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.
A residence order is a court order that says who a child is to live with. It gives parental responsibility to the adult named in the order (if they do not already have it). It does not remove parental responsibility from the other people who hold it. Parental responsibility will be shared equally between the child’s parents, and the person who holds a residence order.
A residence order is a private law order. An order lasts until the child reaches age 18, although the court can direct that it should end earlier.
Residence orders (and contact orders, which are say who a child can see) were replaced by child arrangements orders on 22 April 2014. Residence orders made before that date do remain in force.
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