Liam Goggin
Director of Public Law Practice Area
English
Being placed in foster care can be a difficult experience in itself. If you suffered neglect or abuse, whether physical, emotional, or sexual, while in foster care, the impact on your life can be lasting. You have a right to seek compensation, and our Child Abuse Solicitors may be able to help you bring a claim in England and Wales, giving you the answers and acknowledgment you deserve.
If you were abused by another adult involved in your care while in foster care, for example, a social worker, we may also be able to help you claim against the local authority responsible for your placement.
At Simpson Millar, we have a dedicated and specialist abuse team that treats every survivor as an individual, providing compassionate, sensitive, practical legal advice. With extensive experience in abuse cases, we understand the courage it takes to come forward and tell someone what happened to you. We will do everything we can to support you.
When you are ready to talk about the abuse you experienced in foster care, we will discuss your circumstances and let you know whether we may be able to help you bring a claim. Depending on your financial situation, you could qualify for Legal Aid. If you are not eligible, we may be able to offer a No Win, No Fee arrangement, which means you won't pay any legal fees if your claim is unsuccessful.
Fill in the form below to get in touch with one of our dedicated team members, or call our team today on: 0800 260 5010
Neglect or abuse may be experienced by a child living with a foster carer. When a local authority believes a child is not safe at home, they may arrange for them to live with a foster family on a short-term or long-term basis. Depending on their circumstances, some children may live with more than one foster family while they are looked after by the local authority.
Most foster carers are dedicated to giving children the stability they need. However, abuse and neglect can still occur. Foster home abuse may include:
This could include hitting, slapping, shoving, burning, and kicking a child. It can also involve using objects to punish, hurt or injure a child.
Sexual abuse is when a person engages in sexual contact with a child. These cases can be complex and distressing, and our Abuse Solicitors have the experience to manage your claim with sensitivity and compassion.
This includes name-calling, humiliation, harassment, threats, and allowing a child to witness another person being abused. Emotional abuse can leave mental scars as painful and long-lasting as physical ones.
Neglect is when a child's caregiver fails to provide basic needs such as food, housing, clothing, healthcare, education, and safety. According to the NSPCC (the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children), neglect is the most common form of child abuse in the UK.
When you are ready to talk, we are here to listen. By speaking to us, you can quickly establish whether you may have a claim, whether that claim has a reasonable chance of success, and whether bringing a claim is what you want to do.
You can trust that we will give you the information you need to make these decisions, and we will be by your side throughout the claims process. If you are a parent bringing a claim on behalf of your child, we can support you through the process and point you towards support services we know and trust.
In most cases, foster care abuse claims are brought against the local authority that placed you in foster care.
Following a call with one of our team, we will review your personal circumstances and let you know whether you may be entitled to compensation. If you choose to bring a claim, we will support you at every stage.
A foster home abuse claim will usually name the organisation responsible for placing and overseeing your care. If the placement was arranged through a private fostering agency, a claim could be brought against that agency. In some circumstances, it may also be possible to bring a claim directly against the foster carer who abused or neglected you.
There are time limits that apply to some claims arising from abuse when you were a child, which will depend on the particular circumstances of the abuse that you experienced.
For child sexual abuse claims, there is no longer a strict limitation period in England and Wales. However, where possible, it is still advisable to issue a claim at court before your 21st birthday. If a claim is not issued until after your 21st birthday, a defendant may argue that the passage of time has affected the availability of evidence and that there can no longer be a fair trial.
For other types of childhood abuse, including physical or emotional abuse, claims should be brought and issued at court before your 21st birthday. However, the courts acknowledge that it often takes survivors a long time to talk about what happened to them. In some circumstances, the court can make an exception to the time limit and allow your claim to proceed outside of the limitation period, even if it happened many years ago.
We know the courage it took for you to come forward, so we keep the process as clear and supportive as possible. Here's what to expect:
Your first conversation with us is completely confidential. One of our team will take some initial information surrounding your circumstances.
A member of our team will review your case and advise whether you may be able to make a successful claim. We would never put you through the claims process unless we were confident you had a good chance of success. We will also take time to understand what you want to happen and the type of support you feel you need while the claim is progressing. Whether you decide to proceed with a claim is entirely your choice.
Your legal team will gather evidence, which may include records, witness statements, and police reports.
We will often arrange for you to see an independent psychiatrist or psychologist who will assess the psychological impact the abuse has had on you and prepare an expert report to support your claim.
Most abuse claims settle without a final court hearing, but we will be by your side throughout, even if your claim does go to court.
If your claim is successful, we will explain to you the amount you will receive ensuring you fully understand the outcome of your claim.
Our team can put you in touch with support organisations if you want further help with your recovery.
Our Child Abuse Solicitors have a national reputation for being compassionate, caring, and driven to get survivors the compensation they need to move forward. Members of our team have also advised on national inquiries.
By choosing us, you can trust that we will:
We're helping people just like you all over the UK! Get in touch with our dedicated team today!
If the provider was a private organisation that has since closed, you may still be able to claim through its insurer, or the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). We can help you identify who was responsible for your placement and gather the available evidence.
The evidence needed will depend on the circumstances of your case. This may include medical records, local authority and foster care records, school records, witness statements and, where appropriate, police records or other documents that help establish what happened. Our team has extensive experience obtaining records and gathering the evidence needed to support foster home abuse claims.
Yes. Many survivors are too traumatised to report abuse until years later or were threatened into silence. The important thing is that you have spoken up now. You can trust that we will swiftly let you know whether or not you can claim compensation.
Not always. Many abuse claims are resolved without the need to attend court. If your case does require a hearing, we will explain what to expect beforehand, prepare you for the process and support you throughout. Where appropriate, we can also ask for reasonable adjustments to make the process as manageable as possible.
Yes. The mental harm caused by physical or sexual abuse is well recognised, and part of your claim will include compensation for the pain and trauma you have suffered.
There is no right or wrong time to seek legal advice. When you feel ready, contact us on 0800 260 5010 or request a call back at a time that suits you. If we believe you may be able to make a claim, we'll explain your legal options clearly and help you decide on the next steps.
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Our specialist Abuse Claims Solicitors represented a survivor of historic childhood abuse in a civil claim involving alleged safeguarding failures by a Local Authority.
Vicarious liability is a legal principle that can allow organisations to be held responsible for abuse committed by people acting on their behalf. This guide explains how vicarious liability works in abuse claims, which organisations may be held accountable, how it differs from negligence, the evidence that may be needed, and how recent legal developments, including foster care cases, have strengthened survivors’ ability to pursue compensation.
Sexual abuse committed by another child can have lasting consequences, and compensation may still be available. This guide explains the legal options, including claims through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) and civil claims against organisations that may have failed to protect a child. It also covers how the age of the person responsible may affect a claim, the evidence that may be needed, and the time limits that could apply.
Fill in the form below to get in touch with one of our dedicated team members, or call our team today on: 0800 260 5010
