Residential Community Assessments is an innovative professional service that offers a community-based multi-disciplinary assessment, which can be an alternative to Residential Assessments. Our programmes enable children and families to be assessed in a familiar home environment, in line with ‘good practice principles’ either prior to or during the pre-proceedings process or during care proceedings.
The Residential Community Assessments focuses on the lived-life experience of the child and enables children where assessments are negative to transition into family placements or can reduce the numbers of placements while permanent carers are identified.
Coral believes the benefits of assessing families in their home environment, with safeguarding in place in terms of 24 hours monitoring and support, can negate the need for further community assessments following a family leaving a residential unit. This enables families to work with local services, such ass drug and alcohol and children to continue to attend their school and nursery.
The support network, including family, friends and professionals are able to be considered as part of the broader assessment process.
- Family support workers in the home, are present 24 hours a day including waking nights and accompany the child at all times. This includes when parents go out into the community and carry out checks throughout the night.
- Our family support workers also can provide childcare while parents attend appointments.
- The Residential & Community Asessment and all work is overseen and monitored by an experienced and qualified Social Worker (Practice Manager) who also undertakes individual sessions with the family, observations and oversees the work any intervention undertaken by the Family and Support Workers.
- The Family Support Workers are trained in Safeguarding (Level 1 to Level 3) Domestic Abuse, working with children and parents who have complex needs including ADHD, ASD, self-harm, mental health and substance misuse.
- Coral are experienced in working with NAI (Non Accidental Injury) within a home environment safely, which can include the use of cameras and staff being present at all times with children including when they are sleeping.
- Coral are also experienced in working with Domestic Abuse where the perpetrator is also present in the home. Safeguards are put in place such as the use of cameras and staff being present with the child through the night when they are sleeping.
- Coral have worked extensively with mothers who have experienced post-natal depression and the safeguards put in place around the Community Residential Assessments alongside working with Community Mental Health Services have been noted to offer an alternative to a Psychiatric Residential Units.
- Coral have worked with a large number of care leavers and young parents who have particularly benefits from the input and nurture provided as part of the assessment process which has enabled some to significantly improve their parenting skills and understanding of their childs’ needs when they have not have an opportunity to be able to draw on learning from a safe and consistent role model.
Please contact
Helen Watson on 07967 355715
Or Amanda Owen, Head of Service
on 07956 203745 for urgent referrals