Public Law Children & Care Proceedings

Are You Eligible for Legal Aid?

If you’re feeling unsure or worried about the costs of getting legal support when a social worker is involved with your family – you’re not alone. Our public law children and care proceedings team are here to make things as simple and stress‑free as possible.

When you first get in touch with us our care proceedings team will discuss your situation, and:

• Check whether you’re eligible for legal aid and explain it in a clear, down‑to‑earth way.
• Offer you a free one-to-one with a children law specialist.
• Support you if you’ve received a Letter Before Proceedings   (part of the Public Law Outline/PLO process), helping you understand what it means and what happens next.
• Stand by you in PLO meetings with social care, and court hearings, making sure you feel supported and never left to face things on your own.
• Offer sensitive advice if domestic violence or abuse is involved, always putting your safety and well being first.

We can also help with private family matters, like child arrangements and child maintenance agreements. We know money worries can add to the stress, so we offer free consultations, fixed‑fee options, and clear, upfront costs — no surprises.

Whatever your situation, we’re here to listen, guide, and support you with kindness and care.

If Social Services are involved with your family, our Public Law Children and Care Proceedings team can provide a free, confidential assessment of your situation. Contact us or call 0114 2496693 for to discuss your situation. We will be happy to assess you and advise you on your eligibility for legal aid.

Social Services Involvement

Reaching out to social care or responding to a social worker can be confusing and stressful. Our experienced care proceedings team takes the time to listen, understand your worries, and explain everything clearly. We work with compassion, patience, and respect, helping you make informed decisions that protect your family’s wellbeing.

We can help you when social services first contacts you. Whenever possible, we will join you in PLO meetings and represent you in court. We will also help you apply for legal aid if you are eligible.

We have experience representing parents and other family members in all sorts of child protection situations which lead to care proceedings. These include cases where social workers worry that any children are being neglected. This includes cases where family members are accused of hurting or abusing children.

Find out more on how we can help with social service involvement.

Social Services →

How Our Public Law Children and Care Proceedings Team Can Help

Our public law children and care proceedings team can help you and your family with any child protection issues related to social services, such as:

• Offering advice at the first instance a social worker contacts you.
• Represent parents and other family members in care proceedings.
• Deal with child arrangement orders.
• Explaining your rights where children may have suffered sexual abuse, physical or emotional harm.
• Advising on parental rights.
• Offer advice and speak or write to social care on your behalf when they raise concerns about a child’s safety.
• Explain your rights and provide advice when a social worker talks about taking a child into care.
• Give advice and support where family members wish to care for a child who is at risk of being taken or has been taken into care.
• Help applying for special guardianship orders.
• Advising on grandparent rights.
• Give advice when social workers seek an Emergency Protection Order.
• Give advice with cases surrounding non-accidental injuries.
• Give advice and represent you with other aspects of social care involvement with children, including pre-proceedings (PLO) meetings, child protection conferences and child assessment orders.
• Give advice when parents or other family members wish to make contact with children in care.
• Advise and support parents who seek the return of a child in care and the discharging of care orders.
• Advising parents in cases where the court is being asked to make a Special Guardianship order for their child.
• Advising parents where they seek the court’s permission to oppose the making of an adoption order.
• Help applying for a Prohibited Steps Order.

Our public law children and care proceedings solicitors are supportive, patient, and non‑judgmental specialists. They will guide you through every step of your childcare case, helping to reduce any fear, worry, or uncertainty about the legal process.

As experienced social care experts, we will use our experience and legal knowledge to support you and work towards the best possible outcome for your children. We will also explore all available funding options, including Legal Aid, to ensure that quality advice is accessible and affordable.

We are also here to offer appropriate help and support in the aftermath of an investigation by a social worker.

If Social Services are involved with your family, our Public Law Children and Care Proceedings team can provide a free, confidential assessment of your situation. Contact us or call 0114 2496693 for to discuss your situation. We will be happy to assess you and advise you on your eligibility for legal aid.

Free Assessment for Children and Care Proceedings Matters

If Social Services are involved with your family, our public law children and care proceedings team can provide a free, confidential assessment of your situation. Whether you have received a pre-proceedings letter, been invited to a Public Law Outline (PLO) meeting, or are already involved in care proceedings, we can discuss your circumstances, advise on potential eligibility for legal aid.

If we can assist further, our specialist team can provide expert legal advice and representation throughout the process. We offer flexible appointments across Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham.

Free Assessment →

Who Can Howells Represent?

Parents and carers:

If you have parental responsibility for a child, then it is necessary to obtain professional legal advice the instant social services are in contact with you.

Our public law children and care proceedings team solicitors have years of experience representing parents and family members in complex cases where a social worker is involved, and we have a wide and thorough knowledge of Children Law.

Grandparents and other family members: 

If you are concerned about how your grandchild or a child related to you will be cared for and looked after, our team can help you. We can help if:

• You wish to be assessed to care for that child.
• You are caring for a child and are not the biological parent.
• You have previously cared for that child.
• Social services has completed a viability assessment of you/your family.
• You wish to have contact with the child.

See more on our grandparents rights page.

Although a non-parent or non-parental responsibility holder  is not automatically entitled to Legal Aid, you may still be eligible.

Children:

We can provide specialist representation of children of all ages in cases of this nature and are often instructed by Children’s Guardians to represent the interests of children involved in care proceedings.

Our public law children and care proceedings specialists are skilled in communicating effectively with children and work closely with Children’s Guardians to ensure that proceedings are explained in an age-appropriate way to young clients.

Contact us or call 0114 2496693 for free to discuss your situation. We will be happy to assess you and advise you on your eligibility for legal aid.

Children and Social Services

Social services can become involved with a family for many reasons, including:

• Concerns regarding drug or alcohol issues.
• Concerns regarding learning difficulties or mental health problems.
• Concerns relating to injuries.
• Concerns regarding sexual abuse.

When social care become involved with your family it can be a very traumatic and confusing time. We will always listen to you and give tailored, straightforward advice about how we can provide the best possible evidence to the court.

If you have been contacted by social services, have been invited to attend a meeting with a social worker or notified that you must attend court, it is vital that you contact us immediately to obtain legal advice and arrange representation.

Our experienced team will be able to talk you through the process, advise you of your rights, assess you for legal aid and arrange for one of our team to attend any meetings and represent you at court.

Contact us or call 0114 2496693 for free to discuss your situation. We will be happy to assess you and advise you on your eligibility for legal aid.

Care Proceedings

If social services have made an application to take action to protect a child from harm,  this is known as care proceedings.  You should seek representation from a care proceedings solicitor who can review your case and offer advice. A solicitor can also attend a pre proceedings meeting and represent you in court. You may be eligible for legal aid.

Contact us or call us on 0114 2496693 to book your appointment today to discuss your situation.

Read our comprehensive guide on care proceedings.

Care Proceedings →

Special Guardianship Order

Special guardianship orders provide stability for a child or young person who cannot be cared for by their parents. Only certain people can apply for a special guardianship order.

See more on our special guardianship page.

Special Guardianship →

The Public Law Children and Care Proceedings Team

The Howells public law children team is one of the best in the country and have over 40 years’ experience supporting families. They are ranked high on Review Solicitors where they have a rating of 4.9 out of 5 for their client care. Many of the team are also accredited by the Law Society Children Panel.

The public law children team at Howells are often praised by clients for their honesty, compassion, and down to earth approach with their clients, and are excellent at their client care making the process of your case far less stressful.

Call us on 0114 249 6693 or contact online