All assessments are only ‘snapshots’ in time - providing a picture of a family at a particular stage - and, as snapshots, they need to be collated, integrated and reviewed to provide a fuller picture of the family when considering any ongoing departmental response. All assessments are circular, highlighting the need for continual review of all assessment outcomes through ongoing analysis of new, additional information, while incorporating changes that have occurred for the child and family through any intervention. Ay assessment should be supported by supervision processes and ongoing professional development opportunities and is to be used in conjunction with relevant legislation, policy, procedures and practice guidelines. Research provides evidence that parents who their children are frequently struggling with a range of problems, such as poor mental health, substance/alcohol misuse and domestic violence. Such difficulties may increase the potential for abuse when they occur in combination or are compounded by other stressors such as parental capacity, material deprivation, housing problems and unsupportive/inadequate social and familial networks. A thorough risk assessment should consider the strength/resilience factors, support networks and resources that a family must draw upon to better identify the nature of intervention necessary to protect the child. A thorough approach to risk assessment also needs to take account of several key questions: What is getting in the way of this child or young person’s well-being? Do I have all the information I need to help this child or young person? What can I do now to help this or young person? What can my agency do to help this child or young person? What additional help, if any, may be needed from others? In addition, any assessment of risk must also consider the following. Source of the risk Who or what presents the danger/threat to the child’s well-being? does the harm occur – at home and/or in the wider community? What is the level of intent – is the abuse an act of commission or omission? Is the harm isolated to a single event or cumulative, reflecting more than one risk factor?
High Risk Low Risk Current injury/harm is severe Pattern of harm is continuing/escalating Parent indicating repeat behaviour likely Access to Vulnerable Persons Diagnosis of untreatable mental health and substance misuse A history of interpersonal conflict and violence – power and control issues, poor negotiation and lack of autonomy Recent separation or recurrent reconciliations Uncontrolled contact between perpetrator and child The parent unwilling or unable to protect the children High levels of trauma in parents, childhood not recognised as a problem Previous child protection concerns with no significant changes effected or sustained Parents not accepting their behaviour is a concern and are unwilling to work with practitioners Children too to be able to take any action to protect themselves and require rapid parental change presenting as fearful of parents or another household member Children engaging in self-harm, substance misuse, dangerous sexual behaviour or other ‘at risk’ behaviours Parent is young – under 21 years Evidence of social isolation and lack of social supports Resident in violent, unsupportive neighbourhood Parent experiencing high levels of stress No history of significant trauma or abuse Recognition of the problem Perpetrator demonstrating remorse/ empathy Perpetrator accepting responsibility for their behaviour Children able to protect themselves if the need arises Healthy peer relationships No documented school problems No history of behavioural/emotional problems Parental mental health and/or substance problem responsive to treatment Parent with empathy for the child Parental competence and capacity in key of parenting Risk reactive to circumstances (e.g. loss) and parents/carers display capacity to make improvement and change Family with access to social support/networks and access to child care facilities Difficulties, illness or disabilities on the part of the adult carers temporary Stressors within normal range of day-today circumstances and carers display capacity to cope
If parents can maintain ‘low risks’ for a period of at least six* months, the case can close. If parents address all risk factors and maintain the change for at least six months the case can move to ‘low risk’, where it should remain for a further six months before closing. If parents develop a capacity for actual change and begin to address risk factors, and protective factors remain apparent this should be sustained for at least six* months before the case can move to ‘medium risk’ where it should remain for a further six* months before moving to ‘low risk’. If protective factors become apparent and/or parents to address risk factors, within timescale appropriate to child’s needs, this should be sustained for at least six months before moving to ‘high risk’. If new risk factors emerge/ previous risk factor re-emerges and parents are able to show demonstrable capacity for change and protective factors are apparent the case will move to ‘medium risk’ for further interventions and monitoring. If parents are unable to address all risk factors but are making use of interventions to address them and protective factors are apparent the case should remain ‘medium risk’. As long as no new risk factors emerge or previous risk factors re-emerge that had previously been addressed. If parents remain ‘high risk’ for six months without addressing risk factors the case should move to severe risk with plan for permanent separation. If new risk factors emerge/ previous risk factors re-emerge and parents are unable to show demonstrable capacity for change yet protective factors are apparent the case will move to ‘high risk’, for further interventions and monitoring. If new risk factors emerge/ previous risk factors re-emerge and parents are unable to show demonstrable capacity for change yet protective factors are apparent the case will move to ‘high risk’ for further monitoring. If protective factors are no longer apparent the case should move to severe risk with plan for permanent separation.
If new risk factors emerge/ previous risk factor re-emerges and parents are unable to show demonstrable capacity for change and no protective factors are apparent the case will move to ‘severe risk’ and child will return to care with legal proceedings instigated if necessary. If new risk factors emerge/ previous risk factor re-emerges and parents are unable to show demonstrable capacity for change and no protective factors are apparent the case will move to ‘severe risk’ and child will return to care, with legal proceedings instigated if necessary. Developed by Rebecca Brown, Loughborough University. Adapted by NSPCC for reunification of looked after children. The intention is to support families who can move down the risk classification table, until they can sustain low risk. Alternatively, if families present high or severe risks and are unable to change, it assists workers in making the decision not to return the child/young person home and seek an alternative placement away from the birth family. Organizing the information is through the risk outcome measurement matrix overleaf. Risk Outcome Measurement Matrix Severe risk - Risk of abuse or neglect is too high to permit a return home Risk factors apparent (and not adequately addressed) No significant protective factors apparent No/not enough evidence of parental capacity to change Ambivalence or opposition to return home by child and/or parent. Medium risk - Return home should be considered, but with plans in place to reduce risk factors and sustain change Some possibility that abuse and/or neglect may occur Risk factors apparent (or not all risk factors adequately addressed) At least one protective factor apparent (which mitigates risk) Evidence of parental capacity to change Parents and child both want return home to take place
Appendix 1: Strengths Based Assessment Questions Strengths, hobbies, abilities, wishes etc. Support network (friends, family, neighbors, professionals), their strengths, abilities, knowledge, etc. Needs, challenges, risks, etc. (focusing on strengths does not mean ignoring these, but maximizing and using the strengths to overcome them) What is the child or young person / carer good at? What does it take to be good at that? What are they proud of? What positive words do people use to describe them? What do they enjoy doing? What are their favorite things? What did they used to enjoy doing but can no longer do? Who do you like being with? What would they like to be better at? What are they already doing well? What skills do they have? What do they think they can do better or Who gives you strength e.g. family, friends, colleagues? Who can they on? What do they do? What skills do their family and friends have? How would they reach them? What would they count on them for? Who visits them frequently? How Who do they miss? Why are they not able to see/keep in touch with these people? Who do they communicate with? How? With what frequency? Who else do they know that could be part of their lives? Are there any other Tell me a bit about what’s been happening? What concerns you most? What is preventing the child or young person / carer from doing what they would like to do or seeing who they would like to see? What do they think they can do to change this? Who do they think can help to change it? I want you to imagine a scale from 0-10. 10 is the future and 0 is as bad as things get. What point are they at now? What would one number higher than your score look and feel like? What is it you are
more of? What do they think they can do to improve themselves and their wellbeing? What internal strengths do they have e.g. honesty, sense of hope, my ability to stay alive, concern for others, etc.? What resources do you have e.g. places that give you strength, pets, hobbies, music, spirituality, regular exercise? What do they think will help, if not to make things better, then at least to prevent things from getting worse? people helping the child or young person / carer? Any other professionals? Is there anything that could facilitate this network to increase, either in quantity or quality? Do they want it to increase? What has been working until now, and how have things changed? What could help to enable them to return to previous means of support which worked for them? Which needs or outcomes can be met/achieved now without waiting for/moving to a Care and Support Plan? already doing that means you have not scored the situation lower? What happens when they have a bad day? How do other people know it is a bad day? Imagine a time machine that can take you into the future. When you step out of it you find that things are exactly how you would like them to be. What would you be doing? What would your day be like? How would you feel? Where would you like to be? What will be different? What would have changed? Who else could help you get to your goal? What are hopes or goals for the future? Risk Indicator Sheets