Assessments
Families West have a wealth of experience in producing high quality, child focused, assessments, which are considering as risk analyses by both Local Authorities and Family Courts.
Every assessment is subject to clear, professional, analysis and quality assured in-house to guarantee consistency across all Independent Social Workers who meet the stringent standards to become an Associate.
All Families West Associate Social Workers have unrestricted access to in-house supervision throughout the process of each assessment and, where needed or requested, there is also scope to draw upon the services of a professional clinical supervisor.
Parenting Assessments: Using the standard framework for assessing children in need and their families, our independent practitioners will assess parenting capacity, with the prime focus on the parents' ability to meet children's needs, and can be completed either with single parents, or as a joint assessment.
Foster Carer Assessments (Form F): Identifying where an applicant or applicants are suitable to be approved as foster carers, to determine the kind of fostering for which they are suitable and to consider any terms of approval.
CUBAS: Designed to assist the courts, social workers, psychologists, parents and the legal profession, CUBAS is the most functional parenting assessment tool available.
CUBAS is simple, inclusive, and takes a facilitative approach to evidence gathering, with built-in analysis and report formats.
PAMs 'Parent Assessment Manual' Following Dr Sue McGaw's framework, utilising PAMS 4.0 software, these assessments are adapted to invoke inclusivity and are designed to consider parents who have learning difficulties or may be struggling with mental health issues.
We provide both PAMs and parenting assessments for families working with local authorities, who are involved in either private or public law proceedings.
Families West can also offer independent parenting and PAMs assessments in a residential setting.
Other assessments. . .
Sibling Assessment: This form of assessment is designed to recommend whether children and/or siblings are better placed together or apart. . . assessing the best option for each child, both as an individual and as part of a group.
A sibling assessment is approached from each child's individual need base, factoring in the important and significant relationships within that child's family unit.
Viability Assessment: This initial assessment will help determine which members of a child's family (or friends' network) are suitable to continue onto a connected person's Special Guardianship.
Special Guardianship Assessment: In line with the Special Guardianship Order Regulations 2005, this comprehensive assessment will determine if the subject can potentially care for a child now, and that they can meet all of a child's emotional and physical needs throughout the balance of their minority.
Although quite intrusive, this important process will help a Court decide where it is best for a child to live long term.
Connected Person's Assessment: A comprehensive assessment to establish if placement with a given person is in the child's best interest, and they can meet all of the child's needs.
Rehabilitation / Reunification Assessment: This crucial process will assess if, and when, a child can return home to their parent(s).
Contact Assessment: An assessment of current and future contact arrangements with anyone deemed significant in a child's life.
Section 37/7 Reports: These court ordered assessments in respect of families may be required for private proceedings.
Quality Assurance Assessment: This assessment identifies the strengths, and those areas that may require improvement, in a specific service area as determined by a Local Authority / Team.