Kids Konnect is a regular provider of assessment services to Families and Community Services and Non-Government Organisations both in NSW and interstate. Every assessment is tailored to the specific referral question and involves a variety of methods and analysis to determine the best possible outcome.
Our comprehensive reports are professional, delivered on-time and include realistic recommendations that are in the best interests of the child.
To receive a quote, please email or phone us on 0415 312 285 with an outline of your requirements and/or referral (if available). Kids Konnect will endeavour to email a quote and response within 24 hours. We will commence an assessment on receipt of the approval and referral form.
Our assessment services include:
Placement
Kids Konnect offers comprehensive placement assessments to assist with case management decisions related to placement of children in care. We also conduct review placement assessments, as well as authorisation and de-authorisation assessments. We will help to identify appropriate long-term care options for children who are no longer able to live at home, and provide recommendations to support decision making for children coming into care. Placement assessments may include short-term, long-term and respite care options. Every assessment is tailored to the specific referral question and involves a variety of methods and analysis to determine the best possible outcome.
Adoption
For those wishing to adopt children in Out of Home Care. such as foster carers, a written report to the Court concerning the proposed adoption needs to be prepared by a Contracted Adoption Assessor. This report is also necessary for any couple wishing to adopt a child under 18 years of age either within Australia or overseas. The assessor’s report will evaluate the reasons for the proposed adoption, the relationship between the applicants and the child, the role of the non-custodial parent(s), the suitability of the applicants to adopt, and the benefits or disadvantages of adoption for the child (as opposed to any other legal order). Director of Kids Konnect, Briget Gurton is on the panel of Non-Contracted Adoptions Assessors and has extensive experience in preparing fair and thorough reports that meet the legislative requirements and address all issues pertaining to the adoption.
Parenting capacity
We conduct parenting capacity assessments to assist in identifying areas of parental strength and needs in order to determine appropriate support services for families. These assessments offer support to caseworkers with complex case formulation, and can assist in deciding whether or not a child or young person should enter, or remain in, the Out Of Home Care system. Such assessments can also be conducted for matters before the Children’s Court.
Developmental and needs
Children who may have recently come in to care, or who still reside at home, may require an overall psychological assessment to determine cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural development. Parents and carers are an important part of the assessment process and can provide valuable information about a child’s behaviour, emotional resilience, and response to interventions such as behaviour management strategies.
Cognitive and adaptive functioning
Cognitive and adaptive functioning assessments determine issues such as developmental level, disability, school readiness and learning disabilities. We conduct assessments using recognised standardised assessment tools, clinical interviews and observations. Reports detail the child’s support needs and areas of strength. These assessments are a valuable tool in determining best practice support and intervention for children who have come into care and may be experiencing difficulties with academic performance or development.
Behaviour management plans
Our comprehensive tailored behaviour management plans offer support to foster carers and agency staff in the management of challenging behaviour in children who have experienced issues such as trauma, grief and loss and abuse. We provide ongoing support, guidance and monitoring of the behaviour management plans through regular meetings with carers and staff to review the progress of the plan. Our behaviour management plans are developed on the basis of relevant assessments and include Positive Behaviour Support principles, attachment and developmental theories.
Other assessment services
- Family law: family assessments; custody disputes; psychological assessments; parenting capacity assessments; assessment of children; provision of expert testimony.
- Children’s court: parenting and family assessments; placement assessments and reviews; assessment of children; kinship placement assessments; provision of expert testimony.
- Guardianship and tribunals: assessments and provision of expert testimony.
- Victims of crime: assessment of trauma and therapy for post-traumatic stress.
- Consultation / Liaison service: available for government and non-government agencies.
- Assessment of foster parents: a comprehensive assessment of potential carers’ capacity to care for the specific needs of a child, as well as assessments where there has been concerns raised about the care provided by a foster carer.
- Contact assessments: determines the viability of family contact visits for children during out of home care placements.
- Restoration assessment: for families where the child has been removed from their direct care and the option of restoration is being considered.
- Best interests assessment: compare more than one placement option for a child/children and make a recommendation about which placement will best meet the needs of the child/children.