How to contact us for advice

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Our advice service

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.

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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). For Textphone dial 18001 followed by the advice line number. Or you can ask us a question via email using our advice enquiry form.

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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.

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Advice on our website

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.

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Adult physical disabilities or ill-health

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If a parent or carer is disabled, or experiencing physical ill-health, they may feel they need some extra support to help care for their child. They may be entitled to help from the adult social care or children’s services departments of their local council. Or even both. It will depend on the precise situation.

Parents and carers needing information and advice about adult social care law and services should seek advice from a specialist organisation. This is sometimes called community care law. See the Disability (including learning disability) and the Mental health sections of our Useful links page for some relevant organisations.

Getting help and support

What help and support may be available for a family where a parent or carer suffers with physical ill-health or is disabled?

Help and support may be available from adult social care services, early help services, from children’s services under a child in need framework, and for any young carer.

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If a parent or carer needs time to recover, receive treatment, or cannot cope, can they ask for their child to go into foster care?

Yes, although children’s services may not agree that is best for the child.

To make this request there are certain steps a parent or carer will need to take.

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Fair treatment and adult physical disability or ill-health

Will a parent with a physical disability or health problems be treated fairly by children’s services and others?

Parents and carers should always be treated fairly. There are different laws that come together to help make sure this happens.

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Can a parent or carer with a physically disability or health problem get help from an advocate or supporter in meetings with children’s services?

At times, parents may find it hard to participate in meetings organised by their child’s social worker and others. A parent or carer who feels like this may find it easier if they are supported by an advocate. Or are helped by a supporter.

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