Claims Against Social Services | Irwin Mitchell (2024)

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If you or a loved one has been a victim of abuse due to negligence by social services, our lawyers could help you make a compensation claim.

You may be able to claim against social services if the local authority failed to manage your family appropriately, leaving you in a situation where you suffered abuse or neglect that could have been avoided. We've acted for hundreds of children and adults who suffered due to the failings of social workers, in cases where abuse has been committed by:

Parents
Siblings
Foster carers
Visitors to a family home
Relatives
People in positions of authority

Abuse cases can be complex and emotionally taxing. Our dedicated team of abuse solicitors has extensive experience making claims against social services and a high success rate in securing justice and compensation settlements for victims of abuse (both children and adults), while handling all cases in a caring and sensitive manner.

You can be reassured that your feelings, wishes and wellbeing will be of utmost importance to us throughout your case. If you'd like to discuss claiming against social services because of abuse or neglect, or just want to find out more information about the process, please contact us onlineor call 0800 022 3503 to arrange a free initial consultation.

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Claims Against Social Services - More Information

I just felt that they were very competent and that I could trust them, which is very important in a case like this. It’s hard to explain – I have nothing but praise about how we were treated.”

Peter, London

Sarah† was placed in care at an early age with her brother after suffering very serious abuse from her parents. In foster care, however, the abuse was continued by her brother. The local authority knew there was sexualised behaviour between the siblings but did not see fit to separate them until Sarah was 10.

30 different foster placements followed. She was again abused, this time by the adoptive son of one of her foster families. By the time she was finally considered for adoption, the effect on Sarah’s psychological health was irreversible. She developed a psychotic illness in early adulthood and became involved in drugs and prostitution, eventually ending up on a psychiatric ward.

When the local authority denied responsibility for Sarah’s suffering we took her case to the High Court and successfully secured compensation for her. Our Court of Protection team also worked with her to help her manage this compensation and avoid exploitation.

Read more about Sarah’s case and how we were able to help her.

When Would You Make A Claim Against Social Services?

You may be able to claim against social services if you were under the organisation's care when the abuse happened, or if neglect on the part of a social worker put you in a situation where you were abused. The abuser doesn't have to be someone employed by social services - it could have been a parent, siblings, a family member, a foster carer or a visitor to your family home that social services failed to protect you from.

Cases of abuse involving social services negligence can take place in a variety of settings:

The family home
At school
Foster homes
Children’s homes

If it can be shown that social services did not provide you with adequate care, or failed to take reasonable steps that could have prevented the abuse from taking place, you may be able to make a claim.

Any claim will normally be made against the local authority responsible for the department or service that should have prevented the abuse. If you have any questions about making a claim, please contact us onlineor call 0800 022 3503 for more information.

How Should Social Services Have Protected Me From Abuse?

There are a number of warning signs that social services should pick up on in order to reduce the risk of abuse or neglect. In many of the abuse claims we've investigated, we've been able to establish that social workers failed to:

Respond to referrals from schools, medical professionals, midwives, health visitors, family members or anonymous sources
Identify the signs of abuse and neglect in children from their behaviour and appearance
Investigate appropriately the history of a family to determine whether they are involved with dangerous individuals
Deal appropriately with disclosures made by young children
Adequately supervise children under their care

We can help to determine whether the Local Authority failed in its duty to provide care to children who were at risk of abuse. Contact us onlineor call 0800 022 3503 for a free initial consultation about your case.

Why Choose Irwin Mitchell For A Claim Against Social Services?

Whether you're a survivor of abuse yourself, or the parent or guardian of a child who has been abused, our specialist team of child abuse solicitors can help. We have years of experience in helping people to claim compensation settlements that can fund the therapy and counselling you need to help you move on with your life.

We work in total confidentiality with our clients, and our lawyers are highly trained in working with abuse survivors. We understand how difficult and painful it can be to bring up the details of past abuse, and at every step of the way we aim to make sure you're comfortable discussing your case with us.

Some of the social services abuse cases we've worked on include:

A £20,000 settlement for a woman who was sexually abused by clients of her mother, a prostitute, after she had been returned to her mother's care despite social services being aware of the risks – find out more about this case.
A compensation package for a Camden woman who suffered years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse from her own mother. Social services failed to protect her or monitor her wellbeing, even after numerous concerns were raised by neighbours – find out more about this case.

If you want to find out more about making a child abuse claim, or just to talk with an expert in a free initial consultation on your case, get in touch with us onlineor call on 0800 022 3503. There's no obligation to continue with us after this first conversation – we're happy to just discuss your case and offer some advice on the best way to proceed.

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