David has worked in the legal sector for 30 years. He is a Solicitor, Director and Head of Switalskis' Child Abuse Compensation department.
Switalskis Solicitors Ltd
19 Cheapside
Wakefield
WF1 2SD
David Greenwood is Head of Switalskis' child abuse compensation team based in Yorkshire. He’s committed to improving the rights of survivors of child abuse and to changing child protection laws for the better.
David has helped literally thousands of abuse survivors pursue compensation claims and has advised many more on the best way to achieve justice. He advises on every stage of the process.
Over the years the David has forged a national reputation as a leading child abuse solicitor, renowned for excellence, particularly in relation to his work around child sexual exploitation (CSE) . He led the way on working with whistle-blowers and survivor organisations to uncover wide-scale abuse in Rotherham. The team now represents over 100 survivors of abuse in Rotherham and are now instructed by CSE survivors around the country.
David has an interest and good knowledge of claims against church organisations , councils, exploitation cases and against abusers direct. He’s worked on various campaigns to improve the rights of survivors of child abuse such as avoiding fixed legal costs and retaining legal aid in these cases. David does his best to influence government to implement recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).
Lobbying for compensation schemes
David is involved with a number of organisations aligned to his specialist child abuse compensation work including:
David insists on a personal approach to helping survivors of child abuse. Building and maintaining trust is essential. This can only be done by meeting and talking through the issues and explaining what a survivor can expect when embarking on a case.
He’s worked on a number of high-profile cases, including many group actions. These have included the Rotherham grooming scandal, the Anglican and Catholic abuse cases, council care homes, Medomsley Detention Centre and the Lambeth Council cases.
David is a nationally recognised specialist in child abuse compensation claims. He appears regularly in the written, TV and radio press discussing the impact of child abuse on victims.
"David Greenwood and Switalskis are the best firm in the country. They are so honest, put the clients' interests above their own, and are driven by a sense of Justice. They are even willing to take a loss financially at times for the greater cause of justice. David goes way beyond the call of duty for his clients. Look no further. Switalskis is the firm for all your legal challenges."
Child Abuse Compensation Client
A report on British gymnastics in 2022 revealed some gymnastics coaches had pushed children too far, encouraging them to eat less and train whilst injured.
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has embarked on an investigation into harm done to detainees at Medomsley Detention Centre in County Durham. My hope is that their findings lead to a wider possibly public inquiry into state sponsored violence against detainees between 1965 and 1995 in the country’s young offender institutions.
Professor Alexis Jay published the Future of Church Safeguarding report, outlining next steps for how the Church of England responds.