Leicester Psychology Clinic offers specialist psychological support funded through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF). We provide essential services to families of adopted children and those under Special Guardianship Orders. Our experienced team specialises in child and adolescent mental health, with particular expertise in working with looked-after and adopted children who may have experienced early trauma, attachment difficulties, or developmental challenges.
As an approved provider for the Adoption Support Fund, we enable families to access high-quality assessments and therapeutic services with financial support, removing barriers to the specialised care these children need. Families can apply for funding through their local authority’s adoption support team, who will assess needs and submit funding requests on your behalf.
Specialist attachment and trauma-focused assessments
Parent and school-based support
Multi-disciplinary team
Specialists in trauma-based therapies
Workshops for adoptive parents on trauma and the sensory system
Psychological Assessment
At Leicester Psychology Clinic we provide in-depth attachment trauma-focused psychological assessments, carried out by our qualified experienced psychologists and other members of our multi-disciplinary team, such as OT, Sensory Therapists. These assessments consider your child’s mental health difficulties, self-esteem, their developmental history, early attachment experiences, family and peer relationships, learning experience and presenting difficulties. Our therapists meet with parents/carers to understand your child’s difficulties, the impact on the wider family and aims of the assessment. We also meet with your child, which provides an opportunity to observe your child’s behaviour, verbal and non-verbal communication, and social relationships through play-based activities. If children are able, they are asked to complete some questionnaires or play-based measures to assess their mental health and understanding of themselves. We also obtain information from schools, to provide a greater context of the child’s abilities.
Whilst meeting with your child a cognitive assessment is undertaken (if they are 6 years or over) to understand their cognitive profile, providing insights into how they think and learn both in and outside of an educational setting.
As part of this in-depth assessment we undertake a sensory screening assessment. Children who have experienced developmental trauma often have hyper-sensitivity to certain sensory experiences, such as touch, taste, sounds and smell. They may present with emotional dysregulation due to this hyper-sensitivity.
After the assessment the multi-disciplinary team will review all the information collected from the various assessments. You will then receive a comprehensive report, with a detailed overview of your child’s strengths and difficulties, and specific recommendations for further therapy or support. The report will include recommendations for educational and home-based settings, therapy such as Sensory Therapy, DDP, Theraplay, EMDR, Psychotherapy, parent education or sign posting to other services.
You may choose to share this report with school, your social worker or other healthcare providers. As it is your child’s report, it is at your discretion who you share it with. These reports can contribute towards an application for an EHCP if required.
Finally, your clinician will arrange an online or telephone meeting to discuss the report and outcome, and to answer any questions you may have.
Additional consultation sessions with parents, school and any other relevant people or professionals involved in your child’s life, can also be commissioned as part of the psychological assessment process.
Please visit our Psychological Therapy page to find out more about the specialist, trauma-focused therapies available for children and adolescents
Support for Parents of Adopted Children
Parenting children and young people with a history of early trauma can be challenging. Adoptive parents often experience vicarious trauma and reach burn-out. We offer trauma-informed psychological therapy to help parents understand their child’s needs from an attachment perspective and how to integrate therapeutic parenting into everyday life. We also recognise that trauma can impact parents individually and as a couple, and offer compassionate and non-judgemental support. We support the development of healthy coping strategies, problem-solving skills, and emotional regulation. Parenting support includes help to notice the signs that their child may be struggling with their mental health and how to support them. Early identification of concerns allows for prompt intervention, whether through professional help or supportive strategies at home.
Fill out the form below to enquire about the services available for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, and a member of our team will be in touch.
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