1.3.4 Core Assessments

AMENDMENTS

This chapter was amended in November 2010 to include the changes as a result of Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010. The changes, which are in Section 2, Core Assessments (With Child Protection Enquiry), are shown in italics.

Flowchart: contained in Initial and Core Assessments Guidance

Core Assessments (Without Child Protection Enquiry)
Core Assessments (With Child Protection Enquiry)

1. Core Assessments (Without Child Protection Enquiry)

Note: This procedure relates to Core Assessments that do not incorporate Child Protection Enquiries. Procedures for Core Assessments which do incorporate Child Protection Enquiries are contained in this Section 2, Core Assessments (With Child Protection Enquiry).

1.1	Criteria for the Core Assessment (Without Child Protection Enquiry)
1.2	Purpose of the Core Assessment (Without Child Protection Enquiry)
1.3	Timescales of the Core Assessment (Without Child Protection Enquiry)
1.4	Process of the Core Assessment (Without Child Protection Enquiry)
1.5	Outcomes of the Core Assessment (Without Child Protection Enquiry)
1.6	Recording of the Core Assessments (Without Child Protection Enquiry)

1.1 Criteria for the Core Assessment (Without Child Protection Enquiry)

These procedures apply to Core Assessments completed for any child, whose needs are of a moderate to high level, at Level 2 or 3 of the Prioritisation Criteria for Children In Need, but not those children thought to be suffering or likely to suffer from Significant Harm. A Core Assessment will usually follow an Initial Assessment but may also be completed where new information is obtained on an open case and further assessment is required.

1.2 Purpose of the Core Assessment (Without Child Protection Enquiry)

The purpose of the Core Assessment is to conduct an in depth assessment of the child’s needs, drawing on information provided by partner agencies, and to inform decisions about what services should be provided to meet them.

1.3 Timescales of the Core Assessment (Without Child Protection Enquiry)

The Core Assessment should be concluded within a maximum of 35 working days of the end of the Initial Assessment, or the decision to undertake a Core Assessment on an open case.

In exceptional circumstances, this timescale may be extended if the parameters of the ongoing assessment are authorised by the manager and confirmed in writing at the end of the 35-day period.

1.4 Process of the Core Assessment (Without Child Protection Enquiry)

The allocated social worker will be responsible for the co-ordination and completion of the Core Assessment.

During the first week of the Core Assessment, the social worker should meet the family to explain the reasons for the assessment and the way it will be conducted, and obtain consents as necessary to contact and obtain information from other agencies and see the child alone. Where appropriate the social worker will convene a Planning Meeting involving the family and the relevant agencies in order to clarify the parameters of the assessment and plan the work to be carried out.

The assessment plan will be put into writing and, wherever possible, agreed with the child and family. At this stage, a date will be fixed for a final meeting to ensure the Core Assessment is completed within the required time-scales.

The assessment method will vary dependent on the child and family’s situation but opportunities to work directly with the child and the child’s family must be incorporated at every stage.

At the meeting the social worker will request the professionals involved to provide written information on the family within agreed time-scales so that any existing assessments can be integrated into the Core Assessment. This will mean that, where information has already been gathered by other agencies as part of their assessments, there is no need to duplicate the information gathering - although the social worker should check with the child and family that the information gained from the other agencies is correct.

In relation to Overseas Children or Forces Children who have lived abroad for any time, information should be obtained in relation to the period abroad as well as periods of the child's history spent in the UK. In order to achieve this, assistance may be obtained from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, or the appropriate embassy or consulate.

During the course of the Core Assessment it may be necessary to provide or refer the child for services or to commission additional specialist assessments.

If, during a Core Assessment, information comes to light that suggests that a child is suffering or likely to suffer Significant Harm, a Strategy Discussion/Meeting must be convened with a view to incorporating a Child Protection Enquiry into the Core Assessment.

Where attempts to engage the child and parent in the Core Assessment are unsuccessful, the social worker and manager must consider what action or approach is required to safeguard the child and take legal advice as necessary.

1.5 Outcomes of the Core Assessment (Without Child Protection Enquiry)

A manager must sign and approve the outcomes of a Core Assessment and ensure that:

There has been direct communication with the child and his or her views have been recorded and taken into account
All the children in the household have been seen and their needs considered
The parents have been seen and their views and wishes have been recorded and taken into account
The analysis has been completed
The chronology at the front of the file is up to date

Before the Core Assessment is concluded, a final meeting should be held involving the family and relevant professionals. The social worker will report to the meeting a summary of the information obtained and the overall analysis. All those involved, including the referrer, the child and the parents should be notified of the outcome within 7 working days.

During the course and upon completion of the Core Assessment it will be necessary to decide what services should be provided and these should be set out in a Children's Plan , or where the child needs to be Looked After, a Care Plan and Placement Information Record will be required. Where a transfer to the Family Support Team is considered appropriate.

See Decision to Look After and Care Planning Procedure. See also Care Proceedings Procedure, where it is considered that Care Proceedings may be required.

1.6 Recording of the Core Assessment (Without Child Protection Enquiry)

The Core Assessment must be recorded on an age appropriate Core Assessment Record within the Integrated Children’s System. This will be recorded electronically.

Where the Core Assessment concludes that it may be appropriate for the child to be Looked After, a Care Plan and Placement Information Record will be required. See Decision to Look After and Care Planning Procedure.

Otherwise, a Children's Plan should be drawn up if services are to be provided.

2. Core Assessments (With a Child Protection Enquiry)

Note: This procedure relates to Core Assessments incorporating a Child Protection Enquiry conducted upon a Child in Need believed to be suffering or likely to suffer from Significant Harm. Procedures for Core Assessments which do not incorporate Child Protection Enquiries are contained in Section 1, Core Assessments (Without Child Protection Enquiry).

2.1	Criteria for the Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Enquiry)
2.2	Purpose of the Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Enquiry)
2.3	Timescales of the Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Enquiry)
2.4	Process of the Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Enquiry)
2.5	Outcome of the Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Enquiry)
2.6	Recording of the Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Enquiry)

2.1 Criteria for the Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Enquiry)

This procedure applies to Core Assessments incorporating a Child Protection Enquiry, conducted upon a Child in Need believed to be suffering or likely to suffer from Significant Harm.

2.2 Purpose of the Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Enquiry)

The purpose of the Core Assessment is to determine whether there is a continuing risk of Significant Harm to the child. The assessment will draw on information obtained during the assessment including that provided by partner agencies.

A Child Protection Enquiry, as required by the London Child Protection Procedures, is incorporated into this Core Assessment.

2.3 Timescales of the Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Enquiry)

Where a Core Assessment incorporates a Child Protection Enquiry, the Core Assessment, as far as it has been completed, will inform the report to the Initial Child Protection Conference, which must be convened within 15 days of the Strategy Discussion/Meeting.

Where more than one Strategy Discussion has been held, the time-scale of 15 days starts from the date of the Strategy Discussion at which the Child Protection Enquiry was initiated.

The Initial Child Protection Conference will conclude the Core Assessment wherever possible or set the date for the first Core Group meeting to coincide with the end of the Core Assessment, which will be within 10 working days of the Initial Child Protection Conference.

2.4 Process of the Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Enquiry)

The Lead Social Worker will generally be responsible for the coordination and completion of the Core Assessment.

Children should always be seen and communicated with alone by the Lead Social Worker.

The Core Assessment incorporating a Child Protection Enquiry will be undertaken by the Social Worker jointly with the Police where it is suspected that a crime may have been committed. The process of gathering information is as set out in Paragraph 1.4 for Core Assessments not incorporating a Child Protection Enquiry.

For Core Assessments carried out in relation to pre-birth referrals, see Section 6.8 of the London Child Protection Procedures, 2007.

Detail of the procedures for Child Protection Enquiries, including the arrangements for Video Recorded or other interviews and paediatric assessments are also contained in sections 7.8 and 7.9 of the London Child Protection Procedures, 2007.

2.5 Outcomes of the Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Enquiry)

Core Assessments are deemed completed once the assessment has been discussed with the child and family and authorised by a suitably experienced and qualified social work manager

The manager must sign and approve the outcomes of the Core Assessment and ensure that:

There has been direct communication with the child and his or her views have been recorded and taken into account
All the children in the household have been seen and their needs considered
The parents have been seen and their views and wishes have been recorded and taken into account
The analysis has been completed
The chronology at the front of the file is up to date

Following a Child Protection Enquiry a number of outcomes may take place or be authorised by the social worker’s team manager; they are:

That an Initial Child Protection Conference is convened and a decision reached whether the child requires a Child Protection Plan.

If there are indicators that Significant Harm has taken place or is likely to take place, an Initial Child Protection Conference must be convened. If a decision is reached that the child requires a Child Protection Plan, a Core Group will be established and a detailed Child Protection Plan will be formulated.

In these circumstances the manager must consider whether or not sufficient information has been obtained to conclude the Core Assessment by the date of the Initial Child Protection Conference.

If not, the Core Assessment can continue up to the date of the first Core Group meeting, which must be held within a maximum of 10 working days of the Conference.
That an Initial Child Protection Conference is convened but the child does not require a Child Protection Plan.

If there are indicators that Significant Harm has taken place or is likely to take place an Initial Child Protection Conference must be convened but a decision may be made that the child does not require a Child Protection Plan.

In these circumstances the manager must consider whether or not sufficient information has been obtained to conclude the Core Assessment or continue it up to a maximum of 35 working days from the last Strategy Discussion/Meeting.
That there are strong indicators that Significant Harm has not taken place and is not likely to; in which case, the manager may authorise that an Initial Child Protection Conference is not convened. In these circumstances the manager must consider whether or not sufficient information has been obtained to conclude the Core Assessment or continue it up to a maximum of 35 days.

During the course and upon completion of the Core Assessment it will be necessary to decide what services should be provided. The services that will be appropriate will be different for each child, depending on his/her needs and should be set out in a Children's Plan, or where the child needs to be Looked After, a Care Plan and Placement Information Record will be required.

See Decision to Look After and Care Planning Procedure.

See also Care Proceedings Procedure where it is considered that Care Proceedings may be required.

All those involved, including the referrer, the child and the parents, should be notified of the outcome of the Core Assessment within 7 working days.

2.6 Recording of the Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Enquiry)

During the course of the Core Assessment, an age appropriate Core Assessment Record must be completed within the Integrated Children’s System. This will be recorded electronically.

Records of Child Protection Enquiries and any Reports to Child Protection Conferences should include the date(s) when the child was seen alone by the Lead Social Worker and, if not seen alone, who was present and the reasons for their presence.

Where the Core Assessment concludes that it may be appropriate for the child to be Looked After, a Care Plan and Placement Information Record will be required.