We provide expert independent medico-legal assessments and reports that adhere to the NICE guidelines. Parents may seek a statutory assessment, apply for an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP), or appeal. If reports are required for a tribunal date, we recommend allowing 14-16 weeks to complete a comprehensive assessment and report.
We also provide court reports and act as expert witnesses for a range of medico-legal requirements, including trauma, education, and healthcare needs for children aged 0-25.
Further information on medico-legal assessments
Types of medico-legal requirements
- Request an independent expert assessment as part of a statutory educational assessment.
- Re-assessment occurs when a child or person is approaching a change, e.g., before transferring to primary or secondary school, college, further education, university, independent living, vocation, or employment.
- Re-assessed when approaching an annual review.
- Request for review of appropriate specialist/ school placement to best match the child/ person’s assessed needs.
- Assessment and court reports for legal negligence/ trauma.
- Request for attendance at tribunals/ courts as an expert witness.
What does a medico-legal assessment and report involve?
- Comprehensive individual expert assessment, profiling of needs, recommendations, quantification and specification of needs.
- The assessment will include gaining a history of development, current functioning, concerns and wishes, completing standardised assessments with the child/ person, observing interaction at home and the education context. Teacher observations, views and assessment records may be gained to contribute to the complete profile of needs.
- We ask parents to forward all current reports as these provide valuable background information on the existing assessments and advice written on your child. It may be necessary to liaise with other professionals to seek further information where appropriate and your consent will be gained to contact other professionals.
- The assessment may include working closely with other agencies including other professionals and representatives.
- It may be necessary to make an observation of the child/ person interacting and participating within their existing education context and visits to other proposed schools/ education provisions.
- We complete the medico-legal report with a detailed description of the assessment profile, diagnosis where appropriate and overall summary of priority needs including outcomes and success criteria. The report will detail a description of the type of environment on balance that would best match your child’s/ or person’s assessment profile. Recommendations are provided on the appropriate environment, expertise, therapy and provision necessary to meet needs.
- The report is sent to you to discuss any comments and answer any of your questions. The report is confidential; you may distribute copies to other professionals as appropriate. If reports are required for the start of term, we recommend allowing 10-12 weeks to complete a comprehensive assessment and report. Report writing and formulating educational recommendations may require 3-4 weeks.
- Medico-legal assessments and reports may take several weeks to complete and the price will be reflected in the time needed. Please phone to discuss the type of assessment and report you require and to discuss the fees.
