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Assessment policy and practice

Assessment policy and practice

Assessment is a key process that allows social workers to make sense of the child’s situation and the nature and extent of their needs, so they can make a professional judgement on the best intervention to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare.

Where there are concerns about the safety of an unborn child, social workers should carry out a pre-birth assessment.

The CSFH pre-birth assessment policy provides guidance on when to carry out pre-birth assessments and best practice in working with expectant parents. 

The Pre-birth assessment tool is also available as part of the assessment.

The CSCP has also produced multi-agency guidance on pre-birth assessments detailing how social workers should work jointly with other agencies, particularly midwives, when working with expectant parents.

Social workers may also need to refer to the CSCP concealed pregnancy protocol for cases where concerns include the concealment or denial of a pregnancy.

 

 

Last updated: 23 February 2026