Why we don’t take emergency referrals
We get asked if we take emergency referrals for our residential centres a lot. The short answer is no. But we can turn a referral around very quickly if we have good information and cooperation from the local authority and space in one of our residential assessment centres.
In fact, we could place a family within a couple of days – so please, if you have a family who can be found a placement in this amount of time contact us.
But we also have good reasons why we don’t take emergency referrals.
Why we don’t take emergency referrals
We need to be fair to the family and show them respect
This family are being uprooted from their community and sent to live with social work type professionals for up to 12 weeks. The situation is demanding: living in a shared house, being monitored, taking part in sessions, time out being restricted. It is only fair, we make sure they understand what they are letting themselves in for and what to expect.
We need to be fair to our other families and staff
Will this family fit in with the other families already having an assessment? It’s important we look into the backgrounds of all the families coming to stay with us, to make sure we fully understand potential issues and their needs. It’s also crucial we do our due diligence, to properly prepare our teams for who is coming to stay with us.
We want social workers to understand how we work
We work collaboratively with the professionals supporting the families we assess. To build this relationship, it’s important to us you meet our teams and see how we work. This way we can all be clear about our expectations and those of the family.
Assessment readiness
Is this family ready for an assessment? We want to make sure the family is in the right space to start an assessment. For instance, if they are in the grip of a mental health crisis or still abusing substances, starting an assessment may not be fair for them or their children.
We need to be transparent with everyone
Before every placement, we meet the family and social workers together. This allows us to check with the family and social worker that we are all on the same page. That the family understands fully why they are being sent for an assessment and what the outcomes could be.
The speed that we can turn a referral around depends greatly on the information the local authority have to share about the family. If you are working with a family who you think may need an assessment, its best to get in touch with us as soon as possible to make the process as smooth as it can be.