We provide pre-parenting assessments working closely with those who are pregnant and families who might already have children, and are struggling, known to social services and/or are expecting a baby.
A pre-parenting assessment is generally completed in the community and is designed to assess a parent or couples’ motivation and suitability to becoming parents. It helps us identify their strengths, areas for development, and any potential risks or concerns, that may impact their ability to care for their child or children.
Our pre-parenting assessments will be completed by our assessing social workers and further community support can be added to compliment this assessment via our family practitioners and family support workers.
Our pre-parenting assessments will also provide a good indication if the parent or their situation would benefit from a residential parenting assessment, because of concerns about the parents’ ability to keep their child/ren safe from harm, or to care for themselves.
The pre-parenting assessment will include various elements to gather information, will be specific to each pregnant parent and could include:
Interviews
Interviews are to gather information about the perspective parents’ personal backgrounds, their motivation for parenting, expectations, and any past experiences relevant to parenting or what they’ve experienced themselves.
Psychological evaluation
This may involve psychological test questionnaires and interviews to assess their ability to emotionally regulate themselves, the parents’ ability, coping skills, impact of trauma and potential mental health issues.
Relationship assessment
Attitudes to relationships and past experiences as an adult and child, if in a relationship, the quality of the couple’s relationship will be evaluated. The assessing social worker assess communication skills, conflict resolution abilities, and the overall strength and stability of their relationships.
Parenting knowledge and skills
The assessment will involve evaluating the perspective parent/s understanding of child development, knowledge of parenting practices, and awareness of responsibilities involved in raising a child.
Home environment
The assessing social worker will conduct visits to prospective parent’s home to assess its safety, suitability, and general environment for a child/ren.
Observation
The assessor will observe the perspective parents’ interactions with their children through the parents’ communication, attitudes, and expectations and /or play sessions with their other children. The social worker looks at the parent/s ability to engage with their children, and their capacity to meet the child’s emotional, development and physical needs.
Conclusion
Once the assessment has been completed the assessing social worker would compile a comprehensive report summarising their findings, strengths, areas of concern and recommendations. This report can be used to guide future interventions, support services, or determine the suitability of individuals or couples to become parents.