A Residential Family Assessment is for children whose parents want to demonstrate their ability to care and meet their needs but where serious concerns exist. The usual length of a residential assessment is 12 weeks. However, we are able to offer assessments of varying length depending on what kind of help and support is required is dependent on the risks to the child

The multidisciplinary staff team are experienced in all aspects of child protection issues and its associated risks. Each family will be assigned their own case manager and key worker during their assessment that will provide comprehensive information and reports that will enable important decisions to be made for the benefit of the child.

The information is carefully analysed and an interim and comprehensive court report is produced which will enable important decisions to be made for the benefit of the child. All decisions are made as a team with no individual working in isolation.

We have developed a creative and flexible response to supporting parents to recognise the needs of their child through example and demonstration, education, observation and positive encouragement. We work with families from a wide range of cultural, ethnic and faith backgrounds. We also have access to translations services as well as several staff with second languages where English is not spoken. This is achieved through a variety of models and tools used and developed by Browning House.

Browning House is situated within the bustling multicultural community of Chapeltown, Leeds.

The Residential Assessment has the following features: -

All families have their own room or flat which they share with their children. All of which are monitored by a scanning audio system which records all sounds within each room during a ten-day cycle.

Our staffing ratio allows for intense client contact throughout the day and evening and there is a policy of regular [hourly or more frequently] checks on the children throughout the night. One-to-one supervision of a parent can be provided and/or children can remain in staff care overnight, with staff waking parents to care for their children as required, should placing the child immediately in a parent’s care present a risk or be setting the parents up to fail.

Work in partnership with families and other professionals where children are at serious risk.

Where areas of concern are identified these are routinely considered by staff and appropriate risk
management strategies introduced and subsequently monitored.

Browning House actively promotes equal opportunities for all, believing that every person has the right to freedom from any level of discrimination. Our staff provide a supportive role to parents and work hard to develop relationships based on trust and honesty so both difficult and positive feedback can be provided.

Provide detailed independent objective assessments and reports for referral agents including Children’s Services, Legal Services and the Courts.

Offer intensive multi-disciplinary professional support, assessment and rehabilitation providing regular reviews for all agencies and court reports.

Browning House considers that every child has the right to expect a level of parenting adequate to meet that child’s physical, emotional and social needs and it is within this remit that parents are assessed.

The assessment process benefits both parents and children and is a structured approach for the preparation of reports requested by the referral agents, to be used within Court proceedings.

Every parent is treated as an individual - skills are respected and built on through a combination of group and individual session work. Observations are recorded daily and parents are encouraged to read their own personal records.

CHARGES FOR A RESIDENTIAL ASSESSMENT

Effective for assessments starting after 1 April 2010

• One parent and up to 2 children - £2754.00 per week or part-week
• Couple and up to 2 children -  £3570.00 per week or part-week
• Additional children are charged at weekly rate of £510.00

Fees include all associated assessment costs, (review and court reports, drug tests, local transport, group work, session work, social events, staff attendance at case conferences prior to and immediately after the assessment etc).

The fees also include up to one supervised contact session per week held on our premises or within a 5 mile radius of the Unit. Any sessions over and above this will be charged as below. If there is a requirement for supervised contact outside the locality then this will also be charged as below.

We also provide parents with cameras free of charge and we produce film footage of the family on DVD as a memento of their stay at Browning House.

Please Note:  Residential fees are charged on a weekly basis, Monday to Sunday.  If an assessment unexpectedly ends during the middle of a week then that remaining week plus an extra week’s fees will be charged.

Additional Fees Payable

Our fee excludes one-to-one supervision of a parent, supervised contact as described above and court attendance:

One-to-one supervision of a parent:

• £61.00 per hour (on top of basic fee)

Court attendance:

• £112.00 per hour plus travel time
• Associated travel expenses will be charged at cost.
• (Paid by Local Authority Legal Services)

Supervised contact: on premises including use of room

• £76.00 per hour - Case Manager
• £61.00 per hour - Support Worker
• An extra half hour per session will be charged for associated administration costs. (NB the entire fee will be charged whether or not the client attends)

Supervised contact - off premises:

• £76.00 per hour - Case Manager plus travel time
• £61.00 per hour - Support Worker plus travel time
• An extra half hour per session will be charged for associated administration costs. (NB the entire fee will be charged whether or not the client attends).
• Associated travel expenses will be charged at cost.