Child Impact Assessment
A focused assessment, grounded in evidence and centred on the child.
What this service is
A child impact assessment is a focused assessment prepared when parents are unable to reach an agreement about the arrangements needed for their children in the short to medium term. It provides the court, including registrars, with the information required to make interim decisions that keep children safe and supported while the wider issues in the matter are worked through.
Trea assesses safety and risk, including family violence, mental health, drug and alcohol use, and criminality where relevant. She also examines each child's developmental needs and how they can maintain a relationship with both parents, provided it is safe to do so.
Who it's for
Parties at the early stages of family law proceedings, where the court requires focused, well-evidenced information to make interim decisions in the best interests of the children. Child impact assessments are also used by solicitors and parents in family dispute resolution, whether that occurs within the court system or outside it.
When it's typically used
Child impact assessments are generally prepared at the beginning of court intervention, well in advance of a final hearing. They are not designed to resolve a matter, but to assist parents and the court in reaching sound, safe interim arrangements while long-term issues are addressed.
The Process
1. Referral
Referral usually occurs through the parties' solicitors and the Court. Each party's solicitor may provide a list of suitable professionals. Before Samara Psychology can accept the matter, it requires a joint letter of instruction and a copy of the court orders. These are usually provided after the parents agree on a practitioner and the Court makes the relevant order. Once the required documents are received, an interview date can be confirmed, and appointment invitations and invoices can be issued.
2. Reviewing the material
Trea reviews the court documents filed in the matter and, where provided, relevant information-sharing records from police or child protection agencies. Documents obtained by subpoena, such as school and GP records, are not reviewed as part of a child impact assessment. This broader material is generally considered as part of a family report.
3. Interviews
Trea meets with each parent and, where appropriate for their age and development, with the children. Children are not pressured to participate and decide how much or how little they wish to share. Observations of children with each parent are not always included in a child impact assessment. Whether they are included usually depends on the children's ages and developmental needs.
4. The report
The report is provided to the Court and the parties within two weeks to assist with interim decision-making.
FAQs
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No. Trea explains this clearly from the outset. Information she sees, hears or reads during an assessment may be included in her report, and the report may be relied on as evidence in court. If information raises a child-safety concern that must be reported by law, Trea is required to make that report.
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Not always. Whether observations form part of a child impact assessment usually depends on the age of the children. Trea will confirm what the assessment will involve before it begins.
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Keep it simple. They're going to meet someone whose job is to have a conversation about how things have been for them. Trea handles the rest: she explains to every child why they're meeting, what happens with what they share, and that it's entirely their choice how much or how little they say.
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No. A child impact assessment is an early, focused assessment for interim decisions. A family report is a later, comprehensive assessment for long-term ones. Many families will only ever need the first.