The Family Assessment

The Family Assessment is a systematic, multi-dimensional approach to assessing families. It includes a range of tools and methods for engaging families in assessment work and promoting family interaction. It also enables professionals to make an evidence-based qualitative and quantitative assessments of family functioning.

The Family Assessment was specifically commissioned (along with the HOME Inventory and the Family Pack of Questionnaires and Scales) by the Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families to assist social workers and others using the Assessment Framework, although it suitable for use by a wide range of professionals. Using a systemic perspective, it looks at the dynamics of the whole family and at relationships between family members and provides a model for understanding, describing and assessing family strengths and difficulties and family competencies. It is particularly useful with more complex families to plan support and other interventions.

The Family Assessment can be used to assess change over time and where specialist assessments are required related to rehabilitation of children, therapeutic work, permanency planning, court proceedings and other decision-making forums.

• Contents
• The Family Assessment model of family functioning
• Interview schedule
• Extract from the record form
• Extract from the Family History dimension
• The Family Assessment family profile