Get children's social care help
How to get support for your child and family from the children's social care team.
We can help if your child:
- needs support with maintaining their health or development
- has a disability
- needs protection
- is fostered, adopted or lives in residential care
A social care professional can give practical advice and information to help your family. They might:
- carry out an assessment of your child's and family's needs
- provide immediate help
- give you information about other support organisations that could help
- involve other professionals when assessing the help your or your child may need
How to ask for support
It's best to speak to someone you already know and trust like your child's health visitor, doctor or school staff. They can help you contact us.
If you need support for a child with special educational needs or a disability you can request an education, health and care plan assessment. Find out how to request an assessment do this via our local offer website.
The support you get can include:
- help getting your child into mainstream play activities in your community
- help with applying for one-off carer's grant
- parenting support
- arranging short breaks for your child or family
How we assess support needs
An assessment is how we work with you and your family to identify the support you may need.
A social care worker carries out the assessment.
We may speak to other professionals like teachers or health visitor who know you and your child well.
This is to help us understand what you need from us. We'll find out how they're already supporting you and how we can add to that help.
What happens after an assessment
Once you've been referred to us we must complete the assessment within 45 days.
With your help your social worker will agree a plan of action including:
- providing advice
- recommending other services
- agreeing a plan of support
Your social worker may arrange a family meeting. That could include you, your child, and any other relevant professionals. Everyone involved with your family agrees a plan, which gives details of:
- the services needed
- how long they're for
- the outcomes expected
- a review date
Moving to adult social care
If your child has had help from children's social workers they may get help from adult social care services once they reach 18.
The Local offer Care page explains what happens during the move to adult services.