Assessments help professionals to identify strengths, needs, risks and protective factors in the lives of the children and families they work with. They are an essential part of planning, deciding, and reviewing what action needs to be taken to support or safeguard children. However, case reviews, research and reports repeatedly identify concerns around how assessments are conducted.
Read the NSPCC Briefing here.
Learning from case reviews highlights that professionals conducting assessments should:
focus on the voice and needs of the child
involve all significant people in the child’s life (Hidden Men briefing, Referrals (family, friends, neighbours) briefing)
gather and share information across agencies and local areas (Pan Beds Procedures; Section 2 / Pan Beds Practitioner Guidance: Information Sharing)
critically evaluate the information they collect (Chronologies & Genograms)