Initial Assessment

[Confused75]

Hi,

Does anyone know what an initial assessment is?

A Social Worker has said they would like to do an initial assessment, she says she has 10 days to do this and I need to engage.

I've tried looking it up but can't find it except in old documents.

Please help

[Confused75]

Update:

I managed to get some more information from a contact centre on Friday (they called this front door).

They say a professional has made a 'contact'. This is on a Multi Agency Referral Form. However, it is called a 'contact' not a 'referral' as it is only a 'request for a referral'.

The 'referrer' did not inform me of either a contact or a referral but they have said to C.S that they 'don't know if it is safeguarding'.

Confused.com

The contact centre say it is up to C.S if they accept this as a 'referral'. If they do not then it will be uploaded onto a system as a contact and will be held indefinitely. This seems unfair as I don't think the 'contact' / 'referral' should have been made in the first place, especially if the professional referrer doesn't know if it is safeguarding.

They also said that if the Social Worker has decided to do an initial assessment then they will decide after this is complete if it is to be accepted as a referral. They advised that I should work with the S.W because if I don't then it will guarantee escalation to the contact being accepted as a referral owing to non-compliance and they won't need my co-operation if that happens.

I've said I am more than happy to speak to the S.W so expect she will call tomorrow. But I don't understand what assessment they are doing? They keep saying they won't know the answer to that until completion of the initial assessment to determine what the level of risk. If they accept it they will contact me and if they don't then they will write to tell me.

Even more confused I don't know what the assessment is and what rights I have. The professional making the 'contact'/'referral' is known for making referrals about families which lead to nothing. Will C.S contact my Dr. or kids' school? I will be mortified if this happens as my friend is a teacher at the school and my husband's aunty is a receptionist at our GP's

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Confused75,

Welcome to the Parents Forum. I am Suzie, FRG’s online adviser.
Your question is about assessments. Yes, initial assessment is generally an old term and is not often used now. Instead, the term “assessment” is used and this can mean both a quick assessment (like the initial assessment) or a longer assessment -up to 9 weeks. Here is information about assessments.
It sounds like the social worker is keen that the assessment is over quickly, and she wants you to engage so that can happen. You could ask her to explain about her assessment and what she wants from you. Does she have a leaflet to explain what it involves? Usually, she will want to speak to you, see you children alone (by law this is expected) and see where the children go in the home. For example, she will want to see where the children sleep and eat. So it can feel very intrusive. Due to the Covid restrictions, the social worker may be doing a lot of this online, for example, via whatsapp video. She will want your permission to get information about your children from the school, health visitor and the children’s GP.
You can ask for a copy of the assessment.
I hope my advice helps. If you have any questions, please post again or call our advice line on 0808 801 0366.

Best wishes,
Suzie