About this AI assistant

This AI assistant is designed to support social worker practitioners in navigating care proceedings and pre-proceedings in England and Wales. It provides access to clear, accessible information based on publicly available resources, including all the guidance featured on this website as well as relevant best practice guidance and examples, templates, legislation and policy relevant to practice in England and Wales. The AI is trained on information that was accurate as of February 2025.

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Whether you need help understanding the Public Law Outline (PLO) process, drafting documents, or preparing for court, this tool can point you in the right direction. It does not give case-specific advice or make decisions, but it will summarise guidance, which will help you work confidently and effectively and enable you to verify the sources of the information.

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Simply ask a question, and the AI assistant will provide relevant information to support your practice.

 

​What this AI Assistant is ✅

 

A tool for Social Workers to access a range of practice guidance for Pre-proceedings and Care Proceedings – It provides information about care proceedings, pre-proceedings, and related processes aimed at helping social workers towards best practice in these areas.

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A resource for general questions – You can ask about a range of topics relating to pre-proceedings and care proceedings timelines, roles and responsibilities and best practices, but it will not provide direction on specific cases. It can also signpost you to other sources of helpful information available online. 

 

A central hub for official guidance – The AI assistant can direct you to relevant best practice guidance and research to support your work.

 

A way of getting accurate practice information quickly in a format that works for you. However the source material has been written, you can ask for it to be simplified, summarised or translated so that it works for you.

 

A support tool, not a replacement for professional advice – It can help clarify processes but does not replace expert legal or professional judgment.

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What this AI assistant isn’t ❌

 

It is not a place to input personal or case-specific data – Never enter names, addresses, or any identifiable information about real individuals. Doing this is a GDPR and confidentiality risk.

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To support decision making in pre-proceedings or care proceedings – The AI assistant provides helpful practice guidance, which is informed by legislation. It should never be used to seek formal legal advice or support real-world decision making in practice with children and families. You are responsible for verifying and fact-checking any information you use that is AI generated, including making sure it is suitable for a given context.

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Not a definitive source of information – While it provides summaries of key guidance, this is always subject to change. AI responses may not be comprehensive, and source documents may not be the most up-to-date available. The content of the website and the AI reference materials were assembled in February 2025. While efforts are made to keep the information up to date, this may not happen for all documents and links.  Always verify information to ensure it is current, accurate and relevant to the context in which you intend to use it.

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Not for sharing formal advice – Do not share the AI assistant’s responses as official guidance. Where you do use AI responses, be clear and transparent about how the content was generated, and steps you have taken to verify it.

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Not for urgent or safeguarding concerns – If a child is at risk, you must follow your organisation’s emergency and safeguarding procedures. This is not a reporting tool.

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Not a substitute for expert judgment – Care proceedings are complex and require professional oversight and decision-making. Always seek professional input where needed.

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