Parenting Assessments

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Our parenting assessment service is carried out by trained and experienced practitioners and is nationally recognised, court approved, family focussed and approved as a leading assessment service for families. The result is an evidence and knowledge-based report used to continue supporting and planning for the family.  We predominantly use the ParentAssess framework but can also use PAMMS if preferred by the commissioning body. 

The aim of conducting a parenting assessment is to work out, in an evidence informed manner, what knowledge a parent or care-giver has about their child's needs and then analyses their ability to give the child 'good enough' care as is the legislative requirement. 

The assessment model is in line with, and in many ways exceeds the requirements set out in legislation such as the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families (DoH, 2000), the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) for children and young people (DCSF, 2010) and Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfE, 2015, 2018). 

When completing the assessment the independent assessor will look at lots of different areas of parenting to build a picture of how the family functions and the quality of the parents skills. Child care and development and behaviour management seem reasonably obvious in a parenting assessment but we will also look at independent living skills, safety and hygiene and the parents health as well as relationships and support and the impact of the environment and community on parenting. This holistic assessment of the family allows us to produce a report which is underpinned by evidence and knowledge, rather than assumptions, paperwork and scenarios.