Advice service

Family Rights Group provides free advice and information to families in England and Wales who are involved with local authority children's social care services about the care and protection of their children. Our service is independent of all other statutory agencies, and is non-judgmental.

We aim to help people to understand their rights, and explore the issues which have arisen between the family and children's social care services, in order that they may make realistic choices about the options available to them.

Whom do we advise?

We advise anyone who is involved with children's social care services about the care and protection of their children. We also advise anyone who would like to receive support from children's social care services to assist them in caring for their children. We do not advise on matters of private law unless there is local authority involvement.

People we advise: parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, young people and other relatives, foster carers, adopters OR any professional or advocate working with a family involved with social care services.

What do we advise about?

We advise about any matter concerning the care and protection of children, including:

• family support services (or a lack of them);
• child protection
• accommodation (when children are looked after by the local authority on a voluntary basis)
• care (when children are looked after by the local authority under a court order)
• placement of children who are looked after (including family members)
• contact with children who are looked after
• children returning home to live with their families when they have been looked after
• placement for adoption
• adoption
• leaving care
• residence orders and special guardianship

How do we advise families?

Families who approach us have a range of needs. Some need advice and support to address the issues, understand their rights and express themselves in the decision-making processes of the local authority; others may understand the issues and their rights but simply want a second opinion.

The service we offer therefore varies according to individual needs and circumstances, but may include any combination of the following:

• support to address the issues;
• verbal and written information about local authorities' duties and responsibilities, the legal framework, and best practice;
• help to clarify what information is required for the family member to be able to make informed choices;
• help to identify and reflect upon the options available;
• help to formulate and express their views. This might include help to draft letters to social care services, and to prepare for meetings/conferences, provided we have staff time available; and
• signposting to other organisations.

Advice line
We provide advice and information over the telephone on our advice line which is staffed by a number of advisers from legal, social work and advice work backgrounds. The advice line is open Monday - Friday 10:00am - 3.30pm on freephone 0800 731 1696.  We also provide advice in response to emails and letter.

Written advice and information
We provide written advice and information to families by:

• sending them any of our advice sheets which are relevant to their situation and setting out in detail any additional advice given over the phone
• writing to them personally to answer any written queries which we receive by letter/email.

We are also able to provide some families with additional advocacy support, please click here for further information

Do we advise in other languages?
We can give telephone advice in: English and French.

If anyone needs advice and information in another language, we can make arrangements for interpreting/translation if we are given notice. If you require this service, please email advice@frg.org.uk

Which geographical areas does our advice service cover?
We can give advice to anyone concerning social services processes in England and Wales. We do not give advice to people in Scotland as the legal system is different. If you live in Scotland and require advice please contact the CAB on www.adviceguide.org.uk/scotland.htm or the Scottish Child Law Centre - website www.show.scot.nhs.uk/fpct/mhweb/scotclaw.htm

Is our advice service confidential?
All advice is given in confidence. Information provided will not be disclosed to anyone without the caller's consent unless the information suggests that a child is at risk of suffering significant harm. In this situation staff will following Family Rights Group's confidentiality policy but will not stop supporting the caller unless that is their wish.

How is the advice service funded

The advice service has recently secured funded from the Department for Children, Schools and Families as part of their parent-know-how initiative to fund the advice service.  As a result we have been able to more than double the capacity of the advice service and now have two lines available and are able to open over lunchtime Monday to Friday.  The service offered however, continues to be run independently from all statutory agencies including government.

For more information contact advice@frg.org.uk