Working Together 2026 says that if child protection work has not made the child safe enough and the threshold for care proceedings has been met in principle, the local authority should decide whether to start pre-proceedings and follow the DfE's Court orders and pre-proceedings guidance (section 4, Initiating pre-proceedings). The threshold is in section 31(2) of the Children Act 1989: the child is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm because of the care given or because they are beyond parental control.
Working Together calls pre-proceedings the final opportunity for parents to avoid care proceedings. The local authority should set clear expectations about the changes needed and offer family group decision-making, such as a family group conference, to explore care within the family network. Proceedings can still be started at any stage if needed.
"PLO" comes from the Public Law Outline in Practice Direction 12A, the court rules for care cases, which also refers to the Letter Before Proceedings sent to parents.
For schools, a child in pre-proceedings will usually already have a child protection plan. The school's records may be asked for as evidence, so accurate, dated, factual notes matter. Attendance and the child's presentation at school are often part of what is monitored.