The Clinical Psychology Group (TCPG) provide psychological assessment and therapeutic interventions to children, adults and families.
The Clinical Psychology Group
Adoption & Special Guardianship
Support Fund Assessments
Specialist clinical psychology assessments for the emotional needs of looked after, adopted, and special guardianship children and their families.
Our assessments can be funded through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF). Find out more about eligibility and how to apply:
About the Service
We provide specialist clinical psychology assessments for the emotional needs of children who are looked after, adopted, or living within special guardianship arrangements. Our aim is to help families early, before difficulties become overwhelming, and to offer guidance that strengthens your family and helps your child thrive.
All assessments are led and undertaken by a qualified, HCPC registered clinical psychologist and result in a therapeutic support plan for your child and family. Written reports are reviewed by a second clinical psychologist before being shared with the family.
In-depth assessment
A comprehensive clinical psychology assessment of your child's and family's needs, with a focus on trauma and attachment.
Psychological formulation
A trauma-led, attachment-focused understanding of your child's needs, functioning, and the child and carer relationship.
Therapeutic support plan
Clear recommendations for intervention, communicated to the family and relevant professionals in accessible written reports.
12 to 24 weeks
The full assessment process typically takes between 12 and 24 weeks from initial referral to final report.
What the Assessment Includes
Our comprehensive assessments are tailored to each individual child and family. Depending on the referral information and what emerges during the process, our assessments can include any combination of the following:
- Review of existing and relevant reports and files
- Clinical psychology interview and standardised questionnaires with adoptive parent(s) or carers
- Consultation with other professionals where appropriate, for example social worker or teacher
- School observations of the child (when appropriate) or observations in other important environments
- Clinical psychology interview and standardised questionnaires with the child
- Behavioural observations of the child
- Behavioural observations of the child with adoptive parent(s) or carers
- Family observations
- Play sessions with the child
- Sessions with siblings and/or siblings and child where appropriate
- Additional assessments indicated by referral information or as the assessment process develops
Formulation
When the assessment is completed, the information gathered is used to develop a trauma-led, attachment-focused formulation. This is a psychological understanding of your child's needs, functioning, and the child and adoptive parent(s) or carer(s) relationship. The formulation highlights areas for intervention and forms the basis of the therapeutic support plan.
Assessment Feedback
The assessment, formulation, and recommended interventions are communicated to the family and relevant professionals through both verbal and written communication. This can include:
- Comprehensive written reports for professionals and families
- Family-friendly reports (if appropriate or requested)
- Liaison with relevant agencies (if appropriate or requested)
- Feedback sessions with the family and other professional groups, for example school
Quality assurance: All written reports are reviewed by a second clinical psychologist before being shared with the family.
Interventions
Informed by the clinical psychology assessment and formulation, we offer integrative, formulation-driven interventions tailored to the context and needs of the child, family, and wider system. Our interventions draw from several different psychological models and theories, and include but are not limited to:
Therapeutic parenting
PACE-informed therapeutic support
Video Interaction Guidance
Psychotherapy
Attachment therapy
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
Narrative therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Trauma-Focused therapy
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive Analytic Therapy
Life story work with therapeutic intervention
Initial sessions typically include psychoeducation with parent(s) or carers on important topics such as attachment, typical child development, the effects of early trauma on attachment, behaviour and relationships, brain development, and communication.
We work with families primarily to prevent difficulties and to support emerging difficulties for both the child and the family. Our first step is usually to work with parents and carers, supporting the whole family from a trauma and attachment-informed perspective. Throughout the intervention we provide liaison with other professionals such as schools, and we complete an end-of-intervention report outlining the work completed, goals achieved, and any future work that may be needed.
Please note
We are not a diagnostic service and we are not CAMHS. We do not complete assessments to ascertain whether children meet diagnostic criteria for ADHD or ASD, and are not best-placed to work with families in crisis.
We have a great deal of experience working with families and we approach our work with the family as a whole, from a trauma and attachment-informed perspective, to help support the child.