Expert Assessments

Providing specialist family safety, sex offending, psychological and cognitive assessments for family courts and local authorities across the UK

Our Assessments

All of our assessments are designed to safeguard children, are noted for providing clarity in matters of risk, and help to move complex and difficult cases forward. Reports will identify treatment options and risk management strategies - reducing the need for care orders - and, if the case does enter proceedings, the expert assessment is already in place and avoids delays in the court's timescales.

We have a professional reputation for producing reports within budgets and to short timescales to fit in with court requirements. All of our assessment reports can be used in court and our assessors have many years' experience in the family courts as specialists and expert witnesses.

Family safety assessments

Family Safety Assessments

Risk Assessment of Perpetrator

Available in children's services cases at any stage. This type of assessment identifies static and dynamic risks, the imminence and likelihood of re-assault, suitability for treatment and a realistic and practical risk management plan for each member of the family.

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Vulnerability (Victim) Assessment

Alongside identifying vulnerability to future abuse, the impact of the abuse on the victim’s parenting will also be assessed, including the ability to assess risk and prioritise safety. Recommendations include risk management strategies and treatment options.

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Assessment of Both Parents (Joint)

An assessment of both parents including all the elements of risk and vulnerability assessments. In addition, gives a clear picture of the dynamics of the relationship, the likelihood of separation/ reconciliation and the particular safeguarding issues raised by the parental relationship.

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Final Programme
Assessments

All DV-ACT Programmes include a full final assessment completed by an expert risk assessor with a comprehensive report to help inform the decisions of the court/local authority.

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Safeguarding Children in Care Proceedings

DV-ACT experts have worked for many years to provide independent assistance to the family court and work alongside legal professionals to help keep children safe from domestic and sexual abuse. This is how we are different:

A child-centred approach - The safety of the child is the main consideration in the forming of all of our assessments.

We move cases forward swiftly - Our reports provide clarity in areas of risk; specialising in complex cases, we can help move cases on with realistic views on treatment and risk management within the children's timescales.

Experienced expert witnesses with relevant expertise - All of our assessments can be used in court, our experts have many years' experience in the field and in the family courts as specialists and expert witnesses.

Psych, cognitive, sex offending

Sex Offending and Psychological Assessments

Risk of Sexual Harm

These assessments are undertaken by our specialists in sexual offending and will identify risk management plans where offenders have close contact with a family: this can be a parent, partner or other members of the family including adolescents.

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Capacity to Protect

Where sex offending is a concern this assessment provides a comprehensive assessment of the non-offending parent's capacity to protect the children.

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Psychological Assessment

The extent to which mental health difficulties affect a parent’s functioning can be provided with formal screening for psychopathology, using well-respected self-report inventories alongside a clinical interview.

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Funding DVACT-PAI Assessments in Care Proceedings

For cases in care proceedings the cost of an assessment can be split between the parties legal aid funding. However, referrers should be aware that due to the comprehensive nature of our specialist assessments the hours may not come within legal aid rates.

Usually where the Court directs that the fees will be split by the Local Authority and the legal aid certificates of the other legally aided parties, the fees that extend beyond the rates set by the Legal Aid Agency, both hourly rates and the number of hours, are met by the Local Authority. We then split our invoices accordingly when the work is completed. To avoid delay in the assessment starting we can start the work providing that in the meantime the parties apply for prior authority and the local authority agrees to meet the shortfall.