I'm certified and experienced in each of the assessment frameworks listed on this page, for Family Court proceedings across England and Wales.
Jump to: Parenting, Risk, SGO and connected persons, CASP-R, Section 7 and Section 37, Immigration Tribunal, Later life planning, Supervised contact, Fees
Straightforward, predictable, and designed to work within your court timescales.
I receive the LOI and court bundle. A fee and a filing date within one working day.
Assessment plan and interview schedule provided within two working days of receiving the papers.
Interviews, observations, professional checks, and analysis to the agreed timetable.
Filing five days before the filing deadline is my working standard. Available for oral evidence.
Comprehensive parenting capacity assessments using the ParentAssess framework. I've completed over 100 of these within care and pre-proceedings, covering every domain relevant to a child's welfare.
Forensic risk assessments examining identified risks of harm. I've produced 40+ for the Family Court covering the full spectrum of harm categories.
Special guardianship suitability and connected persons assessments for prospective kinship carers using the Form C, Form K (in use since 2025) and Form F frameworks.
Structured assessment of a parent's or carer's capacity to protect children from identified risks. CASP-R trained with advanced Masterclass certification.
Assessment of sibling relationships, attachment, and the benefits and risks of joint or separate placement.
Initial viability and Regulation 24 assessments for prospective carers identified during proceedings, including international placements.
Court-directed welfare reports under the Children Act 1989 for both public and private law proceedings.
Independent social work reports for the Immigration and Asylum Chamber: carer and dependency, family impact of deportation, best interests of the child, and sole responsibility assessments. Fixed, all-inclusive fees from £1,450, with the report date confirmed within one working day. Practice Direction compliant. Full details and fees.
Independent social work for people planning for later life without family close by, and for families supporting an older relative from a distance. A planning assessment with a written plan, lasting power of attorney certificates, mental capacity assessments and an independent voice for your wishes. Full details and fees.
Private supervised contact in the community across the North East, including weekends, with a neutral registered social worker present throughout and a written record of every session by the next working day. An overall report and court attendance are available if the court wants them. Full details and fees.
The same figures I send on every enquiry, so a Part 25 application or a commissioning form can be completed without waiting for a call. Every instruction is quoted as a fixed number of hours, agreed in writing before work starts and billed at that figure whatever the assessment actually takes.
Where the hourly rate is above the Legal Aid Agency's codified rate, instructing solicitors seek prior authority, and I provide the paragraph and the breakdown they need for it. Local authorities and privately funded parties instruct at the rates above.
Hours cover reading, sessions, observations, professional checks, analysis, the report and a closing letter to the person assessed. The full rate card lists every assessment type.
Neither is expert evidence, and I never combine either with an assessment in the same case.
Mediation-trained and drawing on a Diploma in Counselling, I can help parents and carers work towards agreed arrangements for their children outside of contested court proceedings. A constructive, child-focused approach where both parties are willing to engage.
Court support for litigants in person who are going through Family Court proceedings without legal representation. I provide practical assistance to help you understand the process, prepare your documents, and present your case clearly and effectively.
