Northamptonshire Children’s Trust - Brothers and Sisters ‘Together or Apart’ Assessment - Template

Sep 1, 2026

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Brothers and sisters ‘Together or Apart’ assessment template for Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, structured to support decisions on whether siblings should be placed together or separately in permanent care. It outlines legislative rationale, a presumption that siblings should grow up together, and conditions that may require separate placements. The document specifies an assessment approach using warmth, conflict, rivalry, and dominance/nurturing factors, supported by planned analysis, checklists, and time-limited work to improve relationships before any separation decision.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatDOCX

Pages13

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose of assessment

Approach to analysis

Factors supporting together or separate placements

Brother and sister assessment checklists

Brief case synopsis

Methods and sources of information

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CHILDREN’S TRUST Applicant and – (Mother) First Respondent and – (Father Second Respondent - and – Name of Child Name of Child Name of Child (Children acting through their Guardian) Third to Fifth Responds Northamptonshire Children’s Trust Brothers and Sisters ‘Together or Apart’ Assessment REMINDER: When Using this template you will need to delete the blue prompts after you have typed the assessment as well as this statement in red. Photograph of the Children The child INFO Comments \* MERGEFORMAT ren who are subject to the recommendation (the core children) Family Composition Kin Children – brothers and sisters living elsewhere, i.e. full or half brothers and sisters, maternal or paternal, adopted previously, in foster carer or with other family members. Parents and significant persons Introduction and Personal Details. The facts in this statement are true to the best of my knowledge and belief and the opinions set out are my own. Signed: Purpose of assessment 2.1 To decide: Whether it is in the best interests of each child to be placed together or separately. The impact on each child of that decision to inform care planning. Future brother and sister contact. An assessment plan was formulated and is attached as appendix 1 Approach to Analysis The brother and sister assessment will inform the decision as to whether these brothers and sisters will be placed together or in separate permanent placements. Research tells us that “sibling relationships are amongst the most significant and potentially important bonds that individuals have in the course of their lifetime”, (Meakings et al, 2017, p1782). This is supported by Beckett who states “brothers and sisters who share a childhood and grow up together have potentially the longest lasting, and one of the closest, relationships of their lives with each other,” (2018, p.1). The current legislative and regulatory framework through which children and young people become looked after (the Children Act 1989, the Adoption and Children Act 2002, Adoption Regulations 2013 etc.) underpins this view requiring the Local Authority to place brothers and sisters together if it is in their best interest and in so far as is reasonably practicable. Thus the starting point for any assessment of brothers and sisters for permanent placement should be the presumption that brothers and sisters should grow up together and every effort should be made to enable this to happen. This guiding principle is explored fully in Lord and Borthwick (2008) who put forward factors that should be considered when assessing brothers’ and sisters’ relationships in terms of attachment. In certain circumstances there may be a need to place brothers and sisters separately if there are great and conflicting needs and work cannot be done to change things within a child's timescales. It is recognised that availability of placements will have an impact upon placing large brother and sister groups. It is important to consider the bond and the child’s presenting needs rather than make assumptions based on age. It is vital to observe brothers and sisters and for large brother and sister groups to observe different pairings or combinations. Lord and Borthwick (2008) suggest that four factors are highlighted when assessing brother and sister relationships. These are:- The degree of warmth. The degree of conflict. The degree of rivalry, The degree to which of the brothers and sisters nurture or dominate the other. In addition Lord and Borthwick (2008) suggest factors that may indicate brothers and sisters should be placed separately: Intense rivalry and jealousy including an inability to tolerate their brother(s) and sister(s) getting attention. Exploitation, seeing themselves as inherently superior to their brother(s) and/or sister(s). Chronic scapegoating, including maintaining unhelpful alliances and family of origin conflicts. Maintaining unhelpful hierarchical

FAQs

What decisions does the assessment need to inform?

The assessment determines whether it is in each child’s best interests to be placed together or separately, the impact on each child for care planning, and future brother/sister contact.

What principle guides the starting point for sibling assessments?

The template states a presumption that brothers and sisters should grow up together, with every effort made to enable this, considering legislative and regulatory expectations.

What factors suggest brothers and sisters may need separate placements?

It lists indicators such as intense rivalry and jealousy, exploitation or chronic scapegoating, maintaining unhelpful hierarchical positions, highly sexualised behaviour, and siblings triggering each other’s traumatic material.

Sep 1, 2026

Upload by Patrick