# Social Work Assessment — Vince Peart

> Independent Social Worker providing assessments for the Family Court across England and Wales. Last updated: March 2026.

## About

Vince Peart is an Independent Social Worker with thirteen years' post-qualification experience. He has completed over 225 assessments across 40 local authority areas for more than 100 different instructing solicitors, local authorities, and Children's Guardians.

Before going independent, he worked as a Children's Guardian for CAFCASS, a Team Manager at Middlesbrough Council, a Deputy Manager at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, and an Advanced Practitioner at Together for Children, Sunderland.

He holds a PGDip in Social Work and a BSc (First Class Hons.) in Child and Family Studies from the University of Cumbria, and a Diploma in Counselling from Newcastle College. He is registered with Social Work England (SWE93532).

He is regularly consulted as an expert commentator on children's social care by national media including Sky News, BBC, The Times, The Guardian, and The Mail. He is Content Editor at Social Work News and a contributing author at Community Care.

## Services

Vince provides the following assessment types for Family Court proceedings:

- Parenting Assessments (ParentAssess framework) — over 100 completed
- Forensic Risk Assessments — physical, emotional, sexual harm, neglect, domestic abuse, substance misuse (40+ completed)
- SGO and Connected Persons Assessments — Form C, Form K, Form F frameworks
- Capacity to Protect (CASP-R) — Advanced Masterclass certified
- Together or Apart / Sibling Assessments
- Viability Assessments — including international placements
- Section 7 and Section 37 Reports under the Children Act 1989
- DVRIM (Barnardo's certified)
- CUBAS Contact Assessments
- Best Interest Assessor (BIA), qualified through Teesside University, under the Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Merton Age Assessments
- Family Mediation
- McKenzie Friend support

## Coverage

Based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Available nationally across England and Wales. International assessments by arrangement.

## Contact

- Phone: 0191 716 5069 (office) / 07940 460503 (mobile)
- Email: vince@socialworkassessment.com / referrals@socialworkassessment.com
- Website: https://socialworkassessment.com

## Guides

Vince publishes plain-language guides explaining Family Court assessments for professionals and families:

### For Families

- What to expect from an independent social work assessment — a guide for parents and carers being assessed, covering the process, what happens during visits, what the report covers, the closing letter, and their rights. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/what-to-expect.html
- How to prepare for a social work assessment — practical advice on preparing for an assessment, including what to expect, how to present yourself honestly, and what the assessor is actually looking for. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/preparing-for-assessment.html
- Can grandparents get custody in the UK? — explains how grandparents can get legal responsibility for grandchildren through Special Guardianship Orders, the assessment process, what the court looks for, and the emotional reality of kinship care. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/grandparents-custody.html

### Assessment Types

- What is a ParentAssess assessment — explains the ParentAssess framework, the domains it covers (basic care, emotional warmth, safety, education, parental functioning), how assessments work in practice, and what the report looks like. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/parentassess.html
- What is a Section 7 report — explains Section 7 of the Children Act 1989, when the court orders a welfare report, what the process involves for parents, the welfare checklist, and how Section 7 differs from Section 37. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/section-7-report.html
- What is a Section 37 report — explains when the court directs the local authority to investigate whether a child needs protection, the three possible outcomes, how it differs from Section 7, and what it means for parents. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/section-37-report.html
- What is a risk assessment in family court — explains forensic risk assessments, the types of risk assessed (physical harm, emotional harm, sexual harm, neglect, domestic abuse, substance misuse), risk analysis methodology, and DVRIM. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/risk-assessment.html
- What is a CASP-R assessment — explains capacity to protect assessments, when they are used (domestic abuse, substance misuse, sexual harm), what is assessed (risk recognition, protective behaviour, sustainability), and how the assessment works. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/casp-r.html
- What is an SGO assessment — explains Special Guardianship Order assessments, who gets assessed (grandparents, aunts, uncles, family friends), what the assessment covers under the Form C and Form K frameworks, and how SGO differs from adoption. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/sgo-assessment.html
- What is a connected persons assessment — explains who counts as a connected person, what the assessment covers, how it relates to SGO assessments, and the difference between connected persons and foster carer assessments. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/connected-persons-assessment.html
- What is a viability assessment — explains the initial assessment that determines whether a proposed carer should progress to a full assessment, what it covers, Regulation 24 placements, and what happens after. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/viability-assessment.html
- What is a Together or Apart assessment — explains sibling placement assessments, how sibling relationships are assessed, when separation is considered, and how contact is planned if children are placed apart. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/together-or-apart.html

### For Professionals

- Instructing an independent social worker: a guide for solicitors — practical guidance for solicitors on getting the scope right, what to include in the letter of instruction, timescales, the assessment process, report format, oral evidence, and fees. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/instructing-an-isw.html
- What makes a good letter of instruction? — how to draft effective LOI questions that produce useful reports, common mistakes to avoid, naming assessment frameworks, and why a pre-drafting conversation saves time. Includes FAQs on specifying frameworks, what documents to send, and common LOI mistakes. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/letter-of-instruction.html
- Working with an ISW: a guide for local authority social workers — what to expect when an ISW is instructed in your case, how the collaboration works, sharing information, handling disagreements, and safeguarding obligations. Written by an ISW who spent years in LA children's services. Includes FAQs on ISW reports vs LA assessments, safeguarding during assessments, and how to prepare. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/guide-for-social-workers.html
- Working with an ISW: a guide for Children's Guardians — communication during assessments, the relationship between Guardian and ISW roles, handling differing recommendations, and oral evidence. Written by an ISW who previously worked as a Children's Guardian. Includes FAQs on seeing reports before hearing, requesting additional questions, and ISW meetings with children. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/guide-for-guardians.html

### Quick Reference

- Family Court assessments: frequently asked questions — quick answers to 20 common questions about independent social workers, the assessment process, court terminology (welfare checklist, letter of instruction, closing letter, court bundle, Cafcass, significant harm, parental responsibility, Part 25 expert), and specific assessment comparisons. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/family-court-faq.html

## Insights

Vince publishes practice reflections and thought pieces on assessment quality, the Family Court, and children's social care:

- What Do Social Workers Actually Look for in a Home Visit? — Debunking myths about home visits, what practitioners really observe, and why a spotless house isn't the point. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/home-visit-what-social-workers-look-for.html
- What Happens If You "Fail" a Parenting Assessment? — You don't pass or fail. What negative findings actually mean, what happens next, and why recommendations are nuanced not binary. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/what-happens-if-you-fail-parenting-assessment.html
- Independent Social Worker vs Local Authority Social Worker — Structural differences, why courts appoint ISWs, and how ISW and LA social workers should collaborate. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/independent-vs-local-authority-social-worker.html
- How Long Does a Social Work Assessment Take? — Realistic timescales by assessment type, what drives the length, and why rushing produces worse outcomes. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/how-long-does-social-work-assessment-take.html
- Can You Refuse a Social Work Assessment? — The legal position, consequences of non-engagement, and what the court infers from refusal. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/can-you-refuse-social-work-assessment.html
- Section 7 vs Section 37: What's the Difference? — When each is ordered, what triggers a Section 37, the three possible outcomes, and practical implications for solicitors. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/section-7-vs-section-37-difference.html
- The Welfare Checklist: How Courts Decide What's Best for a Child — All seven factors in s1(3) Children Act 1989 explained in plain language with real assessment examples. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/welfare-checklist-children-act.html
- Special Guardianship Orders: The Pros, Cons, and What Nobody Tells You — Benefits, downsides, varying financial support, and the emotional reality of kinship care from a practitioner's perspective. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/special-guardianship-order-pros-cons.html
- How to Challenge a Social Work Assessment You Disagree With — Legal routes, when challenging is productive, the difference between factual errors and analytical disagreement. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/how-to-challenge-social-work-assessment.html
- Parental Alienation: What I Actually See in Assessments — Alienating behaviours are real but the label is overused. What assessors look for and the danger of predetermined frameworks. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/parental-alienation-family-court.html
- Hair Strand Testing in Family Court: What It Shows and What It Doesn't — Detection windows, common issues (hair colouring, environmental contamination), and how practitioners use results alongside other evidence. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/hair-strand-testing-family-court.html
- What Makes a Good Parenting Assessment? — Quality markers: specificity, evidence-based analysis, the child's voice, engagement with contradictory evidence, and recommendations that flow from analysis. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/what-makes-good-parenting-assessment.html
- Closing Letters: Why Every Assessment Should End with One — The importance of writing directly to the person assessed in plain language, delivering difficult findings with compassion, and children reading their files years later. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/closing-letters-social-work-assessments.html
- Preparing for Oral Evidence: Lessons from 100+ Hearings — How cross-examination works, preparation strategies, common expert mistakes, and why analysis matters more than delivery. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/preparing-oral-evidence-family-court.html
- Why Assessment Quality Matters More Than Assessment Speed — The 26-week pressure, consequences of rushing, how to be fast and thorough, and why filing early is a discipline. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/assessment-quality-vs-speed.html
- What the Court Actually Wants from Expert Evidence — PD25B compliance, what judges value (clarity, balance, child focus), common report criticisms, and the difference between advocacy and expert opinion. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/what-court-wants-expert-evidence.html
- How Domestic Abuse Is Assessed in Family Court Proceedings — What counts as domestic abuse, how allegations are investigated through fact-finding, structured risk assessment tools (DVRIM, DASH), identifying coercive control, the child's experience, capacity to protect (CASP-R), and how findings affect contact. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/how-domestic-abuse-assessed-family-court.html
- What Happens at a Fact-Finding Hearing in Family Court? — What a fact-finding hearing is, the standard of proof (balance of probabilities), Scott Schedules, what happens in the courtroom, the role of expert evidence, what findings mean for the rest of proceedings, and practical advice for families. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/fact-finding-hearing-family-court.html
- Why I Welcome the Expansion of Child Focused Courts — A practitioner's view on the national rollout of Child Focused Courts (formerly Pathfinder Courts), the Child Impact Report, the repeal of the presumption of parental involvement, what it means for families and independent social workers, and questions about Cafcass resourcing. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/child-focused-courts-national-expansion.html
- Connected Persons vs Foster Carer Assessment: What's the Difference? — What a connected persons assessment is (Form C, Regulation 24), how it differs from a foster carer assessment (Form F), why the court treats kinship carers differently, the support gap, and what the assessment process involves for family members who step forward. URL: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights/connected-persons-vs-foster-carer.html

## Pages

- Home: https://socialworkassessment.com/
- About: https://socialworkassessment.com/about.html
- Services: https://socialworkassessment.com/services.html
- Guides: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides.html
- Insights: https://socialworkassessment.com/insights.html
- Contact: https://socialworkassessment.com/contact.html
- What to expect from an ISW assessment: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/what-to-expect.html
- How to prepare for your assessment: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/preparing-for-assessment.html
- Can grandparents get custody?: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/grandparents-custody.html
- What is ParentAssess: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/parentassess.html
- What is a Section 7 report: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/section-7-report.html
- What is a Section 37 report: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/section-37-report.html
- What is a risk assessment: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/risk-assessment.html
- What is CASP-R: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/casp-r.html
- What is an SGO assessment: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/sgo-assessment.html
- What is a connected persons assessment: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/connected-persons-assessment.html
- What is a viability assessment: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/viability-assessment.html
- What is a Together or Apart assessment: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/together-or-apart.html
- Instructing an ISW (for solicitors): https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/instructing-an-isw.html
- FAQ: https://socialworkassessment.com/guides/family-court-faq.html