We have been a specialist provider of forensic services for over 19 years and use our genuinely multi-disciplinary teams to promote the welfare of children and assist and support frontline practitioners and managers to make the best decisions in cases of complex child sexual abuse.

Our extensively trained multi-disciplinary teams of expert social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists recognise that abusers are not a homogeneous population group and fall within a range of offence typologies and risk parameters. They have a broad range of specialist skills and experience to advise, assess and intervene.

All assessments include an expertly written report by our experienced and highly trained experts. All reports are then scrutinised by our Consultant Social Workers through our robust quality assurance programme.

Who are our services suitable for?

Our forensic risk assessments are suitable in the context of public or private law proceedings; with convicted or alleged perpetrators; or with professionals about whom there may be a concern.

Our experts can assess and intervene with:

• Individuals identified as significant risk and who require intensive case management monitoring
• People who have been diagnosed with learning difficulty or mental health problem
• Individuals residing in residential care, educational establishments or substitute family environments
• Children at risk of or who have experienced intra-and/or-extra-familial sexual abuse
• Individuals who have historic convictions
• Those who have had uncorroborated allegations of sexual abuse made against them
• Children and young people who have engaged in sexually harmful or offending behaviours
• Females who have sexually offended
• Children or young people who have experienced internet-based offences, such as grooming.

Our forensic risk assessment services

Our experts and multi-disciplinary teams can carry out a broad range of independent assessments. Specialist risk assessments will use a broad range of formalised empirically recognised appraisal tools to aid investigative, predictive and clinical judgement.

We engage in the following assessments:

• Forensic evaluation and risk assessments on male and female clients convicted of a sexual offence
• Psychometric assessments
• Fitness to Plead assessments
• Opinion in family reconstruction viability cases
• Environmental risk and safety analyses of community, family and organisational settings
• Structured risk and needs assessments for children and young people who have sexually harmed others

Similarly, we advise on those sexual risk behaviours which may not reach a threshold to convict but may suggest deviant sexual interests, thus potentially posing a risk to children and other vulnerable individuals.

Expert Advice

WillisPalmer advises and works alongside practitioners to design intervention strategies for engaging clients and where applicable, relevant others. This may include interventions to progress contact/rehabilitation plans and restorative processes.

Such work will often include a need for protective behaviour/risk awareness interventions with partners/others in the family system to promote assertive communication and safe permissible boundaries before any rehabilitation process commences.

We can also provide educational sessions with partners/family members of the person being assessed to provide them with information such as what signs to look out for in a potential abuser or someone with a history of offending.

Process

Private solicitors or organisations contact us via telephone 01206 878178 or online.

Initially we require information about the case including who it involves, why they need assessing, where the person resides and any background information. We will endeavour to come back to you on the same working day and clarify what further information we may require. For forensic risk assessments, this tends to be details of convictions or allegations, police records, information regarding anyone else involved such as a new partner and his/her capacity to protect any child involved.

WillisPalmer will provide you with the CVs of professionals trained to carry out assessments within 24 hours and we can begin work immediately on receipt of a formal letter of instruction. Typically, forensic risk assessments take six weeks to carry out.

Why choose WillisPalmer?

“I hereby confirm that the service provided by WillisPalmer has been nothing less than excellent. Communication has been prompt and efficient, with phone calls when necessary. WillisPalmer have in the majority of cases referred responded on the same day, offering a quote for the work and providing details of the available ISW by means of their CV.

“We as an organisation would most certainly continue to use the services provided by WillisPalmer when needed.”

L.E. - Team Manager

Benefits include:

• Our experts are experienced, knowledgeable and have a broad range of expertise
• WillisPalmer has been established for 18 years garnering a reputation for high standards and professionalism
• Entirely independent organisation specialising in multi-disciplinary services
• We have worked with a wide range of local authorities, solicitors and independent organisations over the years
• All expert reports are scrutinised through our robust quality assurance process

How to make a referral/find out more information about our services

To make a referral to WillisPalmer, or to find out more information, you can contact us in the following ways.

Telephone 01206 878178

Email enquiry@willispalmer.com

We require certain details of information such as location in order for us to source the most appropriate expert to meet your needs - find out more here. We will endeavour to come back to you the same or next working day, depending on the time the enquiry is made, to provide you with further information about our services and to discuss your requirements.