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Overview

We are the leading Welsh provider of outsourced legal services to local authority children’s services teams. We are on hand to assist you with our years of expertise advising on complex and urgent issues impacting on 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 also have significant experience in cases involving the deprivation of a child’s liberty. We act for local authorities in applications to prevent forced marriage of children.

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 Services’ teams. Additionally, we frequently act on an “advocacy only” basis and can adapt to the needs of your team.

We undertake work in both England and Wales and therefore have extensive knowledge and experience of working with both English and devolved legislation.

Our specialist services

Our expertise includes:

  • care proceedings
  • secure accommodation applications
  • deprivation of liberty applications involving children
  • emergency Protection Order and Child Assessment Order applications
  • prevention of female genital mutilation (FGM) matters
  • matters with jurisdictional and international issues
  • applications to prevent forced marriage
  • placement and adoption applications

Why use us?

Our dedicated safeguarding team includes practitioners of all levels of experience and has wide-ranging expertise. Our team draws on years of experience across Hugh James assisting organisations and regulators in the public & third, housing, sport, and care sectors with complex and often urgent safeguarding concerns.

The vast experience within the team has meant that we regularly handle cases of the utmost gravity and complexity, including those featuring death, 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. Benefiting from a true breadth of experience, our team ranges from King’s Counsel to Paralegal and everything in between. This allows us to offer a cost-effective approach to all our work.

Having acted for the majority of the local authorities in South Wales as well as a number of 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 Welsh Government Commercial Delivery, and Crown Commercial Service frameworks.

We are also able to provide you with wider safeguarding advice and representation. We have expertise assisting regulatory organisations with safeguarding matters. We are able to assist with:

  • devising and advising on safeguarding policies
  • assisting organisations and regulatory bodies with internal investigations
  • advice to IROs
  • data protection
  • safeguarding training

Key contact

Sara Tomaszewski

Partner

Sara Tomaszewski is a highly experienced solicitor who’s primary area of practice is within the childcare sector representing various local authorities within the South Wales area, where she undertakes all aspects of proceedings including advocacy. Sara also has significant experience in representing clients in private family law matters.

Insight

WGCD Framework Fortnight: Lot 2 – Child Social Services webinar replay
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Related services

Adult Social Services Family

Next steps

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