Hearings: getting help and advice

We understand that this process can be confusing or upsetting. We want to help make it easier for you to take part in the hearing.

If your case has progressed to a hearing, your fitness to practise case officer will talk to you about what happens next and answer your questions.

Contact your fitness to practise case officer (the email address and phone number will have been provided to you) if you need help to:

• understand letters sent you about the investigation
• understand the investigation process.

You can also contact the hearings team if you need help to:

• understand letters sent you about a hearing
• understand the hearings process
• respond to us about attending a hearing.
  

Contact the hearings team on:

Phone: 0300 303 3444
Email: hearings@socialcare.wales

Professional or legal advice

You may want to get professional or legal advice before you respond to us. You can do this by contacting:

• your trade union (if you’re a member of one)
• a professional association for example, BASW (British Association of Social Workers)
• you may consider using your own solicitor, but this can be expensive – other organisations listed may be able to help you for free
• Advocate: a charity which helps people find free legal help. You need to meet eligibility criteria to apply for this, and the Citizen’s Advice Bureau could help you check.
  
  Phone: 0207 092 3960 (Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10.15am to 12.45pm)
  Email: Enquiries@weareadvocate.org.uk
  Website: www.weareadvocate.org.uk

• Citizens Advice Bureau: Citizens Advice give free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. They can give advice on benefits, work, debt and money, consumer rights, family and housing, law and the courts, immigration, and health.
  
  You can visit one of their 3,500 branches or contact:
  Phone (Wales): 03444 772 020
  Phone (England): 03444 111 444
  Text relay: 03444 111 445
  Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk
  Web chat on www.citizensadvice.org.uk

We can give you confidential support through our well-being assistance helpline, but these organisations may also be able to help:

• Citizens Advice Bureau: Citizens Advice give free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. They can give advice on benefits, work, debt and money, consumer rights, family and housing, law and the courts process, immigration, and health.
  
  You can visit one of their 3,500 branches or contact:
  Phone (Wales): 03444 772 020
  Phone (England): 03444 111 444
  Text relay: 03444 111 445
  Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk
  Web chat on www.citizensadvice.org.uk

• Cruse Bereavement Care: helps bereaved people, offering free and confidential
  services.
  
  Phone: 08088 081 677​
  Email: helpline@cruse.org.uk
  Website: www.cruse.org.uk

• Dewis: information or advice about how to look after your well-being, or somebody else’s.
  
  Website: www.dewis.wales

• Dan247: Dan 247 is a free and bilingual telephone drugs helpline for anyone in Wales who needs information or help about drugs or alcohol.
  
  Phone: 08088 082 234 (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week)
  Website: www.dan247.org.uk
  Text DAN to 81066

• Harmless: Harmless gives help, information, training and consultancy about self-harm and suicide prevention. Available for people who self-harm, their friends and families and professionals and those at risk of suicide.
  
  Email: info@harmless.org.uk
  Website: www.harmless.org.uk

• Live Fear Free Helpline: Live Fear Free gives confidential help and advice to:
• anyone experiencing domestic abuse
• anyone who knows someone who needs help
  
  Phone: 08088 010 800 (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week)
  Text: 07860 077 333 (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week)
  Email: info@livefearfreehelpline.wales
  Live chat: www.gov.wales/live-fear-free (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week)

• Mind: Mind gives advice and support to anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Their legal line can give you information on mental health related law to the public, service users, family members/carers, mental health professionals and mental health advocates.
  
  For anything to do with mental health: 0300 123 3393 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm)
  Mind’s legal line: 0300 466 6463
  Info email: info@mind.org.uk
  Legal email: legal@mind.org.uk
  Website: www.mind.org.uk

• Refuge: If you’re experiencing domestic violence, you’re not alone. Refuge is the national charity which helps women, children and men experiencing domestic violence and other violence and abuse.
  
  Freephone: 0808 2000 247 (24 hours a day, seven days a week)
  Website: www.refuge.org.uk

• Relate: a relationship support charity in England and Wales. They offer counselling, information, mediation and support to individuals, couples and families, working face-to-face, online and on the phone with people of all backgrounds and sexualities at all stages of life.
  
  Website: www.relate.org.uk

• Samaritans: You can talk to Samaritans at any time about anything that's troubling you. Anything you tell them stays confidential. They can help you explore your options, understand your problems better, or just be there to listen. Samaritans is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
  
  Freephone: 116 123
  Email: jo@samaritans.org (response within 24 hours)
  Website: www.samaritans.org

• Shelter: Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through their advice, support, and legal services.
  
  Shelter Cymru
  Phone: 0333 5549 996
  Website: www.sheltercymru.org.uk
  
  Shelter England
  Phone: 0808 8004 444
  Website: england.shelter.org.uk

• Stepchange: Stepchange offers free debt advice based on your situation. They give practical help and support for however long you need it.
  
  Website: www.stepchange.org

• Turn2Us: a national charity to help people find benefits, grants and financial support online. It has a benefits calculator to find out what benefits, tax credits or other state support you’re entitled to. You can use the charity’s grants search to find money and goods from thousands of charitable funds.
  
  Website: www.turn2us.org.uk