Social Services Involvement: What Should Councils Do for You?
Last updated: 13 November 2026 · Written by the family law paralegal team at Court Help Limited
In short: Social services involvement with families in England is now guided by the Children's Social Care National Framework, statutory guidance first published in December 2023 and updated in March 2026. Councils must follow it unless there's a good reason not to. It expects them to offer help early, work with your wider family, and use court only when it's really needed.
Key facts | Detail |
|---|---|
What changed | A national framework for children's social care: statutory guidance setting out the purpose, principles and outcomes councils should work towards; updated version published in March 2026 |
In force from | First published 15 December 2023; updated version published 18 March 2026 |
Where it applies | England only (Wales has its own social care law) |
The law (Act or rule and section) | Statutory guidance under section 7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 and sections 10(8) and 11(4) of the Children Act 2004; Children Act 1989 duties such as sections 17 and 47 are unchanged |
Who it affects | Children up to 18, care leavers up to 25, parents, wider family and kinship carers, councils and partner agencies |
Source checked (date) | GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk, 13 November 2026 |
What was the position before the national framework?
The main duties haven't changed. For councils in England, the Children Act 1989 still sets out when a council must help a child in need (section 17), when it must make enquiries because a child may be suffering significant harm (section 47), and when it can ask a court for a care order. Before December 2023, councils worked from the Act and from Working Together to Safeguard Children, but there was no single national framework saying what children's social care should actually be trying to achieve for families.
What changed, and when?
The Department for Education published the Children's Social Care National Framework on 15 December 2023. It's statutory guidance, which matters. GOV.UK says statutory guidance "sets out what you must do to comply with the law" and must be followed unless there's a good reason not to. The framework itself says councils should comply with it "unless exceptional circumstances arise". Other agencies, such as police, health and schools, must have regard to it.
On 18 March 2026 the government published an updated version, on the same day as Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026. The framework says its vision is "a system which provides the right help at the right time and supports more families to stay together", to be achieved through reform and the Families First Partnership programme.
A term you'll see throughout the framework is "Family Help". This brings together targeted early help and the support councils give children in need under section 17, delivered by multi-disciplinary teams so families aren't passed from one service to another. The framework is clear that "the legislative framework (including section 17) has not changed". So this is a change in how councils are expected to work, not a new law.
The framework is built around six principles:
the child's welfare comes first
children's wishes and feelings are asked for, heard and responded to
practitioners work with the whole family, building on its strengths
children are raised by their families, with their family networks, or in family environments wherever possible
agencies work together in a joined-up way
councils take account of the economic and social circumstances affecting families
It then sets four outcomes: families stay together and get the help they need; children are safe in and outside the home; children are supported by their family network; and children in care and care leavers have stable, loving homes.
What does social services involvement look like under the framework?
If you're a parent, the framework tells you what good practice should look like when social services get involved. It isn't a list of rights you can enforce in court, but it is the standard your council is meant to work to, and you can point to it.
First, help should come early and feel like help. The framework asks councils to offer support "at the earliest opportunity, with services that are rooted in communities", and says families "have the right to privacy". Support shouldn't feel judging or stigmatising. If you want to know what normally happens next, our guide on what happens after a referral to children's services walks you through it.
Second, plans should be made with you, not just handed to you. The guidance asks practitioners to "co-create" plans with children, families and the wider network. You can ask what the plan says, what each person has agreed to do and how the council will know things are better.
Third, your wider family should be brought in early. Outcome 3 expects family-led options to be explored "before the local authority issues care proceedings, wherever safe and possible", and that includes parents whose children don't live with them. The framework calls family group decision-making "the bedrock of practice" for senior leaders. Since July 2026 councils in England also have a legal duty to offer a family group decision-making meeting before applying for a care or supervision order, unless they think it wouldn't be in the child's best interests. Our guide to a family group conference before care proceedings explains how those meetings work.
Fourth, court should be a last step. The framework says councils should use the Public Law Outline, the court process for care cases, "effectively and only when necessary", and only after other reasonable options have been explored. It also says section 47 enquiries should be started only when they're needed. Our guide to section 47 enquiries explains what those involve.
Fifth, money worries aren't the same as neglect. The guidance asks social workers to tell the difference between hardship caused by poverty or acute family stress and harm caused by abuse or neglect. If your problems are mainly about money, housing or exhaustion, it's fair to say so and to ask for practical help.
For example, say a school raises concerns because a child keeps arriving late and hungry. The family's dad has recently lost his job and the mum works nights. Under the framework, the council would be expected to look at the family's situation as a whole, offer Family Help that fits, involve both parents in the plan, and ask whether grandparents or other relatives could help with mornings. A child protection enquiry would only follow if there were real worries about significant harm.
Who does the national framework affect?
It covers every child up to 18 who has contact with children's social care, whether they live at home, with relatives, in care or on their own, and care leavers up to 25. It's written for council social workers and managers, but it's also meant to be read by families and by partner agencies such as police, health services and schools.
Relatives are a big part of it. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and family friends who step in are expected to be identified early and supported. Councils are expected to publish a kinship local offer, and you can read more about support for kinship carers. If you're a grandparent worried about being left out, our guide to grandparents' rights may help.
What can you do if social services are involved with your family?
It's normal to feel defensive. Try to stay calm and practical. These steps usually help:
Ask which kind of involvement it is. Help offered under section 17 is different from a section 47 enquiry about significant harm.
Ask for a copy of any assessment or plan, and check the facts in it. Point out mistakes politely and in writing.
Name family members or friends who could help, and ask whether a family meeting or family group conference can be arranged.
Keep a simple diary of meetings, calls and what was agreed.
If you're asked to take a test, ask why and what happens with the results. Our guide on why drug or alcohol tests are ordered explains how testing is used.
If you get a letter before proceedings, take it to a solicitor straight away. That letter means the council is thinking about court.
If the council does apply to court, it's the court that decides, not social services. Our guide on how care orders work explains the process. Parents with parental responsibility are usually entitled to legal aid for care proceedings without a means test, and a solicitor can confirm this for you. You can check the wider rules in our guide to legal aid for family court.
If you're unhappy with how the council has treated you, you can use its complaints procedure. Keep it factual and say which parts of the framework you think weren't followed.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Children's Social Care National Framework the law?
No, it isn't an Act of Parliament. It's statutory guidance issued under section 7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 and the Children Act 2004. Councils in England must follow it unless there's a good reason not to, and the legal duties still come from the Children Act 1989.
What are the reasons for social services to get involved?
Social services usually get involved after a referral from a school, health visitor, GP, police or a family member, or when a parent asks for help. They can offer support to a child in need under section 17, or make section 47 enquiries if they think a child may be suffering significant harm.
Can social services get involved without my consent?
Help under section 17 is offered to families, and you can usually say no to it, although refusing help may be taken into account if worries grow. Section 47 enquiries are a duty on the council, so it doesn't need your agreement to start them where there's reasonable cause to suspect significant harm, although it may need a court order if you won't let it see your child.
Can social services take my child to court?
Social services can apply to the family court for a care or supervision order, but only a court can make one. The national framework says the Public Law Outline should be used only when necessary, after other reasonable options, including help from the wider family, have been tried.
Does the national framework apply in Wales?
No. The Children's Social Care National Framework applies to England only. Wales has its own law for children's social services, mainly the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, and its own guidance.
How we can help
Court Help Limited is a family law paralegal firm in England and Wales. We're not solicitors and we don't represent clients in court, but we can help you understand letters and plans from social services, prepare for meetings, organise your paperwork and put your side across clearly. Email help@incourt.co.uk or use the contact form on our website, and you can read what our clients say in our Google reviews.
Related guides
Sources
Department for Education: Children's social care national framework (statutory guidance, England; first published 15 December 2023, updated 18 March 2026), checked 13 November 2026
Children's social care national framework: statutory guidance (March 2026, PDF), checked 13 November 2026
GOV.UK: Working together to safeguard children 2026, summary of changes (18 March 2026), checked 13 November 2026
Children Act 1989, section 17 (legislation.gov.uk), checked 13 November 2026
Children Act 1989, section 47 (legislation.gov.uk), checked 13 November 2026
Local Authority Social Services Act 1970, section 7 (legislation.gov.uk), checked 13 November 2026
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, section 1 (family group decision-making, legislation.gov.uk), checked 13 November 2026
Legal Aid Agency: Scope of family proceedings under legal aid (May 2025, PDF), checked 13 November 2026
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (legislation.gov.uk), checked 13 November 2026
This article is general information about the law in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and should not be relied on as legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts, and court fees and procedures change, so check GOV.UK for the latest position. Court Help Limited is a family law paralegal firm, not a firm of solicitors, and does not represent clients in court.
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