and the child are respondents (FPR r.12.3); the child is represented by a Children's Guardian appointed by the court (s.41 CA 1989; FPR r.16.3); others, for example a father without parental responsibility or a person against whom findings are sought, may be joined by the court
Jurisdiction
Family Court. The court allocates the case to the level of judge it needs at Day 2 (PD12A Stage 1; Family Court (Composition and Distribution of Business) Rules 2014, r.15); the most complex cases may be heard by a High Court judge
Bundle size
Designed to help meet PD27A and PD12A; threshold document, social worker statements, expert reports, Guardian's analysis; up to 1,000 pages supported
The child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm, attributable to the care given (or likely to be given) not being what it would be reasonable to expect a parent to give, or to the child being beyond parental control
Not means-tested for parents and others with parental responsibility; most merits tests disapplied (only the 'need for representation' criterion applies)
Care and supervision proceedings must be timetabled for disposal without delay and in any event within 26 weeks of issue, extendable by up to 8 weeks at a time only where necessary to resolve the case justly.
Source: Children Act 1989 s.32(1)(a)(ii), (5) (inserted by CFA 2014 s.14(2))
Section 31
Threshold criteria
A care or supervision order may only be made where the child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm, attributable to the care given (or likely to be given) not being what it would be reasonable to expect a parent to give, or to the child being beyond parental control.
Source: Children Act 1989, section 31(2)
Built for Care Proceedings
Features for local authorities and family practitioners
Designed around the PLO
Bundles designed around the Public Law Outline. Track the 26-week timetable.
Stage-Specific Templates
Templates for EPO, ICO, CMH, IRH, and Final Hearing. Each optimised for that stage.
Threshold Documents
Organise threshold criteria and responses. Cross-reference evidence clearly.
Multi-Party Cases
Handle complex cases with multiple respondents - parents, family members, interveners.
Expert Evidence
Dedicated sections for ISW reports, psychological assessments, and medical evidence.
Sensitive Information
Handle confidential LA documents and sensitive child protection information securely.
Understanding Care Proceedings Bundles
Everything about public law children bundles
Care Proceedings in England and Wales
Care proceedings are brought by local authorities under section 31 of the Children Act 1989 when they believe a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. These are among the most serious cases in family law.
The court must aim to decide the case without delay and in any event within 26 weeks of the application being issued; it can extend this by up to 8 weeks at a time, only where necessary to resolve the case justly (s.32 Children Act 1989). Proper bundle preparation is essential for meeting court deadlines and ensuring fair proceedings.
The PLO Process
Care proceedings follow the Public Law Outline stages: pre-proceedings (Letter Before Proceedings); Stage 1, issue and allocation; Stage 2, Case Management Hearing (CMH, Day 12–18); Stage 3, Issues Resolution Hearing (IRH); then the final hearing.
Emergency Protection Orders (EPO) and Interim Care Orders (ICO) may be sought at earlier stages. The 26 weeks run from the day the application is issued.
What Goes in a Care Proceedings Bundle?
Care bundles must be meticulously organised, designed around PD27A. They are often substantial due to local authority disclosure, expert reports, and historical records. PD27A para 7.3 sets the order of sections; the letters below are BundleCreator's labels.
Section A: Preliminary and case management documents
Section B: Applications and orders
Section C: Statements and affidavits
Section D: Care plans
Section E: Experts' and other reports (including the children's guardian's)
Section F: Medical records
Section G: Police disclosure
Section H: The child's birth certificate (public law CMH)
Section I: Other relevant documents
PLO Stage Templates
Templates for every stage of care proceedings
Emergency Protection Order (EPO)
Urgent application for immediate child protection
Interim Care Order (ICO)
Initial care proceedings bundle with threshold document
Case Management Hearing (CMH)
PLO Stage 2 – case management and directions
Issues Resolution Hearing (IRH)
PLO Stage 3 – resolving or narrowing the issues
Final Hearing Bundle
Final hearing (listed at the IRH) – complete bundle for the final decision
Common questions about public children law bundles
BundleCreator's Public Children Law template is built for care proceedings under the Public Law Outline and the Children Act 1989 — designed to handle the 26-week timetable that runs from the day the application is issued (s.32(1)(a)(ii) Children Act 1989). The bundle includes the C110A application with threshold document, the Local Authority's care plan, social worker statements (uploaded), parenting assessments, expert reports (psychiatric, OT, SALT), Cafcass guardian's analysis, and authorities. Paginated with Bates numbering restarting in each section (PD27A paras 1.2, 7.2), OCR'd, hyperlinked-index, and bookmarked — designed to align with PD12A and PD27A.
C110A care proceedings bundles need: the C110A application form, the Local Authority's threshold document (specifying the s.31(2) Children Act 1989 grounds), supporting evidence (police disclosure, medical records, school records, social work chronologies), the Interim Care Order application or the existing ICO, the parents' position and any written response, and the Local Authority's care plan. BundleCreator's Public Children Law template orders these, designed to follow the order of sections in PD27A para 7.3, with pagination, OCR, and bookmarks at section and document level.
Issues Resolution Hearing (IRH) bundles in care proceedings should focus on the live issues for the final hearing: the threshold (if still in dispute), the care plan and any alternative placement options, the expert evidence, the parents' position and welfare proposals, and the Cafcass guardian's analysis. Documents the court has already determined and historical correspondence not bearing on the live issues are normally excluded. BundleCreator's Public Children Law template helps you build a focused IRH bundle within PD27A's 350-page limit for non-financial-remedy proceedings, with a permission-to-exceed application route where the case requires it.
BundleCreator's Public Children Law template handles multi-disciplinary expert evidence in care proceedings: psychiatric assessments of parents, occupational therapy reports on parenting capacity, speech and language therapy reports on the children, paediatric reports on injuries, and joint expert statements. Each expert's report is bookmarked individually; the hyperlinked index lets the trial judge jump between experts on related issues. Exhibits within each report are paginated continuously through the section.
BundleCreator's Public Children Law template orders care proceedings documents in line with PD27A's required content list — case-management documents, applications and orders, statements and witness evidence, expert reports, the care plan, and other relevant material (medical records, police disclosure, school records). The chronology runs at the front; parenting assessments sit alongside the related expert and social-work evidence. Each section is bookmarked at section and document level; the hyperlinked index lets the trial judge navigate between linked items.
BundleCreator generates time-limited download links for the witness, encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256), with full audit logging of access. Particularly relevant for care proceedings where social worker witnesses need access to the bundle ahead of giving evidence but the bundle contains sensitive information about the child and family. The witness can download once, view for the agreed period, and the link expires automatically.
BundleCreator runs on Google Cloud's London region (europe-west2). AES-256 at rest, TLS 1.3 in transit. Your uploaded documents, including sensitive child information, parenting assessments, medical records, and Cafcass guardian's analyses, are stored and processed in our London (europe-west2) region, which helps avoid restricted international transfers of your documents. Account and payment details are handled by our service providers under the safeguards in our privacy policy. Designed for the special-category data requirements of UK GDPR Article 9 for health and family-life data, and the solicitors' professional duty of confidentiality.
Emergency Protection Order applications under section 44 of the Children Act 1989 need: the EPO application form, the Local Authority's evidence of immediate harm (police logs, medical reports, witness statements), the Local Authority's safety plan, and authorities. BundleCreator's Public Children Law template handles same-day EPO bundles produced in around 15-30 minutes from upload, ready for the duty judge or out-of-hours single justice. Paginated, OCR'd, hyperlinked-index for the urgent hearing.
BundleCreator helps you prepare and organise documents for court and tribunal hearings. We are not a law firm and we do not give legal advice. Wherever you can, please get advice from a qualified legal adviser before your hearing. Read more
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best bundle tool for care proceedings under the PLO 26-week timeline?
BundleCreator's Public Children Law template is built for care proceedings under the Public Law Outline and the Children Act 1989 — designed to handle the 26-week timetable that runs from the day the application is issued (s.32(1)(a)(ii) Children Act 1989). The bundle includes the C110A application with threshold document, the Local Authority's care plan, social worker statements (uploaded), parenting assessments, expert reports (psychiatric, OT, SALT), Cafcass guardian's analysis, and authorities. Paginated with Bates numbering restarting in each section (PD27A paras 1.2, 7.2), OCR'd, hyperlinked-index, and bookmarked — designed to align with PD12A and PD27A.
How do I prepare a C110A bundle with threshold document and Interim Care Order?
C110A care proceedings bundles need: the C110A application form, the Local Authority's threshold document (specifying the s.31(2) Children Act 1989 grounds), supporting evidence (police disclosure, medical records, school records, social work chronologies), the Interim Care Order application or the existing ICO, the parents' position and any written response, and the Local Authority's care plan. BundleCreator's Public Children Law template orders these, designed to follow the order of sections in PD27A para 7.3, with pagination, OCR, and bookmarks at section and document level.
How do I prepare an IRH bundle — what goes in, what stays out, 26-week deadline?
Issues Resolution Hearing (IRH) bundles in care proceedings should focus on the live issues for the final hearing: the threshold (if still in dispute), the care plan and any alternative placement options, the expert evidence, the parents' position and welfare proposals, and the Cafcass guardian's analysis. Documents the court has already determined and historical correspondence not bearing on the live issues are normally excluded. BundleCreator's Public Children Law template helps you build a focused IRH bundle within PD27A's 350-page limit for non-financial-remedy proceedings, with a permission-to-exceed application route where the case requires it.
How do I bundle expert evidence (psychiatric, OT, SALT) in a public law outline case?
BundleCreator's Public Children Law template handles multi-disciplinary expert evidence in care proceedings: psychiatric assessments of parents, occupational therapy reports on parenting capacity, speech and language therapy reports on the children, paediatric reports on injuries, and joint expert statements. Each expert's report is bookmarked individually; the hyperlinked index lets the trial judge jump between experts on related issues. Exhibits within each report are paginated continuously through the section.
How do I order a social worker chronology, parenting assessment, and medical records into a care bundle?
BundleCreator's Public Children Law template orders care proceedings documents in line with PD27A's required content list — case-management documents, applications and orders, statements and witness evidence, expert reports, the care plan, and other relevant material (medical records, police disclosure, school records). The chronology runs at the front; parenting assessments sit alongside the related expert and social-work evidence. Each section is bookmarked at section and document level; the hyperlinked index lets the trial judge navigate between linked items.
How do I share a large care bundle securely with a social worker witness in advance?
BundleCreator generates time-limited download links for the witness, encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256), with full audit logging of access. Particularly relevant for care proceedings where social worker witnesses need access to the bundle ahead of giving evidence but the bundle contains sensitive information about the child and family. The witness can download once, view for the agreed period, and the link expires automatically.
Is there a secure tool for sensitive child data in care proceedings under UK GDPR?
BundleCreator runs on Google Cloud's London region (europe-west2). AES-256 at rest, TLS 1.3 in transit. Your uploaded documents, including sensitive child information, parenting assessments, medical records, and Cafcass guardian's analyses, are stored and processed in our London (europe-west2) region, which helps avoid restricted international transfers of your documents. Account and payment details are handled by our service providers under the safeguards in our privacy policy. Designed for the special-category data requirements of UK GDPR Article 9 for health and family-life data, and the solicitors' professional duty of confidentiality.
How do I prepare an EPO emergency protection order bundle out-of-hours?
Emergency Protection Order applications under section 44 of the Children Act 1989 need: the EPO application form, the Local Authority's evidence of immediate harm (police logs, medical reports, witness statements), the Local Authority's safety plan, and authorities. BundleCreator's Public Children Law template handles same-day EPO bundles produced in around 15-30 minutes from upload, ready for the duty judge or out-of-hours single justice. Paginated, OCR'd, hyperlinked-index for the urgent hearing.
