FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

Expert Witness

Expert Witness Services

This service is open to Solicitors, Local Authorities, Crown Prosecution Service, and medio-legal agencies.

McLaughlin Psychological Services provides expert assessments for criminal, family, and civil law cases offering the highest quality assessments that are often regarded highly by those who commission our services

Although based within the Yorkshire region, McLaughlin Psychological Services often accepts instructions nationally and may either recommend a psychologist within your locality or nearby who may assist, or alternatively travel arrangements can be made to undertake assessments.

Criminal Court Assessments

Here at McLaughlin Psychological Services, we are able to offer specialised criminal law assessments of both adults and young people. Our lead consultant psychologist, Dr McLaughlin has gained extensive experience of working across a diverse range of forensic settings and holds a specialist interest in youth offending and working with young offenders. His expertise includes work within the Youth Secure Estate (youth custody and Secure children’s home environments) as well as assessing and treating young people who have offended with the community. This sits alongside his work within adult male and female prisons and forensic mental health hospitals.

Dr McLaughlin and his colleagues are trained in a range of adult and youth forensic risk tools in order to effectively assess risk in the context of violent and sexual offences. It is our experience that the more the court is aware of an alleged offender’s presentation, the more likely it is that the disposal will be in keeping with the individuals risks and needs. Psychological assessments within the criminal courts can provide a valuable tool to not only inform the court regarding risk but crucially treatment need and the most appropriate disposal that will most likely serve to protect the public by reducing risk.

Assessments can also include the identification of underlying vulnerability such as the presence of neurodevelopmental conditions or specific learning needs/disability and more importantly outlining the implications of this upon risk. Moreover, psychological assessments within this context can also explore the ability of the alleged offender to engage appropriately with court proceedings and where necessary additional means of support can be recommended.

Types of cases

  • Sexual offending
  • Online sexual offences including the creation, possession, and distribution of indecent images of children (IIOC).
  • Violent offences
  • Fire-Setting
  • Drug offences

Family Court Assessments

We routinely provide expert assessments for the Family Courts assessing both young people and their parents and family members. We recognise that this can often be a complex area of work in which professionals are often challenged in a variety of way in terms of establishing the presence of particular vulnerabilities within families including mental health, neurodiversity, and trauma to name but a few. Those dynamics are often very complex and it can also be important to explore potential barriers within families to accepting support and working alongside professionals to safeguard children.

Here at McLaughlin Psychological Services, we understand that all forms child abuse and harm are underpinned by the adversity and trauma experienced within the family networks and so through our high-quality assessments, we aim to explore the difficulties and challenges faced by the families we work with in order to formulate a robust understanding of the individual needs of each person assessed. Assisting the court and professionals in their decision making around the most appropriate living arrangements for young people and how to improve the quality of life and safety of children and their families in order to reduce the harm caused, improve family circumstances, and increase well-being for all.

The team are experienced in both child and adult work and are trained in a variety of assessment tools in order to apply psychometric testing to all our assessments alongside our knowledge of the theory and application of a range of therapeutic approaches that may best suit the needs of our clients.

Typical referrals include:

  • Mental health and well-being of parents and young people. 
  • Assessment of the child’s therapeutic and residence needs. 
  • Assessment of parents therapeutic/intervention needs. 
  • Assessments of parental risk to child (sexual/violence).
  • Assessment of non-offending parent’s capacity to protect.
  • Parenting ability and impact of mental health difficulties. 
  • Parenting capacity. 
  • Parental alienation. 
  • Assessment of cognitive functioning (both parents and young people).

Our Operational Support in 6 Steps

Our clinicians are dedicated to delivering meticulous and high-quality reports. The following delineates our procedural framework for medico-legal processes:

Initiating Contact

The solicitor initiates contact. Fill out our online form

Expert Overview

A response is guaranteed within 24 hours, detailing expert CVs, costs, and estimated reporting times.

Documentation Collection

Expert instruction phase, requiring referees to submit necessary documentation and relevant contact information for assessment.

Scheduled Assessments

Appointments scheduled between the chosen expert and clients for comprehensive assessments.

Timely Completion

Assessment reports are diligently completed within the agreed-upon timeframe.

Quality-Checked Report

Dispatch of reports, with all documents undergoing quality checks by senior clinicians to ensure a high standard.

I have instructed Dr McLaughlin on a significant number of occasions as an expert witness in family proceedings to prepare assessments of parents and children. His reports are excellent and extremely detailed. He is able to articulate the needs of children and young people who often have significant difficulties. His reports have been invaluable to the Court and professionals. I am happy to recommend his services

Chivers Solicitors

Expert Witness Services
Dr McLaughlin is an exceptional child psychologist and always a ‘go to’ in terms of expert instruction. He is thorough, analytical and insightful. His work is undertaken with care and sensitivity. His reports are of an exceptionally high standard and of invaluable help in what are often complex and difficult situations. Dr McLaughlin really invests in the work he undertakes and the children he sees, which makes him stand out and makes him a highly sought after expert in his field.

Lumb and Macgill solicitors

Expert Witness Services
Dr McLaughlin completed a comprehensive psychological assessment for our son through the Adoption Support Fund. After many years of feeling fobbed off and like our concerns were not being heard through the NHS, it was deeply refreshing to come across a genuinely empathetic professional that took the time to listen to us as parents and that wasn't scared to delve below the surface into our son's complex ASD/trauma presentation. His report was accurate and deeply insightful and it was the first time we felt we had encountered a professional that truly understood our son and his attachment behaviours. As a result of this assessment, our son subsequently had a full ADOS assessment and received a much-needed ASD diagnosis. Dr McLaughlin has since completed a cognitive assessment and wrote supporting letters to support us in fighting for educational provisions at SEND tribunal when we were fighting to get our son into the right secondary school provision. We are immensely grateful for Dr McLaughlin’s continued support and wouldn't hesitate to recommend his services to anyone.

Parent in Leeds

psychological assessment

OFFICE

Avalible at request

General Enquiries

07349279880

EMAIL ENQUIRIES

info@mclaughlinpsychological.co.uk

© 2023 McLaughlin Psychological Services
Website Designed by Bam Web Solutions LTD Web Design Leeds
TOP