Assessment

Good quality, timely assessments are important and key to effective intervention, with evidence supporting a link with improved outcomes for children (Turney et al., 2011). The process of assessment is however often complex and challenging and it is important that individual practitioners use their professional judgment in the course of an assessment.

Whatever legislation the child is assessed under, the purpose of the assessment is always to understand the needs, nature and level of any risk and harm being suffered by the child; and to provide help and support to address those needs and make the child safe.
Working Together 2013 The tables below start with an assumption that the case is new to Social Care, however assessments can take place at any time on a case and if the case is already open then the process will start with action 2. Please see the section 47 enquiries section for information about how child protection assessments fit in to this process. If you consider that there is a need for a specialist assessment then approval needs to be sought from the Assistant Director. Specialist assessments are normally as a result of concerns identified during a core assessment. It may be that the general information that has been gathered at the core assessment stage has detailed that certain areas require a more thorough analysis, in order to protect a child; for example CAMHS or a sex offender assessment.

Focus of assessments

For all assessments the Child's Plan will be used. The information considered on the assessment will depend on the nature of the concerns. When the concerns are relatively straightforward and in the initial stages of intervention then the Child's Plan will be similar to an initial assessment. When the concerns are more complex and/or there is already involvement through Child Protection Registration and/or the CYCT then the word icon Child's Plan [279kb] will be similar to a core assessment.

The focus of the assessment will be on the well being of the child, and its purpose will be to answer the following:

Is this a child in need as defined by s23 of the Children (Guernsey and Alderney) Law 2008? If so, what needs are being identified?
Is there a risk of significant impairment to health or development?
The Child's Plan (initial assessment) should decide whether their needs be met by provision of a simple service, or whether a Child's Plan (used as a core assessment) is required to meet more complex needs. In this case the Child's Plan should decide what further services may be required to meet the child's needs.The completion of an assessment should not prevent the provision of immediate services if there is an urgent need. This would include, for example, the use of preventative funds, or the provision of family support to alleviate immediate stresses in the family situation.

What should assessments include?

Assessments should include the following:

Interviews with the child and family members as appropriate;
Involvement of other agencies in gathering and providing information as appropriate;
Decision on further action or no action;
Record of decisions and rationale with family and agencies;
Informing other agencies of decisions;
Agency checks;
Chronology;
Genogram (Child's Plan being used as core assessment only)
A copy of any Child's Plan should be given to the relevant family members and carers.The child and family's cultural, racial, religious and language needs must be recorded, and every effort made to ensure that children and families are not precluded from full involvement in the assessment process due to unacknowledged or unresolved language, cultural, or physical barriers.

All assessments must be signed off by the team or deputy manager.

What if I cannot see the child?

Children must be seen as part of any assessment by the allocated social worker unless they refuse, in which case an analysis of this will be considered by the social worker and their manager and a decision will be made to continue or close the assessment.

If the parents refuse permission to see the child then a decision needs to be made by the social worker and team manager to consider whether the risk to the child is so great that further child protection action should be taken, or case closed.

Assessments

Child's Plan - used as initial assessment

Task	Responsible officer	Record	Timescale
Read management recommendation to determine the focus of the initial assessment	Allocated social worker	Decision and action record	24 hours of referral
Agree timescale	Team manager and social worker	Computer	24 hours of referral
Arrange appointment	Social worker	Computer	Within 48 hours
See the family and child	Social worker	Computer	As soon as possible
See practice guide	Social worker	N/A	N/A
Gather information and undertake agency checks for assessment report ensuring that the family are involved throughout the process	Social worker	Computer	Within 7 working days after referral
Record assessment and make recommendations, sign and date	Social worker	Computer	Within 7 working days after referral
Pass assessment to manager for approval	Social worker	Computer	When complete
Read, check and sign off assessment and return to social worker	Team manager	Computer	Within 10 working days of commencement of the assessment
Share assessment with family	Social worker	Computer	Within 10 days of assessment being completed
Contact referrer and inform them of the outcomes	Social worker	Computer	Within 10 days of assessment being completed

Child's Plan used as a core assessment

Unlike a Child's Plan used as an initial assessment a Child's Plan used as a core assessment should be more detailed, more analysed with reference to research, with more focus on inter-agency co-operation, more considered and with a more informed plan.

Task	Responsible officer	Record	Timescale
Read management recommendation to determine the focus of the core assessment	Allocated social worker	Computer	24 hours of allocation
Agree timescale	Team manager and social worker	Computer	24 hours of allocation
Arrange appointment	Social worker	Computer	Within 48 hours of allocation
See the family and child	Social worker	Computer	As soon as appropriate
See practice guide	Social worker	N/A	N/A
Gather information and involve other agency professionals ensuring that the family are involved throughout the process	Social worker	Computer	As appropriate to complete assessment
Record assessment and make recommendations, sign and date	Social worker	Computer	Within 7 working days after completion of assessment
Pass assessment to manager for approval	Social worker	Computer	When complete
Read, check and sign off assessment and return to social worker	Team manager	Computer	Within 5 working days
Share assessment with family	Social worker	Computer	Within 10 days of assessment being completed