INFORMATION FOR ASSESSED PARTIES
(Third Party Instructions – Assessments and related activities)
Last updated: 2/9/2022
The information in this document is for the attention of individuals who are being assessed as set out below, or for consideration by those with parental responsibility for children who are being assessed.
About The Psychology Clinic of East Anglia
The Psychology Clinic of East Anglia Ltd (PCEA) provides administrative and professional support services for Psychologists who carry out work with families and individuals. This document specifically relates to assessments and related work which has been instructed by third parties, i.e. not directly by the individuals being assessed. Examples of third parties that instruct us and our affiliated Psychologists are the Courts, Local Authorities, insurance companies, etc. The assessments and related tasks we are instructed to carry out are required to inform a specific process, such as a legal process, health and social care support or dealing with an insurance claim. These are just examples of some of the third party organisations that instruct us and the kinds of processes involved.
About the Psychologists we work with
PCEA works with Clinical and Counselling Psychologists who are registered ‘Practitioner Psychologists’ with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) which is the professional body which regulates their professional practice. In some cases, some technical work, such as administration of psychometric measures or cognitive assessments, is carried out by Assistant Psychologists or similar grade Psychologists. In all such cases, this is under the supervision of a Practitioner Psychologist who has final responsibility for the work carried out and professional opinions expressed.
Basis of assessment and role of the Psychologist
The Psychologist, through PCEA, has been instructed by the Instructing Body/organisation to carry out a psychological assessment to inform a legal or official process (The Process). You should have been informed about this process and the assessment through your representative or directly if you don’t have a representative. If you are unsure about this then you can contact us via admin@pcea.co.uk and we will answer your questions where we can or put you in contact with the instructing body where appropriate.
The Psychologist is responsible to the Instructing Body (and their regulatory body) but is acting as an independent expert. That means they are independent of the Instructing Body and of all the parties, i.e., they are not working for any individual party in the process, which means the views they express may not always align with those of a particular individual or party. Where children are involved in the Process, the Psychologist is required to always consider the best interests of the children. The opinions expressed in their report will be their own professional opinions and responses to the questions posed to them in their instructions for the assessment. The Psychologist may also be required to answer further questions, attend professionals’ meetings or attend court, in the case of a legal process, to defend and explain their opinions.
The Psychologist is conducting this assessment only for the purpose described above, will provide the report to the Instructing Body on completion and will not use the resultant report for any other purpose nor disclose the report to any other parties unless expressly asked to do so by the Instructing Body. The Instructing Body may share the report with other parties involved in the Process and will ultimately be responsible for deciding whether to accept the Psychologist’s opinions and what further courses of action to follow.
Privacy Notice
Your privacy is important to us. Full details of our policies in this regard can be found in our Privacy Notice which you will be provided with and which is available on request.
As part of the assessment, the Psychologist will gather the data necessary to inform the assessment, such as through conducting an interview with the assessed person (which may be recorded, if you agree to that, to aid recall when writing the report), through psychometric test measures completed by the assessed person or others (such as professionals, teachers, carers, etc.), by observation of interactions, discussion with relevant professionals and individuals, and perusal of relevant documentation, such as medical records and court papers. Any personal data is gathered and used only for the purpose of completing the assessment and for fulfilling duties to the Instructing Body and to comply with professional standards. On completion of the assessment, the resultant report will be submitted to the Instructing Body. The data gathered will not be shared with any other parties and will be securely stored and retained in line with PCEA’s Data Processing and Data Retention policies.
The Psychologist has a duty to the Instructing Body to disclose any information collected during the assessment which is relevant to them in forming their opinions. Specific requests not to share information within the report should be made to the instructing body in advance of the assessment. The Psychologist is also required not to have any individual communication with assessed parties outside of the assessment process and to share any such communication with the Instructing Body.
Complaints Procedure
At PCEA, we strive to adhere to the highest standards and to treat everyone fairly and efficiently. Should you have any concerns please refer to our Complaints Policy which you will be provided with and which is available on request. Please note, however, that PCEA cannot change or influence the opinions of the Psychologist who is acting as an independent expert. Disagreements and concerns about The Psychologist’s report and opinions are best addressed with the Instructing Body via The Process and/or through your representatives.
If you still wish to make a formal complaint about the Psychologist’s professional conduct, this can be done via their professional body, The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), as set out in our Complaints Policy.
Special Dispensation
The Psychologist will use a range of techniques to conduct the assessment and will use their professional judgement to allow for mitigating factors and circumstances, such as anxieties around the assessment and the Process, and physical, mental health, cognitive or neuropsychological factors or limitations. All assessments aim to be balanced, fair and independent. Should you wish any specific mitigating factors to be considered please communicate these in advance of the assessment and the Psychologist will take them into account when determining the structure and nature of the assessment.
Agreeing to take part in the assessment:
It is important you consider and understand the information provided about the assessment you (or your dependent child) have been asked to take part in so you feel informed and agree to take part. You should also have been informed about the assessment, the Instructing Body and the Process it is informing and given your agreement to take part through your representative or directly if you don’t have a representative. If you have any concerns or questions about the assessment, the Instructing Body or the Process the assessment is informing, you can discuss it with your representative if you have one, directly with the Instructing Body or contact us via admin@pcea.co.uk. Any concerns or objections about taking part in this process should ideally be raised prior to the assessment, where possible, with the Instructing body and through your representative, if you have one.
The Psychologist will also discuss with you what the assessment involves and check you agree to take part at the start of your assessment appointment.
In light of all the above, your participation in the assessment will be taken to confirm that you have been informed about the nature and purpose of the assessment and have agreed to take part.