Professional Credentials & Court Standards
Nellie Supports Ltd operates as a structured professional social work practice delivering independent mental capacity assessments, Court of Protection (COP3) reporting, NHS Continuing Healthcare appeals, retrospective capacity analysis, and life expectancy reporting across England and Wales.
Our work is relied upon by solicitors, professional deputies, and local authorities in matters requiring statutory compliance, evidential clarity, and CPR Part 35–compliant expert reporting.
This page outlines the professional leadership, regulatory framework, and governance structures underpinning our practice.
Since 2019, the practice has completed over 6,000 assessments nationwide.
Professional Leadership
Nellie Supports operates under defined professional governance, supervision, and quality assurance structures. Leadership within the practice ensures that all instructed matters align with statutory requirements, evidential standards, and regulatory obligations.
The practice operates under defined governance roles, with leadership responsibilities clearly structured across clinical standards, operational oversight, and professional supervision.
Director and Principal Social Worker
Ben Slater
Registered Social Worker, Social Work England
Ben holds a First Class Honours degree in Social Work from the University of Lincoln and has worked exclusively within adult social care since qualification.
His professional experience includes statutory assessment, capacity evaluation under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and Continuing Healthcare involvement, including Decision Support Tool processes.
He leads professional standards and evidential methodology across the practice.
and oversees:
-
COP3 deputyship assessments
-
Testamentary capacity assessments
-
Financial and LPA capacity analysis
-
Retrospective capacity review
-
Litigation-related mental capacity disputes
-
Critical analysis of existing MCA assessments
Ben has also contributed to higher education as a guest lecturer in safeguarding and social care legislation.
Ben retains overall responsibility for clinical governance, professional standards, and strategic direction across the practice. He maintains oversight of evidential methodology and regulatory alignment across the practice.
Director of Operations & Forensic Consultant
Kerry Slater
.webp)
MSc Forensic Anthropology
Affiliate Member, Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences
Kerry holds a Master of Science in Forensic Anthropology and applies structured scientific methodologies to life expectancy reporting and biological profiling in litigation contexts.
Her role within the practice includes:
-
Preparation of life expectancy reports for court proceedings
-
Application of anthropological and evidential analysis
-
Structured scientific reasoning within CPR-compliant frameworks
-
Multidisciplinary case coordination
Her academic research focused on forensic uncertainty and identification processes, reinforcing the evidential discipline applied within instructed matters.
In addition to her forensic and life expectancy work, Kerry oversees the client liaison and case coordination team, ensuring clear communication, structured onboarding of instructions, and timely progression of matters from instruction to report delivery.
Senior Social Worker and Lead Practioner
Louise Thornton
Registered Social Worker, Social Work England
MA International Human Rights Practice
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Louise specialises in adult social care legislation and mental capacity law. Her professional background includes statutory assessments under the Care Act 2014 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005, alongside senior academic leadership roles in higher education.
Within Nellie Supports and Little Nellie’s, Louise provides:
-
Formal professional supervision across practitioners
-
Methodological oversight of mental capacity assessments
-
Quality assurance of evidential reasoning
-
Compliance alignment with statutory requirements
-
Practice educator support for social work students on placement
Her academic background in human rights law strengthens the practice’s approach to proportionality, autonomy, and decision-specific analysis.
Regulatory & Professional Framework
The practice incorporates professionals regulated by Social Work England and Social Care Wales, and includes practitioners affiliated with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the British Psychological Society (BPS). This ensures that instructed matters are supported by appropriately regulated expertise across legal, psychological, and social care disciplines.
All professional services delivered by Nellie Supports adhere to:
-
Social Work England regulatory standards
-
Social Care Wales regulatory requirements (where applicable)
-
Solicitors Regulation Authority obligations (where applicable)
-
British Psychological Society professional standards (where applicable)
-
The Mental Capacity Act 2005
-
The Care Act 2014
-
CPR Part 35 expert witness duties
The practice operates under defined governance structures and professional supervision frameworks to maintain consistency, evidential discipline, and regulatory compliance across instructed matters.
No referral fees are accepted. Independence and impartiality are maintained at all times.