Assessment and child protection services
We undertake assessments and investigations of any issues relating to child protection. The service is provided by experienced social workers who undertake assessments involving:
- home visits
- consulting with other professionals, practitioners and agencies
- the gathering of information for the assessment
- analysing the potential risk to any child or young person
Who the service is for
The service focuses on the needs of individual children and young people who are:
- under the age of 18
- in need of support or in need of protection (as defined in the Children Act 1989)
Who can request the service
This service only accepts referrals that are made via Contact Swindon and does not accept referrals directly from any other source.
Next steps
Assessments that are carried out by the service can vary from 10 days to 35 days in duration. The length of time involved depends on a number of factors, including the:
- complexity of the situation being assessed
- availability of family members, other childcare professionals and practitioners
- specific needs of the individual child or young person
If longer term work (beyond 3 months) is needed, the child will be transferred to the Family Safeguarding Team. This is where care proceedings can also be initiated to secure a child’s safety (within a legal framework provided by the Children Act, 1989).
These teams can also initiate a Child Protection Conference to provide a child with a Protection Plan. This will be reviewed and supported by a group of multi-agency professionals.