WillisPalmer is a multi-disciplinary organisation with 20 years' experience providing expert assessments for care proceedings. Our multi-disciplinary approach proves timely, prevents delay and is cost effective. Our assessments are tailored to meet the needs of the case and manage risks within the family home. Our highly experienced Independent Social Workers, Psychologists, Psychiatrists and Family Support Workers undertake reverse residential style assessments as an alternative to residential assessment placements.
Our multi-disciplinary services include:
Multi-disciplinary Family Assessment (MFA)
Our professionals work together to address complex problems and keep families together where possible and safe to do so. A multi-disciplinary team, bespoke to the child and families' needs, work together to assess the family and their parenting capacity during an eight-week period. At the end of the eight weeks, a report is produced with advice and recommendations for the local authority. This assessment is carried out in the family's home, with help from family support workers, to provide a cost-effective alternative to expensive residential assessments, while keeping the child safe through 24/7 supervision where needed.
Supported Community Assessment (SCA)
The Supported Community Assessment is carried out in the family's home over an eight-week period. It offers a cost-effective alternative to residential assessment or parent and child assessment placements. Sometimes referred to as “reverse residential” or “24/7 in the home”, the Supported Community Assessment is in fact the same as a reverse residential assessment as it enables complex needs to be assessed while the family remain living in their own home and community.
Led by an experienced Independent Social Worker, the assessment team work together to provide support, information and guidance to parents and carers while simultaneously assessing both parental skills and functioning, parent-child interaction, and capacity to change.
Family Reunification Service (FRS)
WillisPalmer's Multi-Disciplinary Family Restoration Service is mainly for children who are accommodated under S.20 or the subject of a Care Order or Interim Care Order. Children who are on the edge of care or in pre-proceedings may also benefit from aspects of the service.
Our multi-disciplinary team of experts comprising an Independent Social Worker, psychologist and family support worker (FSW) work together to identify problems and work alongside the family to address these issues in a bid to keep families together and put an end to the revolving door phenomenon of children entering care, leaving care only to re-enter the care system at a later date.
Systemic Family Assessment (SFA)
The Systemic Family Assessment is a new and innovative service designed to address private law disputes by providing the court with expert analysis and recommendations in a bid to resolve parental conflict and produce the best outcomes for children.
The two experts a psychologist and independent social worker work together, in consultation with one another, to provide a full assessment and final report in six weeks from instruction.
The social work analysis considers the relationship each child has with their parent/s and siblings (if relevant) before providing an expert view about the impact of the family system on the child/ren and clear recommendations about how to minimise any negative effect on the child.
Private law cases are increasing and there is often not a clear time-frame for cases to reach a conclusion and decisions to be made about the subject child or children. Children who are central to private law disputes experience a significant impact on their emotional wellbeing as their parents become embroiled in what can be a lengthy and procrastinated battle with court hearing following court hearing.
Make a referral
Telephone: 01206 878178
Email: enquiry@willispalmer.com
