child services
child services

Lawyers for child care and children’s services.

In a highly challenging sector, you need lawyers who have the proven expertise to protect and grow your business.

Lawyers with expertise in children’s homes, services, and fostering agencies

We are recognised as a market leader with in-depth knowledge and experience. Based across London, Thames Valley and the South West, our team of lawyers are fully immersed in the children’s sector, which enables us to cut to the heart of urgent matters quickly, and help you plan for what may lie ahead.

Our aim is to get to know your business and become the strategic advisors you trust to provide insightful, pragmatic solutions. Our clients include nurseries, children’s homes, supported accommodation providers, specialist schools, colleges and fostering agencies.  Our advice covers many areas, including:

  • Sales and acquisitions
  • Real estate development, leases and construction
  • Refinancing
  • HR and employment law
  • Business immigration advice and sponsor licence applications
  • OFSTED registration
  • Challenging OFSTED inspection reports, enforcement action, ratings, cancellation of registration and prosecutions
  • Advice on local authority fees and commissioning contracts
  • Safeguarding
  • Mental capacity, DOLS and Court of Protection advice
  • Debt recovery
  • Data protection
  • Partnership and Shareholder Agreements
  • Litigation
  • Inquests
View the team

Recent success stories

Restructure and sale of the business and assets of a fostering agency to a national provider.

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Sale of a children’s services group consisting of a specialist school and six children’s homes to national provider for undisclosed sum.

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Advising children’s home operator in the refinance and purchase of two homes.

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Advising supported accommodation provider on a challenge to their OFSTED registration application.

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Advising large educational charity in relation to an inquest and health and safety prosecution.

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We previously spent 14 years working with mainstream hr/employment advice services, often feeling frustrated at inconsistent advice and risk-averse approaches to matters that impact the organisation. Moving to RWK/Help was a breath of fresh air. We work with a small, dedicated team that know our organisation, know the sector we work in, and know employment law to the granular. They help us navigate situations fairly, efficiently, and in a risk-informed way. The team ensure we always remain legally compliant but are also able to act in the best interests of the organisations when faced with a challenging situation. We couldn’t imagine going back to our previous way of working and look forward to continuing to build a strong partnership.

David Thompson
Inicio Group

Listened with acuity to our members, sought to build effective relationships with schools and Trusts, and offered insight and advice without prejudice…. [they] understands the challenges so many young people face in our unequal world, and clearly wish to play a part in removing barriers and opening access.

Lee Phillips
National Director Coop Schools
key contacts

Talk to our health and social care specialists about how they can help

Contact a member of the team today
James Sage
Partner | Co - Head of Health & Social Care
T: 01225 730 231 (DDI)
T: 01225 730 100
Email
Hazel Phillips RWK Goodman
Hazel Phillips
Partner | Co - Head of Health & Social Care
T: 01174 540 552 (DDI)
T: 01174 540 540
Email
Mei-Ling Huang RWK Goodman
Mei-Ling Huang
Partner | Chair of Partnership Committee
T: 01174 540547 (DDI)
T: 01174 540 540
Email

Our sector expertise

Schools & education
At RWK Goodman we understand the unique challenges faced by education providers in an increasingly complex regulatory and legal environment.
HELP for HR and Employment
Employment & Immigration
Employment law never stops evolving. Talk to our employment law specialists about how we can help manage your workforce
Business Dispute Resolution
In the ever-changing legal landscape, with sharpening competition and advancing technology, our clients are facing new and unique challenges.
Inquest advice for social care providers
As a social care provider you may well become involved in inquest proceedings, talk to our health and social care team today.
Corporate
We are a dynamic, forward thinking team of corporate lawyers with the technical knowledge and experience necessary to get deals done.
commercial lawyers
Commercial
Successful outcomes by becoming an extension of clients’ teams. We are commercial lawyers who understand your business and deliver results.
Construction & engineering
At RWK Goodman, our Construction and Engineering lawyers can help you rise to market challenges and make the most of new opportunities within the construction sector.
Help featured image
HELP for HR & Employment
Our HR & employment law advice service provides advice to help you navigate legal issues, free up the time you spend on dealing with them, and minimise the risk of Employment Tribunal claims.
Legal advice for dentists
In a highly challenging sector, you need lawyers who have the proven expertise to protect and grow your business.
Legal advice for GP practices
Running a GP practice means that you face varied challenges on an everyday basis. From dealing with premises to admitting new partners, you need an expert on your side.
Legal advice for veterinary practices
We have a team of lawyers who are experienced in acting for veterinary practices and who know how to resolve day to day issues around running your business.
Real Estate
Our focus is getting to know our clients’ businesses so that we can provide commercially attuned legal advice.
insights and opinions

Read more from around RWK Goodman

press
News  |  11:06:25
RWK Goodman achieves year of major growth for Health & Social Care team
Care sector specialist RWK Goodman has achieved growth of more than a third across its Health & Social Care team over the course of the last year, complemented by a number of complex transactions for expanding operators backed by REITs.
Opinion  |  09:06:25
Learning from Loss: A Comparative Analysis of Prevention of Future Death Reports in Adult Social Care (Jan–May 2024 vs. Jan–May 2025)
So far this year, there has been a notable shift in in the issuance of Prevention of Future deaths reports (PFDs), particularly in relation to care homes and community. When compared to the same period in 2024, there is a discernible increase in both the number and scope of these reports – highlighting the systemic pressures and the desperate need for reform in adult social care services.
Uncategorised  |  27:05:25
Land consent for schools – a summary
If you are entering into a transaction involving your land you may need consent dependent on the category of school and the nature of the transaction. In this article Rob Walton, Partner in our Real Estate team, summarises when consent is needed and an overview of the process.
Opinion  |  15:05:25
Immigration White Paper 2025 – key aspects for Health and Social Care.
The UK Government published its immigration white paper, ‘Restoring Control Over the Immigration System’ on 12 May 2025 which introduces plans for reforms across the immigration system with the aim of reducing net migration, strengthening domestic workforce development and tackling exploitation.
Opinion  |  14:05:25
Governments response to report on Support for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEN)
The UK Government has published its formal response to the Public Accounts Committee's 2024–25 report on Support for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This follows extensive scrutiny of how effectively the current SEND system is delivering for young people, including powerful contributions from the National Association of Independent Schools & Non-Maintained Special Schools (NASS).
press
News  |  08:04:25
Gemma Nicholas joins RWK Goodman’s health and social care team
RWK Goodman is pleased to announce that Gemma Nicholas has joined the firm’s health and social care team as a senior associate. Based in the London office, Gemma enhances the capability of this fast-growing sector group.
press
News  |  04:04:25
RWK Goodman advises DEA Properties on the acquisition of Berkshire’s Haldane House
Care sector legal specialist RWK Goodman has supported a growing care home provider on its expansion in Berkshire with the acquisition of an assisted living home.
Opinion  |  03:04:25
CQC Review of IT System
Opinion  |  03:04:25
How to navigate the social care financial crisis from an HR perspective
Providers are facing significant financial pressures due to increases in Employer National Insurance contributions and the National Minimum Wage, as well as the underfunding of local authority contracts.

View more articles related to Health and Social Care