Emergency social work help

If you need urgent social work help in the evening, at night, at weekends or on a public holiday, you can contact our Emergency Social Work Service.
We support people when a problem cannot wait until the next working day.

When to contact us

You should get in touch if you or someone else needs help straight away and waiting would put someone at risk. If it is not urgent, please contact your local social work office during normal opening hours.

What happens when you call

A duty worker from the emergency team will answer your call. They will listen to what is happening and explain what you can do next. They may:

• give you advice over the phone
• suggest another service that is better placed to help, and give you their contact details
• pass your concern to the right social work team the next working day
• visit you, or the person who needs support, if a face‑to‑face response is needed

What we can help with

We deal with a wide range of urgent social work issues, including:

• child protection
• concerns about a child’s care
• adult support and protection
• concerns about vulnerable adults and older people
• requests for appropriate adults

If you’re unhappy with the service

Please speak to the worker or manager involved so we can try to resolve the issue quickly.
If you still feel unhappy, you can make a complaint. Information is available on our comments, compliments and complaints page.