Children's social services

We are the leading Welsh provider of outsourced legal services to local authority children’s services teams.

Our work typically includes the conduct of care proceedings, secure accommodation applications, placement and adoption applications and emergency protection order applications. We act for local authorities in applications to prevent forced marriage of children and adults under disability.

Having acted for the majority of the local authorities in south Wales as well as a number of the authorities in north Wales and south west England, we have built up significant experience within the field. We undertake a high-volume of children services work each year, with much of our work easily appointed through the National Procurement Service Legal Services framework.

We undertake all forms of public law Children Act work from initial advice to representation throughout proceedings. Typically, we operate on a fully outsourced basis, completing all case preparation and advocacy; communicating directly with Children’s Social Services’ teams. Additionally, we frequently act on an “advocacy only” basis.

The vast experience within the team has meant that we regularly handle cases of the utmost gravity and complexity, including those featuring very serious injury, sexual abuse, deprivation of liberty, female genital mutilation and complex jurisdictional and international issues. Our specialist insight within the children services area has enabled us to develop trusted relationships with law enforcement, public authorities, international organisations and foreign authorities, as well as independent experts.

Wherever possible, we undertake in-house advocacy, at all court levels. Benefitting from a true breadth of experience, our team ranges from Queen’s Counsel level to Paralegal level and everything in between. This allows us to offer a cost-effective approach to all our work.