What is a Risk Assessment?

If the Local Authority is completing a risk assessment, they are doing so to determine if there is a likelihood of a significant risk of harm to a child. This could be due to concerns regarding domestic abuse and violence between parents, significant criminal activity, mental health concerns, drug or alcohol misuse and allegations of physical or sexual abuse. The risk assessment can be completed in respect of a parent, the partner or spouse of the child’s parent, any wider family members and anyone else who is having contact with that child.

The Local Authority will complete an in-depth analysis of the situations that the child may find themselves in due to the concerns, and what immediate and long-term risks this poses to the child. For example, if there is significant domestic abuse and violence between a child’s parents, there will be worries that the child could be caught in the middle of this and may be physically harmed. If the child is witnessing shouting, arguments and physical violence, this is likely to cause significant emotional and psychological harm to the child, and they may normalise these behaviours.

What happens in a Risk Assessment?

As part of the risk assessment, the social worker will focus and discuss the following:

• What the risks are and that person’s understanding of those risks.
• Protective factors already in place to safeguard the child.
• Whether there has already been any progress in mitigating the risks present.
• The vulnerability and ability of the child to protect itself.
• The parents and wider family’s ability to protect the child from the risks.
• How the risks can be managed and what measures can be put in place to secure the child’s safety by the Local Authority.
• If one of the parent’s poses the risk, that parent’s capacity to change and support that can be offered to do so.

Consequences of a Negative Risk Assessment

If the Local Authority’s risk assessment concludes that there is a risk to the child, then it is likely that they will consider managing that risk through increased social services involvement. This could be through a Child Protection Plan, the Pre-Proceedings Process or, if extremely significant and concerning, issuing Care Proceedings. It is extremely important that if you have been asked to engage with a risk assessment, you do so to allow the Local Authority to establish if your child is at risk or is likely to be at risk of physical harm, sexual harm or neglect. If you do not engage with the risk assessment, it will cause more concerns for the Local Authority due to non-engagement and an inability to assess any risk, meaning they are likely to escalate matters further and their involvement may become more significant.

If you have been asked to engage in a risk assessment, it is likely that you are already involved with social services and if that risk assessment is negative, it is likely their involvement will increase. We understand that this can be very stressful and that is why we are here to help and provide advice. We have experience in assisting parents at all stages of Local Authority involvement. Please contact Johnson Astills at either our Leicester office on 0116 255 4855 or our Loughborough office on 01509 610 312 and ask or a member of the Care Team. Alternatively you contact us through our free online enquiry form or email us at careteam@johnsonastills.com and a member of our team will be happy to assist you