At Mayday Support Services, we specialise in identifying and promoting good practices in child and family assessments. Our approach empowers you to disseminate valuable information to practitioners and gathers the necessary evidence to commission effective interventions.
Case Review and Best Practices
We collaborate with local authorities using our Theory of Change (ToC) model to review child protection plans in domestic abuse cases typically spanning 5-7 years. Our team thoroughly examines the topics and evidence the local authority requires before reporting our findings. We also share best practices identified from other local authorities’ reviews. Additionally, with insights from our colleagues at Mayday Domestic Abuse Services, we recommend alternative programmes or interventions when appropriate.
Experience and Expertise
Our highly experienced team and associates have worked with 46 local authorities in various capacities, including social workers, senior practitioners, team managers, child protection conference chairs, and independent review officers. We leverage this experience and evidence-based research in child and family assessments for child protection conferences.
While there are many excellent examples of assessments displaying good practice, there needs to be a systematic approach that recognises quality assessments and applies this information to enhance practice. Furthermore, a lack of peer-reviewed research supporting the effectiveness of domestic abuse intervention programmes in child protection cases is evident.
To address these issues, we propose that managers and Independent Review Officers (IROs), who chair child protection conferences, be in the ideal position to identify and evidence what works in child and family assessments. This approach can guide training for newly-qualified social workers, develop good practices, and provide evidence to commission interventions that deliver results.
Specialist Assessments
We provide assessment services for complex domestic abuse and parental alienation cases. Our team of domestic abuse specialists and Independent Social Workers (ISWs) carry out domestic abuse assessments, parenting assessments, court reports, and trauma-informed family assessments. They work with local authorities to guide child and family assessments in complicated child protection cases.
