PAM (Parenting Assessment Manual) Assessments

Based on the Parenting Assessment Manual (PAM) model of intervention, a skilled social worker provides intensive assessment in the community, family centre or family home. The evaluation takes place over extended periods (8 or 12 weeks, to be agreed by the local authority) where our intervention is interactive, with a strong emphasis on education. The assessments are generally geared towards parents/carers with a learning difficulty or specific additional needs. By spending extended periods with the family, assessors can identify whether any gap in parental capacity is able to be bridged within a time frame conducive to their child or children. Provision of a mid point review report provides early identification of strengths or shortfalls and offers the local authority valuable safeguarding information should the assessment be suspended at that point. The commissioner would incur no additional cost if the assessment was suspended.