What is an Assessment?
Either you, or someone acting for you, has asked Social Services for help with some difficulty you are having which affects your child or children.
Before Social Services can help, we need to know more about you and your family. We will talk with you about what we find out and agree what might be done. We call this an assessment.
Why is an Assessment being done?
By doing an assessment we will try to find out what help and support you and your family need and who could best give that help. What we find out will need to be written down.
Although Social Workers and other professionals normally take the lead in doing an assessment, it should always be done with you and in a way which helps you to have a say.
Anything you tell us will be held in confidence within Social Services. If we need to tell someone else what we have found out we will ask you if you agree. Only if there is a serious threat to the welfare of your child will we share what we have found out without your agreement or against your wishes. We will tell you what your rights are if we do this.
What will happen?
The Social Worker will usually meet you and others in your family to do an assessment.
The Social Worker will see and talk to the children involved and help them to join in and make sure they have their say in the assessment, wherever possible.
What your family feels is important about your ethnic background and your culture will be part of an assessment.
If we need help to make sure we are clear about what you or your child wants to tell us, we will find someone who can help us to talk to each other, for example, an interpreter or signer.
When other people are already helping you and your family, it is likely that the Social Worker will need to talk to them. This will be discussed with you.
If you do not agree with what is said, this will be written down as part of the assessment.
The aim of the assessment is to see where we can help and draw up a plan to help your child or children. You will be given a copy of the plan.
What will be expected of you?
We know that almost all parents want to do the best for their children. The more you are able to share with the Social Worker, the more likely we will be able to help you. The earlier you meet the Social Worker, the sooner we will finish the assessment.
What can you expect of us?
We will listen carefully to what you have to say, offer advice and, if necessary, offer support to help you bring up your children and find ways to help you with your difficulties.
We will let you know what we are doing and thinking.
We know that with a little help most families can sort out their own problems and our aim is to help you do that. In a very small number of cases, there are serious concerns about a child's safety. Making sure the child is safe will be our first concern. Please ask your Social Worker to explain this. You have a right to know.
We will try our best to offer you any help as soon as possible. There are often many more people needing help than there are services to give. This means that, sometimes, although everybody is agreed you need help, you may have to wait for it. If this happens we will always look to find another way to help. We are not able to promise that you will get the service you specially want.
How long will an Assessment take?
Our aim is to do an "Initial Assessment" within seven working days.
Sometimes we will need to spend more time doing an assessment if things are complicated or advice from people in other services is needed.
This fuller assessment is called a "Core Assessment" and should be done within thirty five working days. If help is needed before the assessment is completed we will try to provide it.
Tell us what you think
Your comments help us to improve the quality of our services, so please let us know what you think. It helps if you tell us when we do things well.
If you are not happy with the service you receive, try to sort it out with the person you are dealing with first. If you are still unhappy, Social Services have a formal complaints system.
This leaflet is based on text in Department of Health, Framework for the Assessment of children in need and their families.
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