Social care

We are passionate about care and work with all elements of care systems to deliver better outcomes for commissioners, providers and end-users. We act for public and private sector organisations at national and local level, drawing on our wide experience and full-service offering to innovate in support of our clients’ long-term objectives.

Market leading work on the transition to Integrated Care Systems and the health and care change and transformation puts us at the vanguard of developments in care and supports strategic collaboration with our clients, to both deliver the needs of the moment and plan for future change.

We offer robust legal services in child and adult social care, managing complex cases that significantly impact community welfare. Care require broad expertise, and we bring the weight of our corporate, local and national government and health practice to the work we do for our clients.

We draw on expertise from across our practice, including advice on statutory powers and duties, commissioning and procurement, information and data, employment law, public law challenges, commercial disputes and liability claims.

Social care services

Social care

Legal 500 2025

"They approach legal problems with a human, pragmatic angle. They are a delight to work with."

Why choose us?

Our commitment to understanding and advancing our clients' objectives, coupled with our strategic involvement in high-profile projects, underscores our position as a top-tier legal adviser in the sector. We provide a full-service offer, supporting clients on the things that really matter to them.

Sector-leading expertise: Our practice is increasingly concerned with advising local government and others on matters connected with social care and healthcare transformation, including advice to the LGA and Welsh LGA on local government response to key policy developments.
An unrivalled reputation in the social care arena: Our team is instructed by both local authorities, and those who contract with them, for the furtherance of children and adult social care services.
Landmark case work: We acted for a council and its insurers to obtain permission to appeal to the Supreme Court and successfully reinstate an original strikeout of a negligence duty of care claim arising from a period of respite care - a landmark decision that has led to a significant downturn in negligence claims against local authorities nationwide.
Integrated care system transformation: We have led the firm's work on local government involvement in integrated care systems, including advising on the establishment of system elements and governance across a local authority's affected functions.

Comprehensive and responsive services for all adult and children’s social care needs: With expertise in, adult care law, children’s services law, depravation of liberty, SEND, public law, procurement and contracting, information law, care technology we are able to bring the right experience to bear on any social care matter.

Integrated care system transitions

Guiding a local authority on their transition to being part of an integrated care system, including reviews of structures and governance.

Supporting a local authority through complex supplier disputes

Supporting a local authority in a complex supplier dispute and successful transition to a new provider. Dispute included commercial disputes, overpayment issues, and threatened JR of service user care plans and of MO decisions.

Supreme Court appeal on duty of care

Acting for a council to successfully reinstate a strikeout of a claim regarding duty of care in respite situations, setting a precedent that reduces costly negligence claims against local authorities.

Deprivation of liberty in the community

We represented a local authority in a case where a young man with autism and learning difficulties was being deprived of his liberty in his supported living placement. We supported the local authority in obtaining a deprivation of liberty order from the court, to authorise the restrictive but necessary care arrangements.

Neighbourhood working

Turning policy ambition into practical delivery

"Our aim is to help create repeatable, scalable approaches that make neighbourhood working easier to deliver in practice - building the practical, organisational and legal foundations that allow communities to thrive."

How we're supporting neighbourhood working

Mental Health Act 2025: Legal comment on royal assent

"Rebecca Fitzpatrick, Partner and Head of Health Advisory and Inquests, covers the reforms on the 1983 legislation and the steps taken to modernise mental health law."

Mental health legislation reform

Deprivation of liberty case: Effective multi-agency collaboration

"We summarise the background of deprivation of liberty case Re N (A Child) (Deprivation of Liberty Orders) [2025] and key learning points for health and social care providers to consider. "

Read the case summary

Injunctions in the Court of Protection

Protecting vulnerable adults from obstructive behaviour

"This article examines University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust v AB [2025], in which we were pleased to represent the applicant NHS Trust. The judgment provides guidance on when and how the Court may issue such injunctive orders. "

Read the case summary

Self-neglect and capacity

Insights from recent regulatory and safeguarding adult reviews

"In October 2025, we delivered a seminar examining current concerns and effective responses to self-neglect in England, drawing on analysis of Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessments of local authorities and recent Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs). This article synthesises key insights from that analysis."

Analysis of safeguarding adult reviews

The Assisted Dying Bill: What health and social care professionals need to know

"We examine how the Bill, at the time of writing, would function in practice and its potential impact on the NHS and health and social care practitioners."

Find out more

What does the 10-year health plan mean for social care?

"The 10-year health plan offers the clearest indications yet of the government’s vision for social care. We break down the key points and the implications for health and care providers, the including the importance of collaboration in the sector around the evolving shape of health and care reform"

NHS 10-Year Plan

National audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse (June 2025)

"A full analysis on Baroness Casey's landmark review. The audit’s findings demand a whole‑system response, with every part of the public sector playing a proactive role in prevention, detection, and support for victims."

Read the full legal analysis