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Our advice service

Are you a parent, kinship carer relative or friend of a child who is involved with, or who needs the help of, children’s services in England? 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.

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By phone or email

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). Or you can ask us a question via email using our advice enquiry form.

Discuss on our forums

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.

Advice on our website

Our get help and advice section has template letters, advice sheets and resources about legal and social care processes. On Monday and Wednesday afternoons, you can use our webchat service to chat online to an adviser.

 

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What is a pre-proceedings meeting and who will attend?

The aim of the meeting is to agree a plan. The plan should address the concerns children’s services have. And aim to avoid the need to start care proceedings.

Parents should be told in advance about who will be at the meeting.

It is likely the mother and father will be invited to the same meeting. And anyone else with parental responsibility. If there is any reason why a parent would not want to be in the same meeting as another parent or carer, their solicitor can ask for separate meetings. If there has been domestic abuse within the family a separate meeting may be appropriate.

The people who will attend the pre-proceedings meeting are:

  • The parents or anyone else with parental responsibility for the child
  • Their solicitor
  • The social worker and their manager from children’s services
  • The solicitor for children’s services
  • Any interpreters or advocates supporting the parents.

Some parents may need extra help to be able to take part fully in the meeting. In that situation, children’s services should provide or arrange this. If a parent needs an interpreter, one should be provided for example.

 

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