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Private assessments SS

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A.

Member since
April 2023

43 posts

Posted Fri November 24, 2023 10:51pmReport post

Posting on here too, Hoping someone will be able to help. - Has anyone had any luck with SS providing a private risk assessment for partners of the offender? They are saying the assessment is to "access ability to safely supervise contact and understanding of risks" I have one booked soon and not sure what to expect. Its still a social worker doing, so will it make a difference? 5 hours is a long time! Can i prepare anything beforehand?

rainyday52

Member since
April 2023

447 posts

Posted Sat November 25, 2023 7:51amReport post

Hi A.

I think what you mean is a safeguarding assessment or safety plan which shows that the person being assessed understands the possible risk that their offending person could be to children (usually their own) and is what is needed before someone on a charge of a sexual nature can stay overnight in their family home, or maybe even just see their children. At least I think that's what you mean (all the terminology in our cases gets very confusing I find!). The risk assessment is what the offender has done to see what level of risk he or she might be to children and is usually not carried out until further along in the prosecution process. I think you probably know this but just used the wrong word in your question but wanted to clarify things so I don't launch into a long reply completely on the wrong track!!!

Re your specific question.....we are having a safeguarding assessment carried out by our grandchildren's SW next week and our son is having a risk assessment done by the SW too although he's still pre-charge but just changed to RUI by the police. Our circumstances are unusual and it's being done as an emergency and I think that usually it will be an independent assessor doing it, who may or may not be another SW, (people have written on this forum about this so might post some personal experiences for you in due course).

As far as what the assessment entails, I can tell you more later this week and happy to do that privately if you like. However there are some very helpful threads on this forum about safeguarding plans which I went through recently and made notes from all the wise advice given but just to say that if you have a private assessment carried out yourself it would probably be very expensive and your Children's Services might not accept it anyway.

Edited Sat November 25, 2023 8:15am