Independent expertise. Human understanding.0333 987 5118

INDEPENDENT SOCIAL WORK · ENGLAND & WALES

Expert social work.
A clearer
way forward.

Mental capacity assessments and independent social work across England and Wales. CHC and EHCP support in England. For families and professionals.

A real conversation. Help identifying the next step.
PEOPLE FIRST. ALWAYS.
Three older adults looking at a smartphone together. OUR STARTING POINT

A person.
Not a case number.

Independent minds. A shared commitment to care.
11,000+

assessments completed

Our own team

permanently employed professionals

Every report

peer reviewed before delivery

England & Wales

national assessment coverage

Assessment total confirmed by Nellie Supports in July 2026. Explore our practice and evidence

WHAT DO YOU NEED HELP WITH?

Start with your situation.
We’ll bring the expertise.

You do not need to understand the system
before you ask for help.

Not sure which route is right? Tell us what is happening
Two older adults sharing a hug at home.The person is always the starting point.

THE NELLIE APPROACH

Professional rigour.
Human to the core.

Important decisions deserve more than a form. They deserve someone who listens, asks the right questions and explains what the evidence means.

01

Independent in our thinking

We report what the evidence supports, not a preferred outcome.

02

A team, not a referral panel

Employed practitioners, shared standards and a second professional reviewing every report.

03

Clear about the practicalities

Scope, fees and expected timescales discussed before you decide to proceed.

See the standards behind our work

ONE PRACTICE. SHARED STANDARDS.

On your side.
Independent in our evidence.

FOR INDIVIDUALS & FAMILIES

You bring the questions.
We help make sense of them.

A change in health. A decision about care. A question about capacity. You can come directly to us, even when you are not sure what to ask for.

Talk about your situation
FOR SOLICITORS, DEPUTIES & PROFESSIONALS

Your instruction.
Our independent expertise.

Decision-specific assessment and clearly reasoned evidence, with the required report format and scope agreed at instruction.

Discuss an instruction

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Less uncertainty.
One step at a time.

  1. 01

    We listen

    Tell us about the person, the situation and any important dates.

  2. 02

    We agree the plan

    Understand the service, the cost and the expected timescale before booking.

  3. 03

    We do the work

    Professional assessment, careful review and clear next steps.

UNDERSTANDING CHANGES EVERYTHING

A little clarity.
Before you take the next step.

Explore all our guides

LET’S MAKE THINGS CLEARER

You don’t have to
work it all out alone.

Start with what is happening. We will listen, explain your options and help you find the right support.

Clear pricing

Do your prices include VAT?

Where VAT applies, our displayed prices include it, so you can see the cost clearly. When comparing quotes, check whether VAT and any additional charges are included. We explain any separately chargeable costs before you agree to proceed.

All travel is charged separately at £48 per hour including VAT (£40 excluding VAT). The travel cost and any additional work are confirmed in your written quotation before booking.

Read the ASA guidance on VAT in price advertising ↗

More about the practice

Named professionals, employed in one team

Founded in 2019 by registered social worker Ben Slater, Nellie Supports is built on a permanent, full-time employed team of registered social workers, a Chartered Psychologist and specialist assessors. No associate bank, no referral panel. Across every service, from care planning to court evidence, that means shared standards, internal peer review and a named professional who answers for the work.

Our practice, services and frequently asked questions

A diagnosis, care decision, court application or question about education can leave you unsure where to begin. Our employed team of social workers and specialists provides independent assessment and support, with the purpose, scope and next steps explained before an instruction begins.

Start with the question you need answered. Our reception and client liaison team can identify the relevant service and explain the next step.

Nellie Supports is a specialist independent social work and mental capacity assessment practice serving England and Wales. Established in 2019, it works through a permanent, full-time employed multidisciplinary team. Services include mental capacity assessment, social care and expert evidence. CHC and SEND/EHCP services follow England's frameworks. The practice confirmed more than 11,000 completed assessments in July 2026, and every report is peer reviewed before release.

peer reviewed before delivery

assessments completed; figure confirmed July 2026

permanently employed professionals

mental capacity and independent social work coverage

Independent assessment, care planning and ongoing support through Nellie Plus.

Capacity assessments, certificate provider services and support with revoking an LPA.

EHCP and SEND advocacy in England through Little Nellie's, our dedicated SEND division, from needs assessment requests to tribunal representation.

Assessments for the particular decision, using its relevant legal test. MCA decisions and the separate common-law test for making a will are explained on the individual service pages.

Information and independent social work support for England's CHC screening, assessment, review and challenge routes.

Independent expert evidence for the legal purpose specified in an instruction. The applicable court rules, professional role and report requirements are agreed for the case.

Call or send an enquiry to our reception and client liaison team. An initial enquiry does not itself provide an assessment or detailed case advice.

We listen, confirm what you actually need and recommend the right service, with a clear price before you commit.

A registered professional carries out the work around the person, at home, in hospital, in a care home or by video.

The report is written, peer reviewed by a second qualified professional and delivered securely.

Principal Social Worker and Mental Capacity Assessor

Chartered Psychologist (BPS)

Founded in 2019 by registered social worker Ben Slater, Nellie Supports is built on a permanent, full-time employed team of registered social workers, a Chartered Psychologist and specialist assessors. No associate bank, no referral panel. Across every service, from care planning to court evidence, that means shared standards, internal peer review and a named professional who answers for the work.

When a diagnosis, a dispute or a care decision leaves you unsure what to do next, we explain everything in plain English, arrange the assessment around the person, and keep you informed at every stage.

Structured, independent evidence and assessment for solicitors, deputies, attorneys, case managers and local authorities, from single instructions to contested, high-value matters, prepared with expert duties in mind.

Published consumer service fees include VAT. The written quote confirms the work, total fee and separately charged travel or additional work before you commit.

All travel is charged separately at £48 per hour including VAT (£40 excluding VAT). The travel cost and any additional work are confirmed in your written quotation before booking.

Our reception and client liaison team handles your enquiry and confirms appointment arrangements. Tell us about any actual deadline at first contact.

The report should identify its purpose, the relevant framework, evidence, reasoning, conclusions and limitations. The correct test depends on the decision; making one's own will is distinct from an ordinary MCA assessment.

No. A court, tribunal or public body makes its own decision. A report should explain what the evidence supports and any limits, without promising acceptance, funding or another preferred outcome.

Our editorial policy explains how general guidance, named practitioner perspectives and individual professional work are distinguished, and how sources, corrections and review information are handled.

Read about the Mental Capacity Act 2005and our professional standards.

Tell us the question, location and any deadline. We can explain the appropriate service and arrangements before you decide whether to instruct it.

Client feedback

read experiences on our Google reviews page

Efficient and well-organised service. The assessor was thorough, professional, empathetic and produced a comprehensive report. Excellent service all round.

Google review, Nellie Supports client