Assessment and Family Support

Information for parents and carers

• What is an assessment?
• What will be expected of you?
• What will happen next?
• What is Family Support?
• What can you expect from the Assessment and Family Support Unit?
• Tell us what you think
• Complaints, compliments and suggestions
• Contact Information

What is an assessment?

Either you or someone else on your behalf has asked Children's Social Care for help with difficulties you may be having, which affects your child (or children).

Before we can help you, we need to know more about you and your family. This will involve collecting information, talking this through with you, and agreeing with you what may be done to help solve your difficulties. This is called an assessment.

What will be expected of you?

We know that almost all parents and carers want to do the best for their children.

An assessment is an important part of working with you. In a very small number of cases, there are serious concerns about a child's safety and well-being. Making sure your child is safe will be our first concern.

Please ask your Social Worker to explain anything that is not clear to you.

What will happen next?

As part of the assessment, the social worker will meet with you and members of your family, including your baby and / or child. If your child is of an age where they can take part in the assessment, the social worker will work with them and give them a chance to have their say.

The assessment will take into account factors such as your ethnic and cultural background and any difficulties or disabilities you may have. For example, we provide help and information in different languages if needed. If you don't agree with what the social worker says in the assessment, or you feel you wish to add other information, you will be given a chance to write your comments on the assessment record.

Assessments are carried out to:-

• Gain an idea of the strengths you and your family have got. Find out if you and your child (children) have got any problems or difficulties.
• Work out the kind of help and support you may need and who could best provide that help.
• You will get the chance to have your say and take full part in the assessment.

Following an initial assessment, we will work with you to decide what your child or children need and how best we and other services can work together to help your family.

If services are required from the Assessment and Family Support Unit we will hold a meeting with you called a Child and Family meeting where we will decide with you what kind of support you may need. Before the meeting goes ahead we will be
seeking your consent to share information gathered during the assessment. We may invite other professionals, such as a health visitor or someone from your child's school who may be able to help to improve things for you and your family. The decisions made in the meeting will be written into a plan called a Child and
Family Plan. The plan will show what needs to happen in order to reach the desired outcomes for your Family.

You will be given a copy of the assessment and the Child and Family Plan. You will be included in reviewing the plan every 6 weeks.

What is Family Support?

You may be allocated a social worker or support worker from the Assessment and Family Support Unit who will work directly with you or your child on a one to one basis and/or within a group setting.

Types of services:

• Advice on parenting and practical help from babies to teenagers.
• One to one sessions with children to help with things such as building self esteem, managing their anger etc.
• Support for parents/carers with managing child or adolescent behaviour.

Family Support Services are available Monday - Friday between 8am and 10pm and at weekends between 9am and 5pm.

What can you expect from the Assessment and Family Support Unit?

We will listen carefully to what you have to say and will offer advice and support to help you overcome any difficulties you may have.

We will always keep you informed of what we are doing.

We will keep a confidential record of any information you give us and will only share this with other people who are working with you from our Service (Services for Children and Young People). You have a right to see this information, please ask about this process. If we need to discuss this information with anyone else, you will have given your permission by completing a consent form.

We will only share information without your permission if we believe that there may be a risk of harm or threat to the welfare of your child. If this happens, we will tell you and explain what your rights are.

Tell us what you think

Your comments (good or bad) help us improve the quality of our services, so please let us know what you think. We will ask you which is the best way to do this, for example completing a questionnaire (How did we do?) or we may telephone you.

Complaints, compliments and suggestions

If you are unhappy with the service, you should speak to the social worker who has done the assessment, or their manager.

Please contact:

Complaints Manager,
Development & Customer Support Unit,
Ryecroft Hall,
Manchester Road,
Audenshaw, M34 5GJ.

Tel: 0161 370 1179
Minicom: 0161 301 2490
Mobile: 07866 599035

Online Complaints system

If you need further information about assessments for children in need and their families, please contact 342 4150 and ask to speak to a First Response worker in the area where the child lives.

Contact Information

Ashton Assessment and Family Support Team
56 Warrington St, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7JX, 0161 342 4150

Ashton Family Support Centre
Katherine St, Ashton-u-Lyne, OL7 OAG, 0161 330 1354

Denton Assessment and Family Support Team
(covers Denton, Droylsden and Audenshaw)
56 Warrington St, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7JX, 0161 342 4150

Denton Family Support Centre
(covers Denton, Droylsden and Audenshaw)
Birch Lane, Dukinfield, SK16 5AU, 0161 339 3996

Hyde Assessment and Family Support Team
(covers Hyde, Hattersley and Longendale)
56 Warrington St, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7JX, 0161 342 4150

Hyde Family Support Centre
(covers Hyde, Hattersley and Longendale)
Victoria Street, Newton, Hyde, SK14 4AA, 0161 366 0709

Stalybridge Assessment and Family Support Team
(covers Stalybridge Dukinfield and Mossley)
56 Warrington St, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7JX, 0161 342 4150

Stalybridge Family Support Centre
(covers Stalybridge, Dukinfield and Mossley)
Ridgehill School Grounds, Ambleside, Stalybridge, SK15 1EB,
0161 338 8297