Access Social Care

What Access Social Care does

Access Social Care (legally 'Access Your Right to Care', charity registration 1186714) is a London-based specialist legal charity that provides free advice, training, and advocacy on adult social care law in England. It was incubated within Mencap from 2017, piloted in 2018 with Mencap, Dimensions and Choice Support, and spun out as an independent national charity on 1 April 2020 with founding grant funding from the Oak Foundation. The organisation primarily serves disabled people, older people, family carers, and the social-care provider organisations that support them, with casework typically focused on challenging unlawful local-authority decisions, securing entitled care packages, and challenging charging decisions.

The organisation's core product is AccessAva, a 24/7 free online chatbot developed in partnership with Springbok AI and authored by specialist lawyers that delivers personalised, jargon-free guidance on social care rights. This sits alongside a free telephone advice line, formal casework and strategic litigation (98% case success rate), paid training programmes for sector staff, and a network of community hubs in Gloucestershire and Croydon supported by peer navigators. A separate Data Portal combines datasets from multiple social care helplines with AI-generated narrative analysis of each local authority, feeding an annual State of the Nation report. The technology stack is text-based conversational AI for AccessAva plus a data integration layer for the portal; there is no public API or SDK offering.

The business model is a blended charity funding structure rather than commercial revenue: (i) recurring membership fees from 28 social-care provider organisations, (ii) grants from a diversified roster of UK foundations and trusts (Oak, Baring, Dulverton, Rayne, Pears, Julia Rausing, LEF, JRF, Nesta, Law Society, CareTech and others), and (iii) public donations supplemented by a recurring monthly giving programme. Service capacity is extended by pro bono legal support from City law firms (Fieldfisher, 39 Essex, Orrick, Slaughter & May, Baker McKenzie, Garden Court Chambers) and the University of York law clinic. All end-user services are free at the point of use.

Name

Access Social Care

Legal name

Access Your Right to Care

Website

https://accesscharity.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Access Social Care is a London-based charity providing free specialist legal advice, training, and advocacy on adult social care rights in England, serving disabled and older people, family carers, and 28 sector member organisations via casework, a 24/7 AI chatbot (AccessAva), and community hubs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Care Legal Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Resources, Social Services & Transportation Coordination (HLADALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technology Assistance & Digital Support for Seniors (HSABAAAH), Family/Caregiver Engagement & Proxy Access Management (HLACAEAL)

Keywords

• Social care legal advice
• Community care law
• Legal rights training
• Social care advocacy
• Disability legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Social care providing organisations become members to access legal advice, training, and casework support. Organisations like Dimensions, Choice Support, Mencap invest in and co-fund the shared legal service.
2. Donations and grants: Charity relies on donations from public and grants from foundations and trusts to sustain legal efforts. Monthly donation programme encourages recurring contributions.
3. Pro bono legal support: Network of city law firms (Field Fisher, 39 Essex, Orrick, Slaughter & May, Baker McKenzie) and University of York students provide free legal support, extending service capacity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Access Social Care is a specialist community care legal charity that provides free legal advice, casework, and training to help disabled and older people enforce their rights under the Care Act 2014. The charity operates a 24/7 AI-powered chatbot called AccessAva that delivers personalised social care guidance, alongside telephone-based legal advice, member-organisation referrals, community hubs in Gloucestershire and Croydon, and structured training for social-care provider staff. It is funded by an annual membership model paid by social-care provider organisations, supplemented by grants and donations.

Product overview

Access Social Care operates as a multi-product legal charity providing specialist legal advice and training for social care in the UK. The core offering consists of AccessAva (an AI-powered 24/7 chatbot providing free social care rights guidance) combined with direct casework and telephone-based legal advice services. Supporting services include Legal Rights Training programmes, Community Hubs in Gloucestershire and Croydon, the annual State of the Nation data report, the State of our Nation podcast, the Government Transparency Campaign (FOI legal challenges), and the Community Care Lawyers Group (professional community of practice). The products work together to provide legal education, enforce rights through casework, and drive systemic change through data and strategic approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AccessAva: A 24/7, free online service providing clear, personalised guidance about social care rights, developed by specialist lawyers. Listens to users and provides practical next steps.

Products and services

• AccessAva 24/7 free online chatbot that provides clear, personalised guidance about social care rights without jargon; developed by specialist lawyers and designed for disabled people, older people and family carers.
• Legal Rights Training Specialist legal training programmes for organisations providing direct support to people who access social care, empowering staff to understand and enforce legal rights under the Care Act 2014 and related legislation.
• Casework and Telephone-based Legal Advice Free, confidential, impartial legal advice delivered via telephone and direct casework to disabled and older people referred by member organisations and community partners.
• Community Hubs (Gloucestershire and Croydon) Community-led legal rights hubs in Gloucestershire and Croydon that bring together people, organisations and grassroots initiatives to raise awareness, provide advice and empower residents to access care and support they are entitled to, supported by peer navigators.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% case success rate with legal cases
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Garden Court ChamberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2024Hosting Community Care Lawyers Group pop-up events and contributing speakers on community care law topics and MoJ fee consultation responses.
• Irwin MitchellminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 March 2024Providing venues for regional hub events in Manchester and Bristol for Community Care Lawyers Group activities.
• Springbok AIcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Technology partner for award-winning AccessAva chatbot development. Victoria Albrecht (Founder and CEO) discussed technology behind chatbot and journey of digital innovation.
• Croydon MencapcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Community hub partner hosting Casey Commission session; referring clients and collaborating on local social care issues.
• Gloucestershire County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Pathfinder council partner for data insight project combining digital products with legal outreach. Council taking evidence-based approach to transformation with culture of openness.
• University of YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Law students support Access Social Care clients through Letter Writing Clinic, providing advice and assistance with writing to local authorities about social care issues.
• Field FishercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018City law firm providing pro bono legal support to help manage caseload and extend legal advice capacity for community care cases.
• 39 Essex ChamberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Barristers' chambers providing specialist expertise on community care and mental capacity cases through pro bono support.
• OrrickcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018International law firm providing pro bono legal support for social care cases.
• Slaughter & MaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018City law firm providing pro bono legal support and expertise on community care matters.
• Baker McKenziecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Global law firm with volunteers working on community care cases including charging issues like the Southend Council minimum income guarantee case.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Mind: UK mental health charity providing information, advice and advocacy that intersects with social care rights (Care Act section 117 aftercare, mental capacity). Comparable as an advice-providing charity with overlapping beneficiary population, but with mental health rather than social care as its primary lens.
• Alzheimer's Society: UK dementia charity providing advice on social care rights, NHS continuing healthcare and welfare benefits to people affected by dementia. Comparable beneficiary population (elderly and disabled adults needing social care) and similar non-medical advice and advocacy services, though focused on a specific condition group.

Direct peers

• Independent Age: UK charity offering free advice and information to older people on social care, benefits, and later-life planning — a very close direct peer to Access Social Care with overlapping elderly social care advice and a comparable free-to-user non-profit model. (Independent Age is also an Access Social Care member organisation.)
• Disability Rights UK: National disability charity led by and for disabled people, providing advice on social care rights, benefits and independent living. Directly comparable as a non-profit advocating on Care Act and social care entitlements for disabled adults — Access Social Care's primary beneficiary group.
• Carers UK: National charity supporting unpaid family carers with information, advice and advocacy on social care and carers' rights. Comparable as it serves Access Social Care's "family carers" segment with similar non-medical, rights-based advice across Care Act and welfare issues.

Broad incumbents

• Law Centres Network: UK federation of not-for-profit law centres providing free legal advice and representation in social welfare law to disadvantaged communities. Closely comparable operating model — charity-funded, specialist legal advice for people denied rights — though broader in scope across housing, immigration, welfare and employment.
• Age UK: Major UK charity providing advice, information and advocacy for older people on social care, benefits, and rights — overlapping directly with Access Social Care's elderly-focused segment and Care Act expertise, though delivered as part of a wider portfolio including local services and campaigns.
• Citizens Advice: UK's largest independent advice charity providing free, confidential advice across social welfare law including social care, benefits, housing and debt. Highly comparable as a non-profit advice provider with a similar free-to-user model, though far broader in scope than Access Social Care's specialist social care focus.

Others

• Mencap: Major UK learning disability charity where Access Social Care was incubated and from which its founding legal team TUPE-transferred. Comparable as a learning disability advocacy organisation serving overlapping beneficiaries, though Mencap is also a member/partner rather than a direct service competitor.
• Shelter: UK housing and homelessness charity providing free specialist legal advice on welfare rights and statutory entitlements. Comparable as a non-profit advice charity that uses casework, campaigning and FOI/data-driven advocacy to drive systemic change for vulnerable people.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/access-social-care-asc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Access Social Care