Social work and related services

Tender description

The framework is in 3 Lots: Lot 1) Independent Psychological Assessments; Lot 2) Independent Social Worker Assessments; and Lot 3) Parenting Assessments including PAMS. Warwickshire County Council Children and Families Services may commission independent assessments on adults and children to inform their work or to support the court in a reaching a decision at the conclusion of family proceedings. Reports may be jointly commissioned during the legal process. Independent assessments may be commissioned under the direction of the court in respect of a specific case management issue or by Children and Family Services where an independent assessment is necessary or to manage capacity. Providers are to produce assessment reports that address the specific questions, outcomes and requirements contained in the ISA / letter of instruction. The Provider will be requested to evidence that the service is being delivered against the outcomes. WCC wish to put in place a multi-provider framework for Expert Assessments. Lot 1 — Independent Psychological Assessments. Psychological assessments are comprehensive assessments that include developmental, psychological and social issues of complex situations through the application of psychological formulation. An assessment will usually include but not be limited to; — a combination of evidence based psychometric tests, — in depth interviewing, — observations, — and a review of other professionals records such as social care, education, medical and forensic records. Psychological assessments must be informed by the latest evidence in the field. This includes the use of the most up to date and relevant assessments and test based on accepted professional and academic opinion. WCC wish to put in place a multi-provider framework for Expert Services — Independent Psychological and Independent Social Work Assessments. Lot 2 — Independent Social Work Assessments. Independent social worker assessments are undertaken by accredited social workers who have a minimum of between five to 10 years post qualifying experience who practise as freelance experts. Assessments may be requested through the court process in cases where the local authority’s assessment is contested, an independent report is requested by parties or alternatively they may be requested to manage local authority capacity issues. Independent social worker assessments can include a range of areas including parenting capacity, risk assessments, contact and can be useful in providing a perspective on the overall functioning of the family unit. WCC wish to put in place a multi-provider framework for Expert Assessments. Lot 3 Parenting Assessments including PAMS. Parenting capacity can be described as the ability to parent in a 'good enough' manner long term. A parenting assessment assesses whether a parent has the capacity to look after their child/ren or has the motivation to change. The assessment should focus on identifying strengths and weaknesses and also take into account the impact of wider factors on parenting and the child's development. Parenting assessments may be undertaken using Parenting Assessment Manual Software (PAMS) for vulnerable parents and those with learning difficulties by Providers who have been trained and experienced in using the software.