Family Assessment: How do we improve outcomes for children and their families?

Scotland’s Child and Family Assessment Centre - SCAFAC Evidence based family assessments that help to protect children and improve their lives. Parenting capacity assessments Parenting / risk assessments Assessments of attachments and relationships Sibling assessments Assessments of quality of contact Kinship care assessments Individualised assessments Consultancy, mentoring and training

Overall we aim to enable children to achieve better long term outcomes in their education, health and wellbeing. Active role in decision making Independent evidence and insight Undertaken by experienced professionals Uses current assessment tools, techniques and academic research Tailored to specific requirements Integrates psychological and Social Work approaches Relevant legislative and social policy requirements

Core principles Based on evidence Based on strengths – where we identify abilities and build on them Child centred – where the recommendations are in the best interests of the child Transparent, rigorous and fair

Models Themes linked to the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need (Department of Health 2000) Themes linked to Reder and Lucy’s model of parenting Assessment (Reder and Lucy 1995) Significant areas for consideration identified using frameworks and research tools e.g. Quinton and Rutter 1988, Glaser 1993 and Pugh and De’ath Complex Assessment Framework (Bentovim, Cox, Bingley Miller and Pizzey 2009) used to inform rehabilitation.

Hard to reach families, or hard to reach services? Realist Evaluation: What works, for whom, under which circumstances? Formative evaluation: information is fed back into service planning throughout the intervention Systematic tracking progress, evaluating efficacy of intervention Quantitative as well as qualitative outcomes Measurement of user’s target problem over time, using appropriate outcome measures (Realist Evaluation in Practice, Dr MAF Kazi, SAGE publications, ISBN )

Involving users in measuring outcomes Self reports, and soft indicators Standardised questionnaires (DoH framework etc) Hard data, outputs (attendance at- success rate) My World triangle (the Moray Council) Involving users in developing outcome measures CASI – Viewpoint (

What do others say? “ It was sometimes hard to talk about what it was like when I lived with my Mum, but the games we used made this easier to do.” Child “ It was good to see myself on the video, I didn’t know there were so many positive things we did together.” Parent “ The games we played, like circle time, helped us to tell each other how we were feeling.” Child “ The assessment was child centred throughout and took account of the children’s routines.” Social Worker “ I have learned so much about myself, I have really been able to think about my own childhood.” Parent

Outcomes Short term outcomes; empowerment, giving a voice and control in relation to future family living and care. Medium term outcomes; improved living situation, identifying and accessing effective, appropriate supports e.g. therapeutic interventions. Long term outcomes; settled family life, improved emotional, physical and mental wellbeing.

Contact Details Scotland’s Child and Family Assessment Centre c/o Unit 2 40 Lomond Crescent Cornton Stirling FK9 5DN Tel – –