Writing pre-adoption medical (PAMs) and initial health assessment (IHA) reports for "Our Children" [Looked After Children]: guidance and top tips

Rowland, Andrew; Reynolds, Anne; Sherwood, Naomi; Dasgupta, Suparna

Abstract

Children seen for pre-adoption medicals (PAMs) or Initial Health Assessments (IHAs) often have experiences in common. There may be features in the child’s family history, intrauterine environment and experiences following birth which can have significant effects upon their development, learning, behaviour, and health.

With this in mind, we have produced some guidance around common themes, with suggestions about what to write in reports, so that these reports contain all the relevant information and implications for the child in a consistent coherent fashion.

When writing a pre-adoption medical report or initial health assessment report it is crucial to be mindful of the young person who is the subject of the report and it is vital that the report is written in a trauma-informed way so that the report itself, if/when read by the young person in the future, does not add to or exacerbate any difficulties already experienced.

The authors of this document are aware that, for this first edition, the document suffers from having not been co-produced by young people. In the next edition the authors intend to work out how children and young people could be involved in the revisions of the document.

Citation

Rowland, A., Reynolds, A., Sherwood, N., & Dasgupta, S. Writing pre-adoption medical (PAMs) and initial health assessment (IHA) reports for "Our Children" [Looked After Children]: guidance and top tips

• Working Paper Type: Working Paper
• Deposit Date: May 28, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 9, 2023