Social Work Assessment for Kinship Care in Scotland: What to Expect

Two Different Assessments, Two Different Purposes

When you're going through the kinship care order process in Scotland, you may encounter two separate social work processes. They look similar from the outside — both involve social workers visiting your home and asking questions — but they serve completely different purposes and are ordered by different bodies.

The council support assessment is an administrative process run by your local authority's kinship social work team. Its purpose is to evaluate whether the child qualifies as an "eligible child" under Part 13 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 and whether you qualify for Kinship Care Assistance, including the kinship care allowance. This assessment uses tools like the Kinship Assessment Framework and the GIRFEC (Getting It Right For Every Child) wellbeing indicators. It does not grant you any legal rights.

The court-ordered Child Welfare Report is commissioned by the sheriff during active court proceedings. The sheriff appoints an independent Child Welfare Reporter to investigate the child's circumstances, interview the parties, and produce a written report advising the court on what arrangement serves the child's best interests. This report feeds directly into the court's decision on whether to grant the Section 11 order.

The Council Support Assessment

You can — and should — request this assessment from your council's kinship team as soon as the child moves in with you, even before you start court proceedings. The assessment determines:

• Whether the child meets the "eligible child" criteria (at risk of becoming looked after, or previously looked after)
• Your suitability as a kinship carer
• What level of support you and the child need
• Whether you qualify for council assistance towards legal costs

The assessment may involve home visits, interviews with you and the child, background checks, and liaison with the child's school, GP, and any involved professionals. Timescales vary across Scotland's 32 councils; ask your council for its current estimate.

If the child is deemed eligible, the council has a statutory duty to provide Kinship Care Assistance. If they're not eligible — because the child was never involved with social work and isn't considered at risk of becoming looked after — you can still get the Section 11 court order, but the council's financial support obligations are limited.

The Court-Ordered Child Welfare Report

This happens during court proceedings, and only if the sheriff decides one is needed. In contested cases, it's common. In uncontested cases, the sheriff may decide the affidavits are sufficient.

The Child Welfare Reporter is appointed from a national register administered by Scottish Ministers. They're trained professionals — not the same social worker doing your council assessment. The reporter's job is to act as an independent officer of the court, not to represent either side.

The reporter may:

• Visit your home and observe the child's living arrangements
• Interview you, the birth parents, and possibly other family members
• Speak to the child (the court presumes every child can express a view, regardless of age)
• Contact the school, GP, and any other professionals involved with the child
• Produce a written report on the child's circumstances and welfare for the sheriff to consider

The report is lodged with the court and shared with both solicitors. It carries significant weight — sheriffs rely heavily on the reporter's independent assessment, particularly in finely balanced cases.

How to Prepare

For both assessments, preparation is similar:

• Have your documentation ready — the child's birth certificate, any existing court orders, school reports, medical records, and a timeline of the child's care history
• Be honest about the circumstances — social workers and reporters value transparency over a polished narrative
• Focus on the child's stability — both assessments ultimately ask the same question: is this arrangement meeting the child's needs?
• Keep records — note the dates of visits, who attended, and what was discussed. If there are delays, follow up in writing.

Our Kinship Care Orders in Scotland guide explains both assessment processes in detail, with a preparation checklist and a communication log template for tracking your interactions with social work.

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