3.11.22 Viability Assessments |
One of the ways of managing the volume of referrals for network and kinship assessments is through initially employing a shorter viability assessment framework, which aims in two or three visits to identify placements which are potentially highly vulnerable and unlikely to succeed.
A viability assessment considers the likelihood of carers being able to meet the physical and emotional needs of the children now and throughout their childhoods; whether they will be provided with stability and boundaries and whether they will be safe. Police and medical checks are initiated . Discussions with the prospective carer/s cover the following:
- his/her level of motivation for providing a permanent home for the children
- current family relationships and functioning
- the carers' experience of parenting their own children
- the difficulties that may have led to the family breakdown and his/her insight into this.
- where children are already placed the assessment covers how well the carer is coping at the present time
The outcome of the viability assessment is shared with the carer, the child's social worker, the children's guardian (if the child is the subject of care proceedings) and the commissioning manager if the assessment is undertaken by a sessional worker.
If it is positive, a comprehensive assessment will follow. This will usually take at least 4 months and conclude in the presentation of completed Form F2 to the Permanency Panel. The process will include interviews with personal referees and assessment of support and supervision needs.
If the child is in care proceedings and the care plan is contingent upon the outcome of the assessment the assessor may be asked to write the viability assessment up in the form of a statement for court.
Where the viability assessment uncovers serious potential difficulties the prospective carer/-s might accept the concerns and withdraw or they might challenge the assessment through the Court proceedings and ask for a further period of assessment of their ability to use support to overcome the anticipated difficulties. The viability assessment would then need to be presented to the Court and further course of action decided.
The format for the report outlined below has drawn on the assessment framework structure as well as on Form F2
The information obtained from existing files, from discussions with other professionals involved and from interviews with the prospective carers, should be organised under the suggested headings (in bold)
Lists of risk and protective factors are included to help identify the potential strengths and weaknesses of the proposed placement. Obviously 2-3 interviews are not sufficient for a thorough exploration of issues, but the presence of a number of potential serious risk factors should be noted.
Family and Environmental Factors
Family Composition
| Risk factors | Protective factors |
Presence in the household of children of similar age, and/or children, who have major needs/difficulties of their own. Assessors would need to explore thoroughly the implications of placing another child for the carer's own children. Do the carer's own children have an existing positive relationship with the child/ren needing placement? What are the children's views, wishes and feelings? How does the carer envisage juggling everybody's needs? Presence of household members, who have a negative, potentially or actually abusive relationship with the child/children. |
Prospective carers and their children, if any, have positive, well-established relationship with the child/ren to be placed. Warm supportive relationships within the family, sharing responsibilities. Evidence of good parenting of own children. |
Family Network
| Risk factors | Protective factors |
Poor relationship with one or both of the child/ren's parents. How is this shown? How is it likely to impact on proposed contact arrangements? Persistent discord and divided loyalties in the network. Evidence of collusive, enmeshed relationship with the child/ren's parents. |
Positive, well-established relationship with the child/ren to be placed Acknowledgement of the parents' difficulties which led to Social Services intervention Awareness of, the child's need to maintain links with significant people and ability to manage contact arrangements. Members of the network supportive of the prospective carers and willing to help with child care Strong sense of kinship and belonging with positive family traditions. Shared moral or religious code. |
Background Factors-Family History and Current Functioning
| Risk factors | Protective factors |
Current severe difficulties in parenting own children e.g. children who are not attending school or receiving appropriate education Lack of insight into own difficulties in the past, especially where this affected parenting of their own children. Does the prospective carer become less defensive once trust has been established? Do they understand why this is a vital part of the assessment? Concerning use of alcohol or illegal drugs, other addictions e.g. gambling Children are most vulnerable when carers' mental illness or problem alcohol and drug use coexist with domestic violence. |
Ability to understand and meet the children's needs in relation to their birth family and past history Ability to appreciate how personal experiences have affected themselves and their families Resolution of past problems - alcohol, drugs, mental illness, domestic violence. Evidence of this. |
Health and Police checks
| Risk factors | Protective factors |
Major current or chronic physical and/or mental health problems These will need to be fully investigated and might rule the applicant/-s out, if severe. Record of offences against children would generally rule the applicants out, although there is some discretion Current or very recent criminal activity |
Absence of severe health problems and/or positive attitude to maintaining good health Willingness to seek and follow medical advice as necessary Ability to maintain effective functioning through periods of stress. Evidence of having moved on from early offending behaviour. Ability to teach and model right and wrong |
Housing
| Risk factors | Protective factors |
Insufficient space to accommodate additional child/children on long term/permanent basis? Poor likelihood of obtaining adequate accommodation within a realistic time frame Environmental health and safety concerns -see Health and safety checklist |
Adequate space for the family's needs, including the child/ren to be placed Good physical standards in the home Good range of local amenities |
Employment
Income
| Risk factors | Protective factors |
Poor employment record. Evidence of persistent financial problems-heavy debts. Unrealistic notions of the level of financial support available to support the proposed placement. Unrealistic notions of the cost of caring for a child |
Steady employment record Adequate financial resources Good money management |
Family's Social Integration
Access to Community Resources
| Risk factors | Protective factors |
Social isolation Ability to provide the required personal references will give some indication of their peer group and social networks. Poor relationships with Social Services and/or other helping agencies should give cause for concern. Assessing social worker will need to assess whether this is typical of the applicant/-s' relationships with agencies generally or specific to one relationship or situation and what is the capacity for effective co-operation with relevant sources of support. Racial conflict and stereotyping in the family network-particularly significant for children of dual heritage. Family exposed to threats and racism or other harassment. |
Ability to develop a support system within the community and personal networks Ability to work with professionals and agencies and act as an advocate for the child Ability to communicate effectively Ability to understand the implications of the effects of discrimination and racism Ability to promote an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory approach to parenting Ability to support the child's integration into the community-arranging school or nursery places, links with Health Clinic, GP, awareness of local resources for children. |
Parenting Capacity
Basic care-Capacity to meet the children's physical needs
| Risk factors | Protective factors |
Carelessness about the whereabouts and safety of children. Poor standards of physical care Difficulty feeding child, managing routines. |
Ability to provide a good standard of physical care and promote healthy development throughout childhood |
Ensuring safety- Capacity to protect
| Risk factors | Protective factors |
Denial of the child protection concerns and risks identified by Social Services would cast doubt on the applicant/-s' viability. Research indicates, however, that, especially in the case of grandparents, this may be due to the initial shock. The prospective carer may be more able to accept the concerns and protect the child/ren as time goes on. The assessing social worker will need to be satisfied that the carer will not collude with the abuser and put the children at risk. |
Acknowledgement of problems, which have caused Social Services' intervention Ability to help children keep themselves safe from harm or abuse and to know how to seek help if their safety is threatened Ability to protect children from damaging contact with people, who have abused them. Ability to recognise the particular vulnerability of individual children to abuse and discrimination Understanding the need for safe caring principles |
Emotional warmth-Capacity to meet the children's emotional needs
| Risk factors | Protective factors |
Lack of empathy for the child and persistent complaints about his/her behaviour. Failure to recognise and respect the child's individuality Inappropriate developmental expectations Lack of understanding of how abuse, separation and loss affect children. |
Enjoyment of the child's company, liking the child Ability to promote the child's self-esteem Ability to accept the individual child as he/she is and to provide appropriate care Ability to listen and communicate with children Knowledge of child development Understanding of impact of poor parenting |
Stimulation
| Risk factors | Protective factors |
Lack of understanding of the needs of children to play and learn. Inappropriate expectations (too high or too low) of child's capacity. |
Creating appropriate opportunities for children to learn and play. Recognising the importance of regular school attendance Interest in homework Good relationships with the children's schools Supporting positive out-of-school activities and interests |
Guidance and boundaries
| Risk factors | Protective factors |
Rigid, coercive discipline without time, patience and coaxing to obtain the child's compliance. Regular use of physical punishments., threats or bribes Chronic Inconsistency or inability to set ordinary boundaries |
Ability to set appropriate boundaries and manage children's behaviour |
Stability
| Risk factors | Protective factors |
High number of moves in the last 10 years within and between countries High number of people who would be involved with the child. |
Well settled in their present home High commitment and dependability |
Conclusion
Should contain an analysis of the potential fit between the child/children's needs and the prospective carers' capacity to meet them.
Attention must be paid to any serious risk factors and how they might be minimised through appropriate intervention and support.
Testing a family's motivation and ability to change is an important part of the assessment process.
End