7.1 |
- Assessment is an ongoing process. The first stage of assessment starts when any professional becomes aware that there is a child in a drug/alcohol misusing environment;
- There are a number of assessment tools currently in use by agencies within Solihull, which differ between adult and children's services. It is essential that agencies that provide services primarily to adults assess needs in a way that includes and focuses on the needs of the child;
- Consultation about pregnant substance users should take place with Children's Social Work Services as early as possible in the pregnancy to assess the impact of substance misuse upon the unborn child and, if appropriate, enter in to relevant treatment;
- When confronted with a child in a drug/alcohol-misusing environment, professionals need to ask themselves, "What is it like for this child to live in this environment?" They need to also consider the impact of this experience on the child's welfare and well-being, both now and in the longer term;
- Areas to consider should include pregnancy, basic care, child's physical and emotional development, pattern of parental drug/alcohol use, procurement and financing of their use, health risks, professional and family support, violence, home environment, parental mental health, parents perception of their situation, any other substance users within the household or those with access to the child, historical concerns such as previous children removed;
- This framework attempts to provide a basis for professionals to begin to assess the impact that parental, or other significant persons substance misuse may have on the care of children in the family. It reinforces that substance misuse should be seen in the context of family life and functioning, not purely as an indicator or predictor of child abuse or neglect;
- Should professionals consider that the child is at risk of Significant Harm or at risk of needing to be accommodated now or in the foreseeable future, then they have a duty to refer the matter to Children's Social Work Services, in accordance with these procedures;
- If emergency action may be necessary to safeguard the child(ren), then an immediate Strategy Meeting will be held;
- If it is not an emergency, then Children's Social Work Services will discuss the referral with the referrer and other relevant professionals (always with the police if there is a possible criminal offence), and decide what further action needs to happen;
- It is important to note that professionals do not have to be absolutely certain that the threshold for referral for Children's Social Work Services has been met before seeking advice about concerns, which have come to their attention;
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