7.11 Leaving Care Assessment of Need |
Contents
1. Introduction
The purpose of this document is to provide a framework within which to undertake a needs assessment of young people aged fifteen and over who are Looked After and preparing to leave care, in line with the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000.
The assessment framework contained in this document addresses the requirements of Regulations 5, 6 and 7 of the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and is also informed by the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families.
The main purpose of the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 is to improve the life chances of young people living in and leaving care. The Act aims to achieve this by improved assessment, better planning and preparation for leaving care. Undertaking a thorough and comprehensive assessment is essential in understanding the needs of young people preparing to leave care, evidencing their needs and subsequently developing a Pathway Plan to meet identified needs.
2. Guidance
The transition from adolescence to adulthood is an ill-defined phase but is a critical time for young people, during which they seek to establish a viable adult identity. This transition is characterised by uncertainty and change as well as excitement, expectation and opportunity. Many young people in their own families experience a slow transition to adulthood within secure and supportive settings and have opportunities to ‘test out’ situations, make mistakes and often return home when necessary. In addition, as young people mature at different rates this process will take place over a range of ages. The changing patterns of employment and education over recent years have contributed to the increased length of this transition from childhood to adulthood in the overall population.
The process of the assessment of need and, the development of the subsequent Pathway Plan for young people in and leaving care, must try to replicate the experience of transition for young people who live in their own family home.
The assessment of need process and, the subsequent Pathway Plan aimed at preparing young people for leaving care, must recognise this group’s varied needs and the fact that becoming independent is a gradual process, where chronological age and maturity do not necessarily correspond. Young people in and leaving care are not a homogenous group and represent an extremely diverse set of young people with differing needs. Particular attention in the assessment must be given to issues of race, gender, class, ability and disability.
At the beginning of the assessment process, the social worker/Personal Adviser must reassure the young person that the pace of the assessment and, any subsequent work on the Pathway Plan, will be undertaken at a rate appropriate to the individual. By undertaking the assessment of need over a period of time, it can genuinely progress at the young person’s pace and balance their status as a child in need, with that of a young person preparing for independence. Where appropriate, and in circumstances where the young person is undertaking exams, changing placement etc. these should take precedent over the assessment.
The department’s strategy for preparing looked after young people for independence aims to mirror and recognise that preparing for adulthood begins from an early age for many people living in their own families. With careful planning and thought, young people can learn skills such as basic cooking, household cleaning etc. as an integrated part of foster placements and within children’s homes. This low-key learning does often take place in foster and children’s homes and should form the basis and beginnings of the leaving care assessment of need and Pathway Plan. Additionally, when a formal focus on independence begins with the assessment of need, the young person already has a good grounding of skills on which to build.
In essence, preparation for independence has two distinct phases:
- Informal preparation from the day a young person becomes looked after
- Formal preparation from about age fifteen commencing with the leaving care assessment of need.
Preparation for independence, the assessment of need and the Pathway Plan must be developed within the following principles:
- Preparation for independence is not a distinct phase; small tasks and steps can be undertaken from the point of being Looked After.
- A formal focus and planning for the transition to independence begins with the assessment of need at 15 through to 21.
- Appropriate pathway planning and services are based on sound assessments, knowledge of available services and joint approaches.
- A broad range of tools, resources and methods for working with young people is essential to enable a creative and flexible approach.
- Assessments and Pathway Plans while being flexible, must highlight what needs to be achieved, how and what role workers and carers will play.
- Assessments must address issues of health and development, education, training and employment, practical skills, accommodation and support.
- Assessments and Pathway Plans should aim to empower young people taking account of stepped learning and that tasks can be revisited.
- Particular attention should be paid to the types of placements young people live in and how these may impact on their Pathway Plan and preparation for independence.
- Young people should have an element of choice about whom they identify to help them with independence tasks.
- Workers and carers must be allowed sufficient time to work at the young person’s pace.
- The process of preparing for adulthood can be extremely unsettling and must be undertaken sensitively.
Regulation 6 of the Act specifies that the responsible authority should take all reasonable steps to make sure that it seeks out and takes account of the views and wishes of the young person for the assessment, the preparation of the Pathway Plan, and the review of the plan. Clearly, the further the young person can be involved in the process, the more successful it will be. Where these processes involve meetings then the responsible authority should take reasonable steps to make sure that the young person can attend and take part. Such steps might include scheduling meetings at a time that is convenient for the young person, or, if he or she has to travel in order to attend, paying reasonable travel and subsistence costs. If young people have any particular needs relating to impairment, the responsible authority should make sure that meetings and information are accessible to them. Methods of assessment and review should take full account of any communication or cognitive impairment in order to fully involve the young person.
When deciding who needs to be involved in the assessment, the responsible authority should make every effort to take account of the wishes of the young person. This does not amount to giving young people the right of veto, but if, for example, they have strong objections to parents taking part, the authority should balance the desirability of involving them, against the risk of alienating the young person and possibly losing his or her co-operation.
It is vital that the assessment process is seen as an integral part of developing a Pathway Plan and a preparation for independence programme and that these elements are complementary. For example, a session exploring a young person’s knowledge of community based support organisations should not simply be a question and answer process, but one that results in the development of creative and interactive learning tasks. In addition, the session could explore potential gains from the use of community organisations, identifying new sources of support and rehearsing telephone and written requests for information, as well as investigating the possibility of supported introductory visits and ways of collecting information in order to develop personal resource guides.
The Regulations and Guidance associated with the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 states that preparation for leaving care should help develop young people’s capacity to make satisfactory relationships, develop their self-esteem and enable them to acquire the necessary practical skills for independent living.
The Act places emphasis on involving and including young people in the assessment and pathway planning process. Plans should be developed through discussion, negotiation and the involvement of all parties in order to ensure successful implementation of the plan for the young person.
Plans must progress at a pace that suits the young person and should identify the time scale that is required to make a successful transition to adult life. Where it is identified that a young person will require an ongoing service because of a disability or other special need, clear plans must be developed to ensure a smooth transition from the leaving care service to an adult service.
3. Leaving Care Assessment of Need Cover Sheet
LEAVING CARE ASSESSMENT OF NEED COVER SHEET
ABOUT ME |
| Name__________________________________________________ |
| D.O.B___________________ |
| Age___________________ |
| Address________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ |
| Placement type__________________________________________ |
| Legal status_____________________________________________ |
| Date young person was first ‘Looked After’_____________________ |
| Date young person will become ‘Eligible’_______________________ |
| Residential Keyworker or Foster Carer________________________ |
| Social Worker____________________________________________ |
| Connexions Personal Adviser_______________________________ |
| School or College attended_________________________________ |
| Traineeship/Training course attended_________________________ |
| Work/full time or part time___________________________________ |
| National Insurance Number_________________________________ |
| National Health Number____________________________________ |
|
The following people/agencies should be consulted during the course of this assessment:
|
_______________________________________________________________________ |
The following documents should be consulted during the course of this assessment:
|
_______________________________________________________________________ |
4. Independent Living Assessment
i. |
Support Networks |
The purpose of this section is to provide a picture of the support available to the young person at the time of writing the assessment and, of the support that may be available in the future (‘current assessment’). The assessment should also evaluate what support levels will be needed in the future and their likely availability (‘summary of current/future needs’). Particular attention should be paid to the following, which should be addressed in order in each box:
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| Current assessment: |
| Summary of current/future needs: |
| Current assessment: |
| Summary of current/future needs: |
| The young person’s views on the above assessment and needs: |
iii. |
Education, Training and Employment |
The purpose of this section is to provide a picture of the young person’s educational abilities, employment history and wishes and aspirations for the future. Particular attention should be paid to the following:
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| Current assessment: |
| Summary of current/future needs: |
| The young person’s views on the above assessment and needs: |
| Current assessment: |
| Summary of current/future needs: |
| The young person’s views on the above assessment and needs: |
| Current assessment: |
| Summary of current/future needs: |
| The young person’s views on the above assessment and needs: |
| Current assessment: |
| Summary of current/future needs: |
| The young person’s views on the above assessment and needs: |
vii. |
Rights and Citizenship |
The purpose of this section is to determine whether or not the young person is aware of his/her rights as a Looked After young person and, of the services available to him/her, as well as information enabling him/her to participate as a citizen now and in the future. Particular attention should be paid to the following:
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| Current assessment: |
| Summary of current/future needs: |
| The young person’s views on the above assessment and needs: |
| People consulted: |
| Documents consulted: |
This Independent Living Assessment has been completed by (signed below): ____________________(Date) and: __________________________________(Social Worker or Personal Adviser) ____________________(Date) and copies have been sent to:
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End