Parenting assessment

[bells16]

Had CP conference in November and review is at the end of January. They mentioned a parenting assessment and now with 2 weeks to go , they have just sent someone to say it will be starting next week with family observations and talks with both parents seperately about how we were parented, etc.
My concern is this is someone that knows us from a previous job and they have already said that they know the history so I am worried that it will not be independent. Is there any rules as who can carry these assessments out? thanks

[Miserylovescompany2]

Hello

I will hazard a guess that it is dependant on the context - for example if the SW in question knows you or your family from outside their workplace. It is down to the discretion of the SW manager whether they allocate a new SW. The parenting assessment (unless undertaken by an independent SW) is just that, a parenting assessment. There is nothing stopping you from requesting in written format an independent SW. That said, they will still have access to all files held on your family.

What is it that you are concerned about? I have read through your previous posts and know a little of your story and that you have children with complex needs. I, too have children with complex needs and I am on the autistic spectrum myself. The part that worries me with the assessments is the assessors ability to interpret their observations. If I could do this over, the questions I'd be asking would be around their training and past experience in this area.

[PerfectlySafeDad]

At the very least establish what qualifications the assessor will have. This is a pretty deep and specialized area; your experience of your own parents, and your own outlook and skills in parenting. I would think you have every right to know what qualifications and background the assessor has to do this, and it shouldn't get their backs up if you request it. If it does, keep a note of it, and don't be fobbed of with some haughty comment like 'all our staff are appropriately trained'. Time and again, cases show that they can't get the staff (worst example I heard of was a 23yo student worker was assigned to do a full assessment of a bipolar Dad convicted of indecent images on his safety to be with his own kids, so much at stake, and said he was an abject danger although he was anything but, yet this then becomes gospel in the system), and they don't have access to facilities even when some wretched family is ordered to one (eg supervisory contact centres). Said student worker later failed their final training btw.
I would worry less about them knowing your full family history, since this is supposedly what is being delved into anyway. At least then you know everything is 'on the table' and less likely they can shift goalposts later on. If there's anything negative/weak/tainted in your past that they couldn't possibly know, never divulge it.

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Had CP conference in November and review is at the end of January. They mentioned a parenting assessment and now with 2 weeks to go , they have just sent someone to say it will be starting next week with family observations and talks with both parents seperately about how we were parented, etc.
My concern is this is someone that knows us from a previous job and they have already said that they know the history so I am worried that it will not be independent. Is there any rules as who can carry these assessments out? thanks

Dear bells16

Thank you for your post.

The parenting assessment should have looked at your strengths and weaknesses and bear in mind factors such as the care you can provide for your children, how safe your family setting is; the emotional relationship between parent and children; family stability as well as the historical information that Children Services held about you.

Most local authorities have a parenting assessment framework and if you were not given information about the local authority assessing you perhaps you could retrospectively ask for it, so that you can see the ‘standards at which you were judged’. The NSPCC have a document on their website about assessing parenting capacity, you can find it here.

Best wishes

Suzie