We have been a specialist provider of forensic risk services for 20 years and use our genuinely multi-disciplinary teams to promote the welfare of children and assist and support frontline practitioners and managers to make the best decisions in cases of complex child sexual abuse.

Our extensively trained multi-disciplinary teams of Expert Witness social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists recognise that abusers are not a homogeneous population group and fall within a range of offence typologies and risk parameters. They have a broad range of specialist skills and experience to advise, assess and intervene.

All assessments include a written report by our experienced and highly trained experts. All reports are quality assured by a WillisPalmer Consultant Social Worker.

Who are our services suitable for?

Our forensic risk assessments are suitable in the context of public or private law proceedings; with convicted or alleged perpetrators; or with professionals about whom there may be a concern.

Our experts can assess and intervene with:

• Individuals identified as significant risk and who require intensive case management monitoring
• People who have been diagnosed with learning difficulty or mental health problem
• Individuals residing in residential care, educational establishments or substitute family environments
• Children at risk of or who have experienced intra-and/or-extra-familial sexual abuse
• Individuals who have historic convictions
• Those who have had uncorroborated allegations of sexual abuse made against them
• Children and young people who have engaged in sexually harmful or offending behaviours
• Females who have sexually offended
• Children or young people who have experienced internet-based offences, such as grooming.

Our Forensic Risk assessment services

Our experts and multi-disciplinary teams can carry out a broad range of independent assessments. Specialist risk assessments will use a broad range of formalised empirically recognised appraisal tools to aid investigative, predictive and clinical judgement.

We engage in the following assessments:

• Forensic evaluation and risk assessments on male and female clients convicted of a sexual offence
• Psychometric assessments
• Fitness to Plead assessments
• Opinion in family reconstruction viability cases
• Environmental risk and safety analyses of community, family and organisational settings
• Structured risk and needs assessments for children and young people who have sexually harmed others

Similarly, we advise on those sexual risk behaviours which may not reach a threshold to convict but may suggest deviant sexual interests, thus potentially posing a risk to children and other vulnerable individuals.

Expert Advice

WillisPalmer advises and works alongside practitioners to design intervention strategies for engaging clients and where applicable, relevant others. This may include interventions to progress contact/rehabilitation plans and restorative processes.

Such work will often include a need for protective behaviour/risk awareness interventions with partners/others in the family system to promote assertive communication and safe permissible boundaries before any rehabilitation process commences.

We can also provide educational sessions with partners/family members of the person being assessed to provide them with information such as what signs to look out for in a potential abuser or someone with a history of offending.

Process

Initially we require information about the case including who it involves, why they need assessing, where the person resides and any background information. We will endeavour to come back to you on the same working day and clarify what further information we may require. For forensic risk assessments, this tends to be details of convictions or allegations, police records, information regarding anyone else involved such as a new partner and his/her capacity to protect any child involved.

WillisPalmer will provide you with the CVs of professionals trained to carry out assessments within 24 hours and we can begin work immediately on receipt of a formal letter of instruction. Typically, forensic risk assessments take six weeks to carry out.

Why choose WillisPalmer?

• Our experts are experienced, knowledgeable and have a broad range of expertise
• All expert reports are quality assured by a WillisPalmer Consultant Social Worker
• WillisPalmer has been established for 20 years garnering a reputation for high standards and professionalism
• Entirely independent organisation specialising in multi-disciplinary services
• We work with a wide range of local authorities, solicitors and independent organisations

Make a referral

Telephone 01206 878178

Email enquiry@willispalmer.com