Assessments

A child and family assessment should take no longer than 45 working days from the point of referral.

This is the maximum time needed to make a decision about next steps.

If the assessment takes longer than 45 working days, the social worker and other professionals must record the reasons.
This should be discussed with:

• the child (where appropriate)
• the family
• the professionals involved

Some children may need support more quickly, so in these cases the assessment may be completed sooner.

Support During the Assessment

Practitioners do not need to wait until the end of the assessment to provide help.

If they identify a need at any point, they can offer support or ask for services straight away.

This helps make sure the child and family get the help they need as soon as possible.

More Information

More information about assessment timescales can be found here.

The assessment should be focused on and capture the child’s individual needs including understanding of their culture and identity in the context of their family.

The areas explored in the assessment are informed by the three domains: child developmental needs; family and environmental factors; and parenting capacity in the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families 2000).

Any identified support needs should be addressed during the course of the assessment and practitioners should not wait until the end of the assessment to explore support.

The assessment needs to:

• Be undertaken with parental consent unless there is significant risk of harm to the child and the assessment is being completed as part of a S47 enquiry;
• Be restorative and strength based;
• include information from other agencies;
• include the voice of children and young people;
• include the voice of both parents and family;
• Be outcome focused with clear analysis and recommendations;
• Be transparent so families do not wait until the end to know the outcome; and
• Be shared with families and their views recorded.

The benefits of the child and family assessment are that it:

• Is one single assessment—families are not subjected to a number of different assessments by social workers. Social worker time is maximised, for example there is no need to do a separate report for court.
• Is a less prescriptive format—social workers are provided with guidance throughout the assessment but are able to exercise their professional judgement about what is included in the assessment.
• Emphasises direct work with the child and the family— the child’s voice in addition to the voice of the family should be evidenced from the start and throughout the assessment.
• Focuses on analysis and action— analysis is prompted throughout the assessment including reviewing the original reason for the referral. Any actions or services to be provided can be acted on as soon as they are identified (with manager approval) without needing to wait for the assessment to be concluded.

The child and family assessment is carried out by qualified social workers who will need to plan their work carefully to ensure completion within the timescales.

The assessment work is likely to include consultation with practitioners from other agencies and anyone consulted should prioritise ensure that they provide their views and other information in a timely way to help make the assessment as robust as possible so that the child, young person and their family are helped as required.

For more information you can read:

• Working Together to Safeguard Children 
• The Munro Review of Child Protection
• TriX web based assessment information