Assessment

Assessment is the basic building block of services. Good, timely assessment ensures that needs are identified and services can be allocated in an effective manner. Robust assessment, planning and review ensure that services are well targeted to reach the children who can benefit.

Department of Health guidance relating to this area is currently being updated. The 'quality protects' (www.doh.gov.uk/qualityprotects) and 'children first' (http://www.childrenfirst.wales.gov.uk/fe/news/news_list.asp) websites are important sources of guidance material, as are the audit tools provided to councils after the Victoria Climbie Inquiry. The following source materials set out the current frameworks for assessing children's needs:

• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2000.
  
• Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their Families 2000 - for England see http://www.doh.gov.uk/pdfs/frass.pdf or in Wales http://www.childrenfirst.wales.gov.uk/content/key_pub.htm
  
• The Integrated Children's System (ICS) is a conceptual framework to lead work with children and families in need. There are three main elements: (a) A framework for assessment, planning, intervention and review; (b) Core data requirements which set out the information essential for effective practice with children and families and for planning services, and (c) Exemplars which demonstrate how information gathered in the course of working with children and families can be gathered in a structured manner and used to generate particular reports required to support this work. Information is available at: http://www.doh.gov.uk/integratedchildrenssystem or via www.childrenfirst.wales.gov.uk/fe/fe_links/links_list.asp

Good assessment practice will have the following characteristics:

• Good information about local services is available to the public and to staff so that parents and children can be directed to other agencies and community provision as part, or all, of the support they need.
• Other agencies are engaged in the assessment process. Using common documentation is helpful, as is other agencies being clear with families about what their concerns are and what information they are planning to share with social services. Joint training has a valuable contribution to make to this.
• There is an effective referral system that identifies within 24 hours whether a child may be in need and requires an initial assessment.
• Initial assessment is timely and is not over complex. Authorities with difficulties in meeting timescales should question if the process is too detailed.1
• The child is seen and their views ascertained as well as those of the parents. Their views about their needs and how those needs could be met are an essential component to assessment and planning effective intervention.
• Assessments are ended if it becomes clear that the child is not a child in need. Time is wasted simply gathering information if it has become clear that the child does not need social services intervention.
• Services are offered quickly. Some may need to be put in place to hold a situation pending assessment. Services put in quickly may prevent escalation and family breakdown. A clear timescale for the assessment and review of interim services will ensure that parents and children do not build up unrealistic expectations nor worry that services will be withdrawn too soon leaving them unable to cope.
• Core assessments are started as soon as it is clear that they are required, and completed in the timescales. They should provide detailed information on which to base service plans. This should not be made over complex; there is no need to pursue gathering information in relation to a domain where it has been established that there are no concerns. Separate specialist assessment, such as child and adolescent mental health, may take longer and should be additional to the core assessment rather than delaying the whole process.
• Good assessment has good analysis and planning; it is not simply a snapshot. Plans should set clear objectives and a timescale for review.