This is a course aimed at professionals, in particular, social workers whose role may bring them into the any of the various courts. It is an introduction to the different types of court and any differences in procedure and introduces the delegates to the other professionals they will meet in the court arena, their roles and status.

This session is designed to demystify the court procedures around taking the stand and presenting evidence, terminology and how and when to address the court and personnel and hopefully reduce the anxiety levels for the delegates.

The session will also address concerns raised by the court and other professionals about the quality of social workers reports and talks newly qualified staff through the Public Law Outline. The session assumes the delegates have little or no real court experience and walks them in from the front door, right through to dealing with questioning from a hostile legal representative or Bench.

Both the author and the presenter of the session have a wealth of experience in a variety of courts, presenting prosecutions under various Education Acts and breaches of Youth Court and Probation Orders, applying for orders under the 1989 Children Act and sitting on the Bench as a JP.     

Learning Outcomes:

·         To be able to prepare and deliver evidence confidently in the court setting

·         Understand the Public Law Outline (PLO)

·         To understand the protocols used by various courts

·         To have an increased knowledge of court systems and personnel

·         To understand the requirements and skills required to present court reports

·         Understand the significance of the Social Worker’s report.