Child Assessment Orders

If Children, Schools and Families think that you may be being hurt or not properly looked after by your parents, the law says they have to investigate this.  If for some reason social workers have not been able to see you, speak to you, ask your parents questions or whatever else they may need to do, the court can make a “Child Assessment Order”.  This gives social workers or doctors seven days to find out what is happening or has happened to you and means that your parents must also allow them to talk to you.

If a doctor wishes to examine you and you don’t want this to happen, you have the right to say no to an examination. (Please see section on “Medical Consent”).

Once the social worker or doctor has made their report, it is taken to court to help the Magistrate decide what sort of Order they should make, or in fact whether they need to make one at all.