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Assessment Services

We undertake comprehensive family assessment/intervention programmes with parents to ascertain their ability to care safely for their child/ren. We work with a range of families, varying from those requiring predominantly skills development and support to those where serious abuse and/or neglect is known to have occurred. In the main, we work with families where there are serious concerns about the risk to a child’s well-being.

A comprehensive family assessment includes the evaluation of risk factors such as family history, domestic violence, substance abuse, alcohol misuse, mental health issues, chaotic lifestyle and poor parenting experience. In addition, the family’s strengths and protective factors are assessed to indentify resources that can support the family’s ability to meet its needs and better protect the child/ren.

We show due sensitivity to the individual needs of children and families, and all parents are treated as individuals with potential for change.  Throughout the assessment & intervention process we treat all family members with dignity and respect. We strive to work in partnership with families, promoting parental engagement and participation throughout the process, seeking to build on strengths and empower parents to acknowledge, own and address concerns.  This enables us to establish a clear and accurate picture of needs, risks, protective factors and potential to change.  We ensure parents/carers are fully aware that the child’s safety, health and welfare must be given first priority.

All assessments are guided by ‘Assessment Requirements’ (as identified by the placing Local Authority) or ‘Joint Instructions’ and an Assessment/Placement Plan is constructed prior to the commencement of any assessment.   

Comprehensive family assessments always consist of two elements, i.e. parenting assessment and risk assessment.

Parenting Assessment

The assessment and intervention is in line with the ‘Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families’ and within this framework we systematically collect and analyse information to support our professional judgement. The assessment therefore takes into account the three domains:

  • The child’s developmental needs;
  • Parental Capacity – the parent(s) ability, commitment and motivation to respond appropriately in meeting these;
  • The wider family and environmental factors.

We provide a Child Protection/Child-Centred Approach in which the safety, health and well-being of every child comes first.  This remains the primary focus of our work with parents.  Throughout the process the assessment team (Team/Case Manager and allocated Family Assessment Workers) incorporate a range of direct individual work, group work and daily observations, as well as utilizing other external resources as deemed appropriate to meet the needs of the family and its individual members.  

Risk Assessment

The risk assessment process:

  • is ongoing
  • expands as new information emerges, so that family strengths as well as problem areas need to be continuously redefined and considered in case planning
  • systematically assesses the family’s strengths and needs in order to link to the most appropriate level of services
  • takes into account the frequency, intensity, nature and duration of risk factors and child protective factors which may decrease or increase the risk of abuse and/or neglect.

Flexible Services to meet individual needs

Both Centres are able to provide a wide variety and combination of various assessment arrangements in order to meet the needs of children and their families & to provide detailed information and analysis for decision making purposes.

Whilst most of our assessments are conducted between 4-12 weeks, we can work to a range of timescales and, due to our resourceful tailoring of assessments, we can undertake assessments in varying formats.

What is our uniqueness?

Dudley Lodge is committed to providing a first class service and believes that the components of our uniqueness are :

The QUALITY of our assessments;
The FLEXIBILITY of our assessments;
DECISIVENESS - placements do not last any longer than they need to;
The STABILITY of the staff team; and
Our INDEPENDENT STATUS

Assessment Formats

Residential Assessment

 

Hurdle#

 

Viability Assessment

 
 

Ways We Assess

During the referral stage and before the family commences their assessment with us, the referrals manager will discuss with you the family's needs, including any strengths and concerns. Decisions around the levels of monitoring a parent(s) and their child(ren) require, will depend on the level of concerns and risks to the child.

The majority of parents undertaking assessments with us will begin with a high level of monitoring so a baseline assessment of the parents’ parenting capacity and their needs can be completed. We discourage excessive supervision levels if these do not match the risk, for instance, 24-hour surveillance for a family where risks are long-term as opposed to immediate. 

We encourage regular reviews of supervision levels during meetings but also ad-hoc dependent on progress and/or concerns.

There may be occasions where the risk dictates that 24/7 surveillance or CCTV needs to be implemented to ensure the safety of the child/ren during the assessment. Due to the staffing provision that this requires, these high levels of surveillance incur an additional fee will occur (please see below).  

CCTV Options

Whilst we can provide CCTV in our flats, the cameras are positioned to focus on the child. As such, the CCTV camera in the parents' bedroom only focuses on the child's sleeping area. This does mean there are some 'blind spots.' Additionally, the cameras are only installed in rooms such as the lounge and bedroom. Therefore, any corridors, hallways in the flats will not be covered by CCTV. 

  • Background CCTV: Background CCTV is switched on in the family’s flat but not displayed in the main staff office, and therefore not monitored by a worker. Background CCTV can be viewed retrospectively.  
  • CCTV Monitoring: CCTV cameras will be switched on in the family’s flat and this will be displayed in the main staff office. The CCTV will be checked at intervals by a member of staff, alongside the family receiving regular visits and supervision of tasks.  

 

CCTV Frequently Asked Questions