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To speak to an adviser, please call our free and confidential advice line 0808 801 0366 (Monday to Friday 9.30am to 3pm, excluding Bank Holidays). Or you can ask us a question via email using our advice enquiry form.
What is good practice when doing initial assessments?
The law does not say how an initial assessment of family and friends should be done. There are no minimum standards. But Family Rights Group developed a good practice guide. And in 2020 we developed an extra guide about carrying out initial assessments during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The guides are for children’s services departments and social workers. But family members may wish to mention, or show, the guide to:
- The child’s social worker, or
- The social worker doing the initial assessment if a different person.
The guides are available to open or download here.
You can open or download our Initial assessments: five good practice points table. This shares a quick summary of five good practice points for doing initial assessments. These are drawn from the two guides. It may be helpful to keep a copy with you as the assessment process takes place. And once you have a copy of the initial assessment report.
See also Can a negative initial assessment be challenged? if worried about the way an assessment has been done. Or concerned about the conclusion it reached.
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