Children Adults Barristers
Framework Description
NEPO515 Children's and Adults' Barristers is NEPO's regional solution for barrister services in children's and adult social care cases. It covers representation in court proceedings and legal advice given in anticipation of or preparation for those proceedings. It is a single-lot framework, not a DPS, restricted to NEPO Member Authorities. It started on 4 April 2026 and runs to 3 April 2030, with an option to extend to 3 April 2034.
Context & Use Case
Council legal teams instruct counsel when social care cases reach court, for children and for adults. The framework lets them instruct barristers on agreed terms for representation at hearings and for advice in preparing cases, rather than procuring chambers case by case. As a regional solution, it gives councils across the North East one shared route to counsel.
Scope of Services
Representation in children's social care proceedings Representation in adult social care proceedings Legal advice in anticipation of or preparation for proceedings
Lots
Single lot
Who Can Apply
Suits barristers' chambers with established public law children and adult social care practices. Applications for this framework are closed, so chambers that are not appointed cannot join until NEPO re-tenders it, which may not happen until 2030 or, if extended, 2034.
Buyer Benefits
Care proceedings move fast and councils need experienced counsel at short notice. A single regional framework gives agreed fees, checked chambers and one route for all local authorities in the region, saving each council from running its own procurement for barrister services.
Next Steps
Chambers on the framework should keep clerking teams responsive and track instructions by council. Chambers not appointed should note the long term: the next opportunity may be years away, so look at other legal services frameworks open now, and keep a record of local authority work and outcomes for the eventual re-tender.
How Athena Can Help
Athena works with legal providers on long-term frameworks like this one that are closed to new applications. Our legal framework registrations work identifies which public sector legal panels are open or due to open, so chambers are not waiting until 2030.
When this or a similar panel is tendered, our bid writing for chambers service turns your public law expertise into high-scoring answers, and our fee and bid strategy advice helps set rates that win.
