Viability And Kinship Or Connected Persons Assessments
If a child cannot remain in the care of their parents, social workers will need to identify potential carers from within the child’s network of family and friends to determine if they are able to provide safe care to meet the child’s needs until they reach adulthood.
In order to determine whether a family member or friend is suitable to care for the child, a social worker will carry out an initial assessment, called a viability assessment. This assessment will analyse the positives and strengths of the potential carer, against any risks of vulnerabilities. A recommendation will then be made as to whether this carer is potentially a realistic option to be able to care for the child and therefore should be assessed further. This further assessment is called a Kinship, or Connected Persons/Carers Assessment and is usually more in depth and takes longer to complete. It is only if this more detailed assessment is positive will a decision be made to place a child with this family member or friend.
If you have been assessed and are unhappy with the outcome or contents of the assessment, then we can advise you as to your next steps. Please contact us on 01924 927187 or by email: [email protected] or [email protected] and we can discuss this with you further.
