Social Services Parent Assessment

[hadenuff]

Does anyone know if Social Services informally or formally Assess the parents of the child before taking them into care? Or do they use 10 year old plus history to make decisions? Also are they supposed to question the child to find out if there was any previous 'Abuse" Do they record these conversations in writing for the records?

Thanks

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear hadenuff

Welcome to the parents’ discussion forum.

My name is Suzie, online adviser at Family Rights Group. Thanks for posting.

You have asked a number of questions in your post but have not given very much information about your current involvement with children’s services (the new name for social services.

Firstly, children’s services will usually try to work with the family before making the decision to go to court unless, of course, it is an emergency situation. A parenting assessment can be done before an an application is made to the court or it can be done during the court case.

With regard to historical information, children’s services will consider this but cannot seek an order from the court based only on historical information. They do need to look at the current up to date situation as well.

Children’s services are able to speak with children on their own when there are safeguarding concerns to get a clear picture from the child or children’s perspective of their understanding of the environment in which they are living.

When a social worker has a meeting with parents, carers or other professional about the children they will usually keep a written record on the case file.

You may find it helpful to read our advice sheets below:

An introductory guide to Children’s Services
Family support
Child protection procedures
Care (and related) proceedings

The above advice sheets explains in more details how the process works when children’s services receive a referral and what action they can take to support families and safeguard children.

I hope you will find these helpful. Should you wish to speak to an adviser, please telephone our free confidential advice line on 0808 801 0366. The advice line is open from 9.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday.

Best wishes

Suzie