Transcript Assessment in Children’s Services

Assessment in Children’s
Services
• Definition of Assessment
• Defining Children in Need
• The Assessment Process & the National
Assessment Framework
• Case Study
• Gloucestershire’s Common Language
Assessment and Child Action Model
What is an assessment?
• ‘To judge or decide the amount, value,
quality or importance of something’ OED
• ‘Assessment is not an end in itself. It is the
essential precursor to the provision of the
right services’
• Assessment is an ongoing process
Children Act 1989
• ‘Every authority has a general duty to safeguard
and promote the welfare of children in need…. By
providing a range and level of services appropriate
to those needs’
Section 17
• Every local authority shall take…steps to identify
the extent to which there are children in need
within their area’
Schedule 2
Defining children in need
– ‘A child shall be taken to be in need if –
• a) he is unlikely to achieve or maintain or to have
the opportunity of achieving or maintaining, a
reasonable standard of health or development
without the provision for him of services by a local
authority…
• b) his health or development is likely to be
significantly impaired, or further impaired,
without the provision for him of such services; or
• c) he is disabled..
CA 1989 s17(10)
Defining children in need...
Children who are defined as in need… are
those whose vulnerability is such that they
are unlikely to reach or maintain a
satisfactory level of health and
development, or their health and
development will be significantly impaired
without the provision of services.’
NAF 2000
The Assessment Process
• Assessing whether a child is in need and the
nature of those needs requires a systematic
approach which uses the same framework or
conceptual map for gathering and analysing
information about all children and their
families, but discriminates effectively
between different types and levels of need’
NAF 2000
The Assessment Process
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Assessment involves:
Gathering information
Analysing the information
distinguishing between different types and
levels of need
• identifying services
The Assessment Process…gathering
Information using the National Assessment
Framework
Exercises & Case Study
• From the information provided identify
specific needs that Simon and Sarah have.
• 20 minutes
Case study - Needs
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Simon needs not to be hit by his mum
Simon and Sarah need to be supervised at home and not be left alone
Simon needs to learn better ways of expressing his feelings
Simon needs mum to be able to spend more time with him
Simon needs help to understand why his sister is different from him
and why she needs a lot of attention
Sarah and Simon need mum to be less tired and irritable
Sarah needs to catch up with her development
Simon needs to attend school
Children need mum to be able to communicate with them in more
positive ways
Mum needs to be reassured that social services want to help her
Simon needs his own space
Case Study - Type and level of
needs
• For each need identified make a judgement
about how serious they are using the
Children Act thresholds of:
• (1) Likely impairment
• (2) Actual impairment
• (3) Significant impairment
• 10 minutes
Case Study - Outcomes &
Services
• For each need identified, specify what
outcomes you would want for this family
and provide a timescale for each outcome
• (Identify what services are required to meet
the needs and outcomes specified. Relate
each service to a specific outcome
• 30 minutes
Case study - Outcomes..
• For Simon to report that he is not being hit by his mum and for no injuries
to be seen - immediate
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For Simon and Sarah not to be left alone unsupervised - immediate
For Simon to return to school within 1 month
For Simon’s biting to reduce within 2 months
For Simon to be able to sit quietly in class for 15 minutes at a time – 2
months
For Simon to be able to tell someone when he is feeling angry - 3 months
For Simon to be able to say why his sister is different – 3 months
For Simon to have some time alone with his mum - immediate
For mum to be able to talk to the children in a positive way – 1 month
For Sarah’s weight to have increased by 15% within 2 months
For mum to report that she is feeling less tired – 3 months
For mum to feel able to accept help from social services and other
agencies
For Simon to have his own room within 6 months
Case Study - Services
Someone whom Simon trusts to regularly talk to Simon and listen teacher\school nurse - immediate
EWO to negotiate for Simon’s return to school - immediate
Ed Psych\teacher\parent to devise way of measuring behaviour in class
and at home and to reward him for good behaviour e.g. star chart. 1
month
Psychologist\SW to help Simon express and talk about his feelings 2
months
Someone to help Simon understand why his sister is different –
SW\Health Visitor\School nurse\parent - immediate
Mum to be provided with time out and help with shopping– grandparent
or relative\friend\neighbour\ - immediate
Mum to be advised re behaviour management techniques –
Psychologist\SW\Parentline Plus – 2 months
Mum to be advised on diet and nutrition and this to be monitored
weekly – HV - immediate
Mum to have time out from Sarah to be able to spend some time with
Simon – SW/relative, friend neighbour - immediate
Family to be rehoused – SW\Housing dept. immediate referral –
SW\HV
Mum to be informed of her rights as a parent, the law and to
understand role of social services better – SW – immediate
Assessment, Plan and Review
• Assessment is first step in process not an
end in itself
• A good assessment will produce a plan
• Intervention - implement plan
• Review effectiveness of plan
• Reassess and modify plan
• Circular and ongoing process
Common Language &
Assessment
• References in Government guidance Guidance to Children Act 1989
National Assessment Framework
“Effective collaboration requires a common language to
understand the needs of children…”
Every Child Matters - Next Steps
“A common assessment framework should help to
identify... needs earlier and avoid duplication between
agencies
Why is it necessary?
• Professionals from different agencies often
use the same terms to describe different
things
• Each agency uses different assessment tools
• Families often subjected to multiple
assessments by different professionals
• Intrusive, stigmatising, confusing, costly and
inconsistent
What happened?
• Introduction of National Assessment
Framework 2000
• Research indicates that while it is good at
gathering information it offers little
guidance regarding analysis
Gloucestershire’s response
• Development of common language
assessment model that:
a) incorporates NAF
b) provides tool for analysis of
information gathered
The assessment process using the
common language model
• Gather information - NAF
• Identify needs - relating to child rather than
services
• Make a judgement about the level of need apply a threshold
• Specify realistic outcomes to be achieved
• Identify appropriate services to meet needs
and outcomes specified
How does it complement the Child
Action Model?
• Child Action Model
Multi Agency
Complex needs impairment
Single
Agency
SSD
Low level needs likely impairment
High level needssignificant impairment
Continuum of Need
How does it work?
CIRCUMSTANCES
LIVING SITUATION
FAMILY & SOCIAL
RELATIONSHIPS
SOCIAL & ANTI-SOCIAL
BEHAVIOUR
PHYSICAL &
PSYCHOLOGICAL
HEALTH
EDUCATION &
EMPLOYMENT
NEEDS
THRESHOLD OUTCOMES SERVICES
Implementation
• Training in CL assessment model has been
provided to:
– all social services fieldwork staff
– Child Action Project staff
– Health Visitors
– School Nurses
– EWO’s
– Reintegration staff
Thank you and
good luck in your
social work careers!