Social care out of hours and emergency contact

We know that not all unexpected, major problems happen during normal office hours or can wait for help until the next day. We provide an emergency social work service at night, at weekends, and on all public and local authority holidays, wherever you live in the county. Call us on 01926 886922 outside office hours only.

Office hours are 9am to 5.30pm Mondays to Thursdays, and 9am to 5pm on Fridays. At these times, please call the Customer Service Centre on 01926 410410.

What sort of problems can we deal with?

Difficulties with children and young people, including advice to carers, and appropriate adult representation with the police.
Child protection issues within or outside the family.
24-hour helpline in support of care leavers.
Older people who are at risk or who need immediate help.
Concerns about a person with a physical or a sensory disability.
Domestic problems within a family.
Support in coping with someone who has severe learning disability or mental health problems.

Who will answer the phone?

First you will speak to an operator who will ask you for your name and a contact phone number. You do not need to tell the operator anything about your problem. The operator will then contact an officer from the Emergency Duty Service who will phone you back, usually within half an hour. All staff who are part of this service are social workers trained to deal with emergencies when normal support services are not available.

What happens next?

The emergency duty officer will talk to you about your problem. If it needs to be dealt with by another agency, the officer will tell you and give you their contact details. If the problem cannot be sorted out over the phone, we will arrange to visit you or the person with the problem. If English is not your first language or if you have any communication difficulties, it would help if you had somebody with you who is comfortable speaking English when you contact us. We can arrange for an interpreter if necessary.