Rook Irwin Sweeney LLP Reviews 

We highly recommend Anne-Marie Irwin and I don't know what we would have done without her.
Having been desperate with Social Care provisions and under "sanctions" Anne-Marie was very calm and reassuring, quick to reply to emails and kept in contact in a high pressure stressful situation with the NHS. Anne-Marie commenced work quickly and my daughters care package was restored and more.
Anne-Marie then helped us with the subsequent complaint and was always transparent with costs along the way.
I cannot recommend Anne-Marie enough,
empathetic , supportive and continues to support us to advise on a PHB.

We were personally recommended Rook Irwin Sweeney LLP and could not recommend them more highly. Very efficient and competent. We would go back if the case arises again.

I would highly recommend this company, especially Caroline Barrett and Jennifer Wright. They have an excellent knowledge of the whole SEND process. With their help we have finally managed to secure a place for our daughter in our preferred specialist school and we have secured the best ECHP our childhas ever got. Very good in recommending other experts like SALT and EP, always available, quick replying to emails, great advices, very professionals but also very understanding of our feelings as frustrated parents. Very transparent when it comes to cost and always trying to offer the best service keeping our budget in mind. I would once and again recommend them.

Caroline Barrett and Jennifer Wright have been absolutely amazing all the way through our case. Communication has been prompt, very supportive and always ensured that we understand the information that was given. We are extremely grateful that they not only represented us but that their dedication and expertise helped to find a positive outcome. This has made a huge difference to us and our family. Thank you sooooo much

Rook Irwin Sweeney Team, in particular Caroline Barrett has been fantastic to work with. Caroline made the entire process of fighting for my son’s right to a specialist education as smooth as it can be. She has always kept me informed and explained the process so I could make sense of it all. Caroline has always been more than happy to answer my calls if I had any queries even if she was extremely busy. Caroline presented caring, professionalism, empathy, and unconditional positive regards. I would happily recommend Rook Irwin Sweeney to anyone that needs legal support with SEN related problems in the future. I could not have asked for a better solicitor. I am grateful for all the work done and support given. Family can't believe it, so grateful for everything and it has made especially my son so happy, and the family. We are stress free. Thanks again Carol!

Faced with ‘unlawful’ sanctions by my daughters’ school I had to resort to getting a swift legal response to this nightmare scenario.
Thanks to Rock Irwin Sweeney LLP’ speedy intervention and expert support, in particular from Jennifer Wright, the school were quickly put on notice and immediately reversed all decisions concerning my daughter.

Thank you once again for all your help.

It's almost impossible for us to convey just how grateful we are for the support we've received from Rook, Irwin and Sweeney over the past 2 years. Accessing the company's social justice fund in 2020 was a defining moment in our long-standing battle with our local authority to secure our severely disabled daughter the educational and therapeutic support she desperately needed and was legally entitled to. We had been locked in an emotionally and financially draining battle with them and could see no way through as our daughter’s case has been so complex.

With the exceptional advice and support of partner Polly Sweeney we had hope for the first time. She has helped us to navigate a minefield of decisions and attempts by the local authority to bypass their legal responsibilities. Our daughter’s case has been particularly complex as it has involved a huge range of professionals and sectors. Polly’s outstanding ability to draw together various organisations and clinicians and create a spirit of collaboration to address our daughter’s complex needs has been crucial in securing our family a package of support.

The battle is not over - it rarely ends for SEND families - but Polly and her fantastic colleagues remain with us as they have been every step of the way. She has been more than just a brilliant legal advisor - she has been an outstanding advocate for our daughter and picked us up with her wisdom and care for us when we've felt like throwing in the towel. Our daughter would have no future without the firm's unwavering support.

Importantly James got us the results we needed. The journey there was a long one but he guided us well, answered any questions, was clear about our direction and the meaning of the LA's responses. Even when he was unavoidably absent, the company provided an excellent substitute who knew the case and supported us well. Despite how much we wanted a positive outcome, James never over-promised or misled us in any way. He was incredibly well informed and decided on our strategy very well. He suggested and succeeded in getting our son a personal budget from the LA to pay for support while we waited for the tribunal date. I would recommend RIS and James very highly.

Polly Sweeney and her team at this company are the best group I have worked with. She is responsive, empathic, caring and highly expert in her domain knowledge. She is focused on the needs of the young person, but also is very aware of the impact of educational needs on the wider family. Cannot recommend her highly enough.

I contacted Polly when I was having difficulty with continuing my sons EOTAS package. She immediately showed an interest and after sending all of the documents (of which there are many!) she had a really amazing understanding of his situation. This was impressive as his case was extremely complex. We progressed to a tribunal hearing where she supported us every step of the way with empathy, compassion and understanding. We won the package as my son had asked for in its entirety. Polly still continues to support us with efficient quick thoughtful professional replies to all email correspondence we have with her. Her advice is above and beyond and is seriously thought about. She evidently wants to ensure the best possible outcomes for the young people she is representing. I would not hesitate to recommend her for so many reasons. She is more than a 'solicitor' she really cares.

Thank you feels too paltry a phrase to express our deep sense of appreciation towards Alex Rook and his team at Rook Irwin Sweeney.

His professionalism, dedication, and above all his genuine caring, is no doubt the key to the success they were able to achieve. Day after day, week after week, they invested hours of their time to review the necessary paperwork and explore every possible avenue through which we could secure appropriate placement for our beloved disabled son.

We've worked together on several occasions over the years and I can honestly say that we are blown away by his integrity and selfless devotion. He took on our case as if it were his own, displaying a rare level of sincerity and commitment, which is truly touching.

This is the second time we have engaged the help of James Betts to help navigate through or daughters educational placement at both secondary school and college and her associated EHCP. We simply cannot praise James enough. He is so thorough and determined. We have been able to avoid tribunal on both occasions, all of which I put down to his perseverance and tenacity. We would not have achieved the level of support and college placement if it weren't for James. We would not hesitate in recommending James and Rook Irwin Sweeney to any family who needed help with their child's SEN provision.

Caroline Barrett has been amazing though out my UTT appeal. All this had been possible as I've had such a amazing team working with me. Thankyou so much for all your support and hardwork. Shes very empathetic, efficient, confident and professional. There are no words to express my gratitude for the outstanding work you've done.

RIS provided expert advice and support to a community looking to challenge a particularly controversial set of decisions taken by a local authority. The case was in many different respects, complex and difficult and yet RIS charted a clear path through the maze at all times. The firm's links to a first-rate QC meant access to specialist advice was readily available. I can't recommend this formidable team highly enough. My heartfelt thanks to all.

Humane, timely, accessible and meticulous - what more could you ask for?

Caroline of Rook Irwin Sweeney, has provided us with an amazing level of support and the case handling was impeccable. I do not have the words to do justice to the amazing level of support and professionalism this firm provides.

Caroline not only guided and educated us on the (unfortunately limited) legal art of the possible as far as the super-frustrating field of social care law is concerned, but also proved to be exceptional in ability to listen, to tease out the essence of what can be tackled, and to at least help us take clear stances where all we could do was to complain.
Aside from the instances when we did 'win', so often did we want accountability and consequence of wrongdoing to be applied to individuals or services on the Social Care or related "support" teams, but couldn't, in which case Caroline was very skilled to have us at least receive documented apologies.
And all of it within previously agreed cost parameters, and always with good guidance on cost-benefit realism.
Never thought I'd say this about lawyers, but Caroline and RSI are a pleasure to work with and highly recommendable.

1st legal company that held to cost control/prices quoted, results driven, knew not only the law, but children regs and procedures too. Caroline Barrett, Partner, helped us through multiple social care, CCG Cont care, and EHCP issues. She was knowledgeable and empathetic at dealing with the unenviable and unjustified position we found ourselves in, now recognised as, “carer blame”. I would highly recommend this firm and I talk from experience, we’ve had to use a few firms dealing with LA’s!!!

We were highly recommended to contact Anne-Marie Irwin and I don't know what we would have done without her. Having been in a very precarious position with Social Care provisions and as desperate as it gets, Anne-Marie was nothing short of miraculous- she was a force of nature, very calm and reassuring, extremely quick to reply to emails and kept in the best contact of anyone I have every come across which is a total relief in ongoing, very stressful holding patterns.
Anne-Marie secured every provision we asked for and more than we every imagined we could get.
I cannot recommend her highly enough- I will go with her for life and feel we are in the best, safest and most brilliant hands.
Molly

The case was handled extremely professionally, yet with great sensitivity.