The local authority "letter of issues" and social services responses — what to do when you receive one
REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-09-01
What a letter of issues is
When a family court needs social-care input in private law children proceedings — typically where serious allegations about parenting, neglect or risk have been made — it can ask the local authority to consider the case under s.7 of the Children Act 1989 (a welfare report) or s.37 (whether care or supervision proceedings are needed). Rather than a full report, the local authority often replies with a "letter of issues": a short letter identifying what concerns it has, what (if anything) it proposes, and why it does not consider the case needs care proceedings.
The document is deliberately short, but it can shape the whole case: a negative letter of issues can support findings against a parent; a positive one can defuse allegations.
What the letter usually contains
- A summary of the concerns the court asked the local authority to look at.
- What checks were done (police checks, school, health, previous involvement).
- A conclusion: whether the threshold for intervention is or is not met, and whether the local authority intends to do anything (e.g. offer early help, child in need plan, or nothing).
- Sometimes recommendations for the family court (e.g. contact should be supervised pending assessment).
How to respond effectively
1. Read it against the request. Compare the letter with the questions the court actually asked. If the local authority answered different questions or did not speak to key people (the school, health visitor, you), point that out. 2. Correct facts in writing, quickly. Send a short, dated, factual letter to the author and social work manager identifying errors, with documents attached. Ask that your response be filed with the letter in the court bundle. 3. Ask the court to deal with it. If the letter is inadequate, a party can apply (often on Form C2) for the court to direct a fuller s.7 report, re-consider the s.37 route, or list the matter for the local authority to attend. 4. Do not ignore an offer of help. If the letter proposes early help or a child in need plan, engaging constructively is usually far better than refusal — and engagement history is itself evidence later.
If the letter says the local authority will not act
That is often good news for a parent defending allegations: the local authority with statutory duties saw no basis for intervention. Ask for that conclusion to be placed before the court and recorded. It does not end the private law dispute, but it removes one of the most influential voices.
When the letter escalates
If the letter signals that the local authority is issuing care proceedings or wants a pre-proceedings meeting, take legal advice immediately — public law proceedings have different rules, different funding (legal aid is broadly non-means-tested for parents in care proceedings) and a strict 26-week timetable.
Official links
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41 (Children Act 1989, ss.7 and 37)
- https://www.cafcass.gov.uk/ (how reports and local authority input are used)
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2 (statutory safeguarding guidance)
This page is general information, not legal advice. YourFamilyCase.co.uk is an independent information directory and is not affiliated with HMCTS or gov.uk.
Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.