pre-birth assessment.

When children’s social services carry out an assessment in relation to an unborn child, this is called a pre-birth assessment.

A pre-birth assessment is carried out in a similar way to other children’s social services assessments, but it happens before the baby is born. It aims to find out whether a family will need extra support, and/or whether a baby will be safe when they are born.

There can be different outcomes depending on the assessment. The assessment may conclude that the baby will need additional help once it is born. Or it may decide that there are concerns that it will suffer significant harm once it is born. Sometimes the assessment will decide that no additional help is needed from children’s social services.

The charity Family Rights Group provides information and advice if you are told that a pre-birth assessment will be carried out. They also provide information about how parents-to-be can access extra help and support.