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Family and friends carer assessments

As a family and friends (kinship) carer, you may need to have an assessment. Social workers from the Norfolk kinship assessment team (children's services) complete the assessments.

Assessments decide if the best place for the child to live is with you. They help us understand:

  • You and your ability to look after the child
  • If there are aspects you need help with when caring for the child. This helps us when deciding what ongoing support you and the child might need.

The assessment process is also an opportunity for you to ask questions.

Types of assessment

There are different types of family and friends care. So, there are different types of carer assessments.

The kinship assessment team completes:

  • Viability assessments
  • Special guardianship assessments
  • Connected carers assessments

Viability assessments

These are short assessments. They help us to gather information about your life and those who live with you.

This involves an overview of your:

  • Work history
  • Finances
  • Relationship with the child
  • Relationship with the child's parents
  • Relationship with your family

The police will also carry out checks on all adults in the home.

Information about viability assessments on the Special Guardianship Info website.

Special guardianship assessments

These are more in-depth assessments about your skills as a potential carer for the child.

You must:

  • Answer more in-depth and probing questions about you and your relationships
  • Provide references
  • Have a full Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. All adults in the home must have a DBS check.

The assessment is to check for any safeguarding concerns. It can highlight what extra support you or the child might need.

The assessment helps create the special guardian support plan. This is a bespoke to the needs of the carers and the individual child. 

Information about special guardianship assessments on the Special Guardianship Support website.

Connected/kinship foster carer assessments

These assessments ensure you can provide a safe and secure home for a child you already have a relationship with.

You must be approved as a foster carer to be a connected/kinship carer for that child. More about foster carer approval.

Information about kinship carer assessments on the Coram child law advice website.

What to expect in your assessment

Assessments consider the child, you and your home environment. They can also include checks and references.

Questions about the child

Assessment questions about the child may include:

  • The specific needs of the child that you must be able to meet. For example, education, health, identity.
  • How the child will feel being part of your family

 

Questions about you

Assessment questions about you may include:

  • The strength of your current and previous relationship with the child
  • Your experience of caring for children
  • Your abilities to care for the child and meet their needs now and until they are 18
  • Your understanding of why alternative living arrangements are being considered for this child
  • Your ability to keep the child safe
  • Your ability to promote the child's identity and positive self-esteem
  • Your ability to sustain contact between the child and their parents
  • Your understanding of any current or future risk posed by the child's birth parents and your ability to manage this risk
  • Your personal history
  • Your current relationship
  • Your employment and income
  • Your health
  • Your lifestyle, hobbies and beliefs

 

Questions about your home environment

Assessment questions about the environment you live in may include:

  • The house you live in and its suitability for this child
  • The neighbourhood you live in and its suitability for this child
  • Any other household members
  • Any other relevant environmental factors, such as transport links

 

Checks and references

With your permission, we will ask other people and agencies for information about you. We often ask for:

  • A reference about your health from your GP
  • Police checks
  • Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
  • References from ex-partners
  • Personal references from three people who know you well
  • A reference from your current employer
  • A financial questionnaire
  • A pet questionnaire
  • Interviews with other children who live in your house
  • Interviews with your birth children

This list is not exhaustive. If there is a particular matter that is more specific to you, we may want a more relevant reference. For example:

  • Working in the armed forces
  • Owning a gun
  • Specific health reference from a specialist in that field
  • Having lived abroad for significant periods of time

 

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