# Social Work Assessment — Vincent Peart > Independent Social Worker providing assessments for the Family Court across England and Wales. ## About Vincent Peart is an Independent Social Worker with thirteen years' post-qualification experience. He has completed over 225 assessments across 40 local authority areas for more than 100 different instructing solicitors, local authorities, and Children's Guardians. Before going independent, he worked as a Children's Guardian for CAFCASS, a Team Manager at Middlesbrough Council, a Deputy Manager at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, and an Advanced Practitioner at Together for Children, Sunderland. He holds a PGDip in Social Work and a BSc (First Class Hons.) in Child and Family Studies from the University of Cumbria, and a Diploma in Counselling from Newcastle College. He is registered with Social Work England (SWE93532). He is regularly consulted as an expert commentator on children's social care by national media including Sky News, BBC, The Times, The Guardian, and The Mail. He is Content Editor at Social Work News and a contributing author at Community Care. ## Services Vincent provides the following assessment types for Family Court proceedings: - Parenting Assessments (ParentAssess framework) — over 100 completed - Forensic Risk Assessments — physical, emotional, sexual harm, neglect, domestic abuse, substance misuse (40+ completed) - SGO and Connected Persons Assessments — Form C, Form K, Form F frameworks - Capacity to Protect (CASP-R) — Advanced Masterclass certified - Together or Apart / Sibling Assessments - Viability Assessments — including international placements - Section 7 and Section 37 Reports under the Children Act 1989 - DVRIM (Barnardo's certified) - CUBAS Contact Assessments - Best Interest Assessor (BIA), qualified through Teesside University, under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 - Merton Age Assessments - Family Mediation - McKenzie Friend support ## Coverage Based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Available nationally across England and Wales. International assessments by arrangement. ## Contact - Phone: 0191 716 5069 (office) / 07940 460503 (mobile) - Email: vince@socialworkassessment.com / referrals@socialworkassessment.com - Website: https://www.socialworkassessment.com ## Guides Vincent publishes plain-language guides explaining Family Court assessments for professionals and families: ### For Families - What to expect from an independent social work assessment — a guide for parents and carers being assessed, covering the process, what happens during visits, what the report covers, the closing letter, and their rights. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/what-to-expect.html - How to prepare for a social work assessment — practical advice on preparing for an assessment, including what to expect, how to present yourself honestly, and what the assessor is actually looking for. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/preparing-for-assessment.html - Can grandparents get custody in the UK? — explains how grandparents can get legal responsibility for grandchildren through Special Guardianship Orders, the assessment process, what the court looks for, and the emotional reality of kinship care. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/grandparents-custody.html ### Assessment Types - What is a ParentAssess assessment — explains the ParentAssess framework, the domains it covers (basic care, emotional warmth, safety, education, parental functioning), how assessments work in practice, and what the report looks like. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/parentassess.html - What is a Section 7 report — explains Section 7 of the Children Act 1989, when the court orders a welfare report, what the process involves for parents, the welfare checklist, and how Section 7 differs from Section 37. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/section-7-report.html - What is a Section 37 report — explains when the court directs the local authority to investigate whether a child needs protection, the three possible outcomes, how it differs from Section 7, and what it means for parents. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/section-37-report.html - What is a risk assessment in family court — explains forensic risk assessments, the types of risk assessed (physical harm, emotional harm, sexual harm, neglect, domestic abuse, substance misuse), risk analysis methodology, and DVRIM. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/risk-assessment.html - What is a CASP-R assessment — explains capacity to protect assessments, when they are used (domestic abuse, substance misuse, sexual harm), what is assessed (risk recognition, protective behaviour, sustainability), and how the assessment works. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/casp-r.html - What is an SGO assessment — explains Special Guardianship Order assessments, who gets assessed (grandparents, aunts, uncles, family friends), what the assessment covers under the Form C and Form K frameworks, and how SGO differs from adoption. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/sgo-assessment.html - What is a connected persons assessment — explains who counts as a connected person, what the assessment covers, how it relates to SGO assessments, and the difference between connected persons and foster carer assessments. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/connected-persons-assessment.html - What is a viability assessment — explains the initial assessment that determines whether a proposed carer should progress to a full assessment, what it covers, Regulation 24 placements, and what happens after. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/viability-assessment.html - What is a Together or Apart assessment — explains sibling placement assessments, how sibling relationships are assessed, when separation is considered, and how contact is planned if children are placed apart. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/together-or-apart.html ### For Professionals - Instructing an independent social worker: a guide for solicitors — practical guidance for solicitors on getting the scope right, what to include in the letter of instruction, timescales, the assessment process, report format, oral evidence, and fees. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/instructing-an-isw.html - What makes a good letter of instruction? — how to draft effective LOI questions that produce useful reports, common mistakes to avoid, naming assessment frameworks, and why a pre-drafting conversation saves time. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/letter-of-instruction.html - Working with an ISW: a guide for local authority social workers — what to expect when an ISW is instructed in your case, how the collaboration works, sharing information, handling disagreements, and safeguarding obligations. Written by an ISW who spent years in LA children's services. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/guide-for-social-workers.html - Working with an ISW: a guide for Children's Guardians — communication during assessments, the relationship between Guardian and ISW roles, handling differing recommendations, and oral evidence. Written by an ISW who previously worked as a Children's Guardian. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/guide-for-guardians.html ### Quick Reference - Family Court assessments: frequently asked questions — quick answers to 20 common questions about independent social workers, the assessment process, court terminology (welfare checklist, letter of instruction, closing letter, court bundle, Cafcass, significant harm, parental responsibility, Part 25 expert), and specific assessment comparisons. URL: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/family-court-faq.html ## Pages - Home: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/ - About: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/about.html - Services: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/services.html - Guides: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides.html - Contact: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/contact.html - What to expect from an ISW assessment: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/what-to-expect.html - How to prepare for your assessment: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/preparing-for-assessment.html - Can grandparents get custody?: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/grandparents-custody.html - What is ParentAssess: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/parentassess.html - What is a Section 7 report: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/section-7-report.html - What is a Section 37 report: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/section-37-report.html - What is a risk assessment: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/risk-assessment.html - What is CASP-R: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/casp-r.html - What is an SGO assessment: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/sgo-assessment.html - What is a connected persons assessment: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/connected-persons-assessment.html - What is a viability assessment: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/viability-assessment.html - What is a Together or Apart assessment: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/together-or-apart.html - Instructing an ISW (for solicitors): https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/instructing-an-isw.html - FAQ: https://www.socialworkassessment.com/guides/family-court-faq.html