Assessment Services
Specialised Assessments and Consultation
Avidus & Co (formerly Spots & Arrows Pty Ltd) provide select assessment services in the child protection, out-of-home care, and Children’s Court arenas. For over 10 years, our methodologically robust and sound assessments have been used by referrers with confidence to inform their decision making on the best interests of the safety, wellbeing and permanence needs of children and young people across Australia.
Specialised assessments are underpinned by the Avidus & Co. Therapeutic Care and Practice Principles:
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Safety
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Trauma-Informed
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Resilience-Focused
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Rigorous
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Inclusive
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Quality through Pragmatism
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Purposeful
If you are a child welfare professional or Children's Court professional interested in more information, please click here.
Why refer for an Avidus & Co. Child and Family Assessment?
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Avidus & Co. formerly Spots & Arrows Pty Ltd have a proven track record in providing high quality assessments in the child protection, out-of-home care and Children's Court space for over 10 years. We understand the complexities of the systems across jurisdictions, having worked in the Northern Territory, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland.
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Avidus & Co. assessments consider participants in the context of their systems, history, present situation, strengths and challenges.
Our holistic, systems-based assessments are informed by file review, clinical interviews, observations, self-report, and information collected through the administration (when relevant) of a psychometric battery of measures specifically curated for each matter. -
Wherever possible, family assessment and parenting capacity related observations and interviews are not isolated to artificial environments like clinic offices; instead, we engage participants in their homes and observe the environment with the child in mind.
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Complex analyses on the critical domains of each assessment are tested through an internal Peer Quality Review process, improving rigour and confidence in analyses and recommendations.
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Recommendations are pragmatic and clear.
Complex Case Consultation and Impartial Peer Review Services
Better outcomes for children and families are the result of systems and people whose wellbeing and performance are valued equally, and deliberately nurtured.
Quality high stakes decision making is not served by working in isolation while navigating the complexity of human service, child protection and out of home care systems. Carrying this stress alone also takes its toll on a workforce who need extra support in prioritising their self-care and wellbeing needs. Even within teams, good decisions can be hampered by old ways of working and practice ruts.
Well reasoned analyses and recommendations require access to collective practice and systems wisdom, borne out of deliberate critical reflection facilitated by impartial third parties.
Services we offer:
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Complex Case Consultation
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Impartial Peer Review of child and family assessment reports for contracted independent assessors and agencies to support pragmatic, methodologically robust, evidence-informed assessment.
Enquire below for webinar information session for solo Independent Assessors and service bookings.
Family Assessments or Expert Reports
To inform the decisions of Independent Children’s Lawyers (ICLs) and Children's Court about the child’s best interests in terms of their future care, welfare and developmental needs. These independent assessments are provided by highly skills psychologists Australia-wide.
Foster Carer Authorisation and Review
Carer authorisation assessments explore the capacity of prospective carers to provide safe, predictable, therapeutic and nurturing care for children and young people who have experienced abuse and neglect. The assessment considers the applicant/s’ capacity to provide care for children and young people with differing and complex needsin the context of either crisis, short-term, long-term and/or respite care.
Carer Review explores the above domains in the context of carers’ growing experiences in providing care to children and young people who have experienced abuse and neglect, and aims to draw on these experiences to review matching considerations; and identify areas of competency, development and support to enable them to continue providing care.
Parenting Capacity / Restoration
To identify the degree to which a parent, or parents, have the capacity to provide a safe, predictable, nurturing and connected care environment for their children in the context of those children’s specific strengths, needs and trauma experiences. The assessment provides analysis of historical and current contextual factors influencing parenting capacity; and identifies, where relevant, the support and intervention required to inform restoration planning and transitions.
Relative / Kinship Carer Authorisation and Review
This assessment explores the capacity for prospective relative/kinship carers to provide safe, predictable, nurturing, therapeutic and connected care in the context of the children or young people’s trauma experiences, strengths and needs. Particular attention is paid to considering the unique context of family relationship dynamics and shared histories, grief and loss of family roles, learned stress and coping responses, and protectiveness, including exploration of the applicant’s understanding of the type of reparative parenting required to care for children and young people who have experienced abuse and neglect.
Guardianship Suitability
Assessing suitability for guardianship focuses on an individual child or young person’s strengths, needs and trauma experiences; and the prospective guardians’ capacity to provide a permanent, therapeutic care environment for children and young people that effectively promotes their safety, predictability, nurturing and connectedness.
Customised Assessments
Our team of experienced psychologists and child welfare professionals can design standalone assessments, or a combination of assessments that meet the needs of children and young people in the context of the child protection or out-of-home care system. Contact our team to discuss your specific needs
Enquiries
We accept referrals from Non-Government, State and Federal agencies responsible for child protection, out of home care, juvenile justice, health, education.