Key Features
Easy to Understand
ParentAssess is designed to be simple and easy to read by the parents who are being assessed. We recognise that being assessed is a stressful process and it is important the parent understands what they might need to do to work towards a positive outcome. ParentAssess uses the traffic light system throughout the assessment along with a range of visual aids to assist them.
Achieving Change
Although the assessment is not a parenting programme, assessors are required to ascertain the parent’s ability to change, so guidance can be given while the assessment is in progress meaning no time is wasted. Assessors are trained to use a range of techniques which are known to assist parents with learning disabilities such as repetition, breaking down a task and modelling.
Interactive Tools
ParentAssess uses a range of interactive and creative tools to help the parent feel more able to work positively with the assessor. The tools help identify strengths and any concerns. There are also tools which ensure the child is kept at the centre of the assessment, All of the tools are adaptable to ensure cultural difference is considered.
Short Parent Report
Parents have often told us they find long reports overwhelming and so while a report outlining the analysis is completed, a separate Short Parent Report is given to the parent. This explains the outcome in a clear ‘easy to understand’ way. The parent is also given the Outcome Table with the traffic light gradings to help them understand.
ParentAssess is now the most widely-recognised and accepted specialist parenting assessment framework in the country.
ParentAssess is a framework developed in 2016 for assessing parents who have learning disabilities and other additional needs. It addresses both the emotional and practical aspects of parenting and seeks to identify both the strengths and concerns. The traffic light system means that any risk factors are measurable and the outcome is easy to understand.
The framework can be used at at any stage from Early Help through to Care Proceedings. It can be used for Pre-Birth Assessments, Re-unification Assessments and Special Guardianship Assessments.
The assessment can be conducted where children remain in their parents’ care or where the children have been placed in foster care and supervised family time is in place. ParentAssess has also been adopted by a number of Parent and Baby Residential Units
ParentAssess has been used successfully in the Family Courts since 2017.
ParentAssess uses a range of visual and interactive tools to help the parents understand the process and outcome. It does not use drawings or cartoons which parents with learning disabilities can find patronising and hard to relate to their own life. Instead, it uses photos of situations and things the parent is likely to see in everyday life. Assessors are encouraged to consider the parent’s individual needs and use the tools accordingly. The framework is designed so it can be updated to ensure it is kept current.
The Author
Sarah Lowe has over 40 years of experience in the social work field and specifically with people who have learning disabilities. Initially, Sarah worked in residential care supporting the rehabilitation of adults with learning disabilities as they left the large institutions and this gave her valuable insight into how to develop daily living skills and help people gain a better understanding of risk.
Since 2002 Sarah has worked as an Independent Social Worker specialising in undertaking assessments of parents who have learning disabilities. During that time she has gained an understanding of the difficulties facing parents with additional needs and the importance of them being able to understand the assessment process.
Sarah has also worked as a Head of a Local Authority Disability Service giving her an excellent understanding of how children’s and adult services can support people with a learning disability.
Sarah has studied at the Tavistock and Portman Clinic and is CARE-Index and ADBB Trained.
The Author
Sarah Lowe has over 40 years of experience in the social work field and specifically with people who have learning disabilities. Initially, Sarah worked in residential care supporting the rehabilitation of adults with learning disabilities as they left the large institutions and this gave her valuable insight into how to develop daily living skills and help people gain a better understanding of risk.
Since 2002 Sarah has worked as an Independent Social Worker specialising in undertaking assessments of parents who have learning disabilities. During that time she has gained an understanding of the difficulties facing parents with additional needs and the importance of them being able to understand the assessment process.
Sarah has also worked as a Head of a Local Authority Disability Service giving her an excellent understanding of how children’s and adult services can support people with a learning disability.
Sarah has studied at the Tavistock and Portman Clinic and is CARE-Index and ADBB Trained.
In 2022 Sarah won the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Social Worker of the Year Awards for her long-lasting and significant contribution to social work. Her development of ParentAssess was recognised to be ‘changing the lives and outcomes for parents’.
Assessor Training
The Assessor training is suitable and open to any professional working in social care. When producing assessment reports for care proceedings, some courts will insist that an Assessor must be registered with Social Work England (or equivalent). You do not need to be a registered qualified Social Worker to attend the training.
We believe it is important that assessors (and those supporting parents) understand the issues facing parents who have learning disabilities and additional needs. Although prior experience is valuable, these skills are covered on the ParentAssess Training and additional workshops are available.
An important element of the assessment process is to consider attachment issues and attunement and some knowledge of attachment is useful but again this is covered on the training.
Because the child’s experience is central to the assessment process, the training pays particular attention to developing skills in observing the parent/child interaction.
The Assessment Process
The assessment explores five key areas:
The child’s experience of being parented
How the parent meets the physical and emotional needs of the child. This includes the parent’s ability to be attuned to their child.
Parental functioning
Explores the parent’s history and considers how it impacts on parenting. Looks at issues such as the parent’s ability to change, decision making, multi-tasking and how they manage risk and social media.
Specific issues
Considers additional issues such as domestic abuse, alcohol, drug use, offending and gambling. The assessment also considers risk factors which may have a cultural context.
The parent’s daily living skills
How the parent is able to organise and manage daily life. Considers the parent’s ability to cook, provide a clean safe home and manage money.
Support
If any gaps are identified in the areas above then the parent’s support network and their ability to access support is considered.
What makes it a ParentAssess?
Assessors can use the tools flexibly but they should be able to explain how they have applied them. However, there are key elements of ParentAssess which are essential:
- The parent should be given the Strengths and Concerns Summaries at the earliest point possible in the assessment, so they are clear what they need to work on
- At least two and preferably three parent/child observations should be completed with clear feedback given to the parent
- The parent’s ability to learn and use adaptive strategies must be assessed
- The parent must be given the Short Parent Report written in clear language
- The Appendix should contain the Outcome Table, the Assessor’s Summary and a copy of the Short Parent Report
- Tables must be printed in colour so they have meaning to the parent
If these elements are not present – it is NOT a ParentAssess!
The ParentAssess
Quality Assurance Scheme
At the end of 2023, we introduced our Quality Assurance Scheme, which enables assessors to evaluate their own assessments. The QA Standard sets out the recommended elements of a ParentAssess assessment especially if used within Care Proceedings or to inform decision making.
If an assessor adds the ParentAssess QA mark, they are stating the report meets this standard and are open to challenge by others if the assessment quality falls short.
For further information please see this article
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