Parental Assessment
Specialised Services
Parental Assessment
All parenting assessments are based on the Framework for Assessment as incorporated in the Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Government, 2018) and the Parenting Assessment Manual (PAMS) by Dr. Sue McGaw.
Parenting assessments are child-centred with staff taking a systematic approach to gathering, recording, and critically analysing information in line with the three domains set out in the Assessment Framework (HM Government, 2015):
- The child’s developmental needs.
- The parents’ or carers’ capacity to meet those needs; and
- The impact and influence of wider family, community, and environmental circumstances.
The main remit of the parenting assessment is:
- To assess the parents’ abilities to provide the primary basic care and protection of their child including routines and understanding the child’s developmental needs, (comprehensive assessment).
- To assess the parents’ understanding of the emotional needs of the child and their abilities to promote positive attachment to the child through play and interaction.
- To consider the parent’s wider family and support networks, as well as the abilities to work with professionals in the best interests of their child.
- To consider the environmental issues that might affect the parent’s care of the child such as employment, education, budgeting, housing, community resources etc.
- To explore the childhood experiences of the parents to consider how such experiences may or may not impact on their ability to parent and protect the child.
- To consider with the parent the possible need to receive outside support in connection with their own history or behaviour e.g., counselling, anger management, psychotherapy, substance misuse counselling etc.
- To assess the parent’s understanding of the Local Authority’s concerns in relation to their child and the likely impact of these concerns have on their child.
Ohana Parental Assessment Centre staff and management thank you, and thank you for bringing my family together with provision of a fresh start. The journey seems endless, but your support and reassurance enables us as a family to be together. We’ve learnt so much on the Parenting Capacity Assessment programme that we’ll sure use in our day-to-day needs.
I am immensely grateful for the exceptional care and support provided by Ohana Parental Assessment Centre. They are truly one of the best as a provider in residential family centre. There utmost care in parenting capacity support is one of a kind. Ohana Parental Assessment Centre management and staff are very compassionate, diligent and very professional in all. Thank you to have made me one of success story.
From the moment I arrived at Ohana Parental Assessment Centre unit, I was greeted with warmth and compassion. The management and staff consistently reassured that everything would be ok, therefore they go above and beyond to ensure that residents feels welcomed and valued. I was supported in scheduling my appointments, coordinating referrals, positive feedbacks and always giving me a listening ear, with their open door policy. This demonstrates genuine care and support for all residents. Much appreciated.
