A Comprehensive
Range of
Assessments
Through our panel of highly experienced independent social workers, we can provide a comprehensive range of social work services including ParentAssess, PAMS, risk and parenting, viability, high-risk and connected persons assessments.
Working to strict deadlines, we deliver evidence-based reports at competitive rates to provide a fair assessment of the case and achieve the best possible outcome.
01
Learning Difficulty/
Additional Needs
Assessments
Under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, the responsible Local Authority has an ongoing general duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their area who are ‘in need’ and promote the upbringing of those children by their families as long as this is consistent with the children’s welfare.
A short, focused, adult-based assessment that considers the merits in further assessment work being undertaken, focusing on a person’s history, their strengths, identified risks, their capacity to engage and the aspects required to be considered in the context of a fuller assessment of parenting or contact risk.
Our standard Comprehensive Parenting and Risk Assessment follows the Department of Health Framework for the Assessment of Children and Families.
It examines identified risks, the family history, adverse childhood experiences, family & environmental factors, the child’s needs and the parent’s capacity to meet those needs.
02
Risk and Parenting Assessments
03
Advanced High-risk Assessments
The AAA Risk Assessment broadly mirrors the Resolutions Model of assessment. The ‘Assessment Analysis Achievement’ risk assessment (or ‘AAA’ assessment for short) is used to assess parents or carers where findings have been made as to their responsibility for causing or failing to protect a child from physical injury.
Each assessment is prepared as per the Local Authorities specific template to ensure compliance with individual policies, procedures, and panel requirements. Assessments can recommend that the child is fostered under a care order, made the subject of a Special Guardianship Order in favour of the applicants or a Child Arrangement Order in favour of the applicants.
04
Connected Persons Assessments
05
Statutory Services
The Department of Education’s 2014 Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care states that on every occasion a child goes missing, on their return they should be should be offered an independent Return Home Interview (IRHI) by someone who is not involved in caring for the child or young person or from the responsible Local Authority itself (unless the child has a strong relationship with a carer or social worker and has expressed a preference to talk to them rather than an independent person). The interview should be conducted within 72 hours of the child returning to their home or care setting.
Part 6 of The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations (England) 2010 sets out requirements for the review of all looked-after children’s cases by Local Authorities.
A looked-after child (LAC) review is a regular meeting, chaired by an Independent Reviewing Officer, that brings together professionals and those people who are closely concerned with the care of a child to discuss the current and future arrangements for the child’s care and all aspects of his/her care plan and welfare.
06
Early Help and Intervention Services
07
Additional Services
An Adoption Assessment (Annex A report) is completed in circumstances where an application has been filed by a child’s prospective adoptive carer(s) for an Adoption Order and the court requires evidence as to whether the order sought is consistent with the welfare of the child (throughout his life) having regard to the welfare checklist set out in section 1(4) of the Adoption and Children Act 2002).
