ISW consultancy and family assessment at your fingertips

 
 

ISW assessments include:

• Viability
• Parenting
• SGO/Connected Persons
• Risk
• Sibling
• Fostering and Adoption.

Cultural Competency

Some of our ISWs are bilingual, and most have significant experience in assessing non-English speaking families. 

In addition to working with British families, we are leaders in assessing families from non-British cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

Where we might not be able to use a bilingual ISW, we offer the next best alternative - please see this blog for further info.

 
 

Frequently asked questions

  • Please email enquiries@agfamilysupport.com and, if you wish to discuss it beforehand, call us on 01273 762175 or 0800 999 1456 (option 6).

  • We are experienced in all kinds of ISW assessment work. Typically, though, most of it relates to parenting, Special Guardianship/Connected Persons assessments. A vast majority of cases we get involved in are within pre-proceedings or care proceedings arenas.

  • We have a small team of between 7 and 10 very experienced independent social work consultants. Any ISW applicants must meet our high professional standards and our recruitment process is robust. We are currently recruiting and potential ISW applicants are asked to contact us via enquiries@agfamilysupport.com

  • Yes, at this time we have Polish speaking ISWs. However, we have developed, and over the past several years successfully applied, the Tandem ISW/FSW Assessment Model (TAM), which has proven to be very effective. The TAM is applied in cases where the family to be assessed are of a non-British cultural and linguistic background. More detailed information about it can be accessed via the following blog article: https://www.agfamilysupport.com/blog/bilingual-family-assessments-agfs-innovative-and-effective-approach

  • We are a national leader in culturally-competent and culturally- sensitive ISW assessments in the context of care proceedings in the UK. We have completed dozens of ISW assessments of families originating from Poland, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, the Ukraine, Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, Australia, The Gambia, France, South Africa, Nigeria, The United States, Russia, Norway and Ireland, amongst others. Many of those assessments included traveling abroad and meeting with the families in the countries they reside in. We have developed professional relationships with Central Authorities and allied professionals in several Eastern European countries. Our managing director, also an ISW, is a trainer on assessing and working with families from Eastern and Central Europe.

  • We accept referrals from professionals (social workers, solicitors). Members of the public can make enquiries, of course, but referrals must come from professionals, such as a solicitor representing the interested party, for example. Please note any such assessment must be sanctioned by the court (in care proceedings) or agreed by the referring local authority (pre-proceedings).

  • We can complete ISW assessments anywhere in the UK. Moreover, we have significant experience in assessing families resident in Europe and around the World.

  • Yes, all our ISW reports are subject to quality control by our dedicated ISW- Coordinator, before they are filed with the Client. This helps ensure that our reports are always fit for purpose and meet our high professional standards.

  • The cost varies, depending on the complexity of any given case, and on whether we apply an all-inclusive rate or charge by the hour. We would ask for any cost enquiries to be made via enquiries@agfamilysupport.com or by calling us on 01273 762175 or 0800 999 1456 (option 6).

  • No, we do not. This is because the LAA rates have been stagnant for over 10 years and have grossly undervalued the expertise ISWs bring on matters concerning the most vulnerable members of our society and where decisions can so fundamentally impact upon the lives of children and their families. Our rates are therefore higher than those allowed by the LAA allows.