Child Care

Child care specialist team

Liz Newbold
Head of Graysons Child Care Division

Liz worked as a solicitor for Local Authorities for over 16 years – Sheffield, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

She conducted care and adoption proceedings and advised social workers and senior managers at case conferences and strategy meetings.

Liz was legal adviser to Nottinghamshire’s Registration and Inspection Committee (which ensures day care standards for children) and in Derbyshire, she was also legal adviser to the Adoption Panel.

Liz is a member of the Law Society Children Panel* and represents children and guardians in proceedings in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

 

Pat Wotherspoon

Pat has over 21 years experience as a specialist child care lawyer.

She has worked for Bradford, South Tyneside, Sheffield and Rotherham local authorities as well as representing parents, children and their family members in private practice.

Pat has acted as a legal advisor to a Social Services Committee, 2 Adoption Panels and an Area Child Protection Committee. She has been involved in multi-agency training in child protection as well as training prospective foster and adoptive parents.

Pat is a member of the Law Society Children Panel*.

Helen Alder

Before qualifying as a solicitor Helen Alder was a social worker and worked in a child protection team for six years. She has experience of care proceedings and case conferences. She has also worked with a wide age range of children in residential and foster care and children within the “secure” system.

Helen has worked as a specialist social worker in a community drug team in Rotherham where she worked with parents and pregnant women who had involvement with Social Services as a result of drug use.

Helen has extensive knowledge and experience of the ways in which drug and alcohol misuse can affect family life and significantly, how to access appropriate support and services.

Helen is a member of the Law Society Children Panel*.

Contact us for a consultation or follow the links for more information.

*A panel of solicitors recognised by The Law Society as experts in this area.