The 26-week timetable & public law care proceedings — how care cases actually run
REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-28
The clock that drives everything
When a local authority starts care or supervision proceedings, the Children and Families Act 2014 (s.14) imposes a 26-week timetable from issue to final hearing. Extensions need exceptional justification. This drives the pace: everything moves fast, hearings come thick and fast, and delay itself can count against a parent.
The sequence
1. Pre-proceedings — before issuing, the council usually sends a "letter before proceedings" and offers a meeting; use it to fix concerns and get a solicitor (free legal aid at this stage for parents) 2. Issue & first hearing (CMH) — the court checks the timetable, guardianship (Cafcass Children's Guardian appointed for the child), and interim arrangements 3. Interim care/supervision order (ICO/ISO) — temporary arrangements while assessments happen; contested at an interim hearing 4. Assessments & evidence — parenting, psychological, drug/alcohol assessments; disclosure from police, health, school 5. Case management hearings (CMHs) — regular review of timetable and issues 6. Final hearing / IRH — issues-resolution hearing tries to narrow or settle; otherwise full final hearing with witnesses 7. Final order — care order (shared PR with the council, council decides where the child lives), supervision order, special guardianship, placement for adoption, or the child goes home under a plan
What parents must know
- Legal aid is automatic for parents in care proceedings (non-means, non-merits tested for representation) — you will be allocated a solicitor, and you should cooperate fully with them; see our legal aid and finding-a-solicitor pages
- The Children's Guardian (Cafcass) represents the child independently — their views carry great weight
- Do the assessments. Non-engagement is treated as evidence. Comply, attend, be honest
- Contact with your child during proceedings follows the interim arrangements — attend every session
- Changes you make (housing, treatment, partners, courses) count if evidenced before the final hearing — judges decide on the evidence that exists at the final hearing
Official links
- https://www.gov.uk/child-protection-plan (child protection process)
- https://www.gov.uk/courts-tribunals/family-court
This page is general information, not legal advice. YourFamilyCase.co.uk is an independent information directory and is not affiliated with HMCTS or gov.uk.
Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.