How to contact us for advice
We provide advice to parents, grandparents, relatives, friends and kinship carers who are involved with children’s services in England or need their help. We can help you understand processes and options when social workers or courts are making decisions about your child’s welfare.
Our advice service is free, independent and confidential.
To speak to an adviser, please call our free and confidential advice line 0808 801 0366 (Monday to Friday 9.30am to 3pm, excluding Bank Holidays). For Textphone dial 18001 followed by the advice line number. Or you can ask us a question via email using our advice enquiry form.
Our online advice forums are an anonymous space where parents and kinship carers (also known as family and friends carers) can get legal and practical advice, build a support network and learn from other people’s experiences.
Our get help and advice section describes the processes that you and your family are likely to go through, so that you know what to expect. Our webchat service can help you find the information and advice on our website which will help you understand the law and your rights.
Children’s advocates help children to understand what is going on and make sure their views are heard. An advocate can also help a child or young person make a complaint.
They are independent of the social worker (even if children’s services organise for them to come and help).
Children’s services should help children and young people have an advocate in certain situations. For example, where a child is looked after, government guidance suggests that they should be supported to get help from an advocate. For example, if they wish to make a complaint, or if they want someone to attend looked after child review meetings with them. Children in need, those on child protection plans and care leavers may also benefit from having advocates. Government guidance says that if a child wants to attend their child protection conference, they should be given information about how about advocacy agencies. They should be told that they can bring an advocate to the conference with them.
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