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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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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.

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

 

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Reimagining pre-proceedings

4 minute read

Improving early work with families and averting children from the care system

Family Rights Group’s ‘Reimagining pre-proceedings’ workstream (2022-2026) aimed to drive system change in how local family justice areas approach early work with children and families.

We generated a new approach to encourage and embed stronger early and effective partnership working with families, coproduced with the local authority, the local judiciary, family members with lived experience and other agencies.

The workstream began in the context of very high numbers of children in the care system and pressures in the family court.

We sought to create the conditions in which partnership working with families thrives and local areas can realise the ambitions of reviews and reports to safely divert children from care and safely remain within their families. This included key messages from the Care Crisis Review, the Public Law Working Group, and the 2022 independent review of children’s social care.

A pilot to reimagine pre-proceedings in the Dorset family justice area was a core element of the workstream.

Graphic containing a quotation from Caroline Lynch, Legal Director at Family Rights Group. The quote reads: “There is a huge body of evidence to show that early, effective partnership working is crucial help to keep children safely within their family and avert the need for care proceedings. Family Rights Group’s Reimagining pre-proceedings workstream set out to turn that evidence into a co-produced actionable approach that could be applied in local family justice areas and make significant change for children and families.” Decorative purple and teal curved shapes surround the text.

Read our key evaluation findings

In July 2026 we published an evaluation of the Dorset pilot by independent research consultant Caroline Thomas. It sets out the impact and how local areas and central government can support the approach being applied more widely across England.

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New resources to support decision makers, practitioners and families

The workstream highlighted effective approaches and created new resources, to support decision makers, practitioners and families in designing and delivering better systems and services.

Graphic containing a quotation from Pam Ledward, Director for Social Care Practice at Family Rights Group. The quote reads: “The evaluation of Dorset’s Reimagining pre-proceedings pilot makes plain that a clear strategy and robust mechanisms for family engagement are vital foundations for co-producing a new approach to pre-proceedings. Journey mapping is highlighted as a valuable method for exploring and understanding the experiences of families and practitioners involved with the child welfare system.” Decorative purple and teal curved shapes surround the text.

Download our journey mapping guide

Journey mapping is a structured, visual method to explore how family members and practitioners experience child welfare processes and services. Our guide covers using two complementary journey mapping approaches.

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Watch our film to help parents with learning difficulties or disabilities

We produced a film, in partnership with Speakup Rotherham, designed to help parents with learning difficulties or disabilities, and those that are supporting them or working with them.

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Milestones

In the media

10 learning points from pre-proceedings pilot

Children and Young People Now, July 2026

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In delivering this ambitious programme of work we have been pleased to be supported by and work closely with:

Family Rights Group extends its gratitude to Legal Education Foundation for funding this workstream.

Last updated: July 2026

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Our funding means we can currently only help 4 in 10 people

Your donation will help more families access expert legal advice and support from Family Rights Group.

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