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Contents

1.	Criteria for Initiating an Initial or Core Assessment
2.	Initial Assessments
3.	Core Assessments
	3.1	Core Assessments without a Child Protection Assessment
	3.2	Core Assessments with a Child Protection Assessment
4.	Universal Assessment Procedures

1. Criteria for Initiating Initial or Core Assessment

If, having completed the Referral process, it is determined that any child is a Child in Need with medium or high levels of need as set out in the Pyramid of Need Levels (see Section 3, Pyramid of Need Levels of Assessment Framework Guidance), a more in depth assessment is required:

1. Either an Initial Assessment or a Core Assessment maybe conducted if the Child appears to have a Medium Level of Needs.
2. A Core Assessment (without the need for an Initial Assessment) is required if it is clear that the Child has a High Level of Need.  Where Significant Harm is suspected, the initiation of a Core Assessment must follow a Strategy Discussion/Meeting.

2. Initial Assessments

Before proceeding, please read the following sections:

Section 1, Criteria for an Initial or Core Assessment

Section 4, Universal Assessment Procedures

An Initial Assessment may be extremely brief and effectively records what assessment has been possible within a period of ten working days.

2.1 Purpose of an Initial Assessment

An Initial Assessment is defined as a brief assessment of each child referred to Family Care Services with a request for services to be provided where it appears that the Child has Low or Medium Levels of Need as set out in the Pyramid of Needs Levels.

The purpose of the Initial Assessment is to gather enough information (including information about the history and functioning of the family both currently and in the past, and adult problems such as domestic violence, substance misuse, mental illness and criminal behaviour/convictions) to determine whether a child is in need of services, which may be provided by the authority and to help draw up a plan, and whether to conduct a Core Assessment.

The Initial Assessment should be led by a qualified social worker, supervised by a highly experienced qualified social work manager. The child should be seen by the Lead Social Worker without his or her caregivers when appropriate and this should be recorded in the Initial Assessment Record.

2.2 Timescales of an Initial Assessment

Initial Assessments should be undertaken within a maximum of 10 working days from the receipt of the referral.

2.3 Outcome and Approval or the Initial Assessment and Plan

There are 3 potential conclusions from an Initial Assessment:

1. The child is not a Child in Need or is in need with a low level of priority as set out in the Pyramid of Needs Levels; which may result in the provision of information, signposting to another agency and/or no further action.
2. The child is a Child in Need with a medium of priority as set out in the Pyramid of Need Levels, but there is no suspicion of Significant Harm, in which case a Plan must be initiated and a decision made about whether to continue to a Core Assessment.
3. The child is a Child in Need with a high level of priority as set out in the Pyramid of Need Levels, and a Core Assessment must be initiated. Where Significant Harm is suspected, the initiation of a Core Assessment must follow a Strategy Discussion/Meeting.

2.4 Recording of an Initial Assessment

See Section 4.1, Recording.

An Initial Assessment is deemed completed once the assessment has been discussed with the child and family and authorised by the manager.

3.  Core Assessments

A Core Assessment will be in greater depth than an Initial Assessment, and is likely to include the following:

1. More than one home visit or face to face contact with the child and direct family members
2. Children should always be seen and communicated with alone by the Lead Social Worker
3. Collecting the views of at least 2 other agencies involved with the family
4. Collecting the views of other wider family members
5. Involvement of a specialist agency at the request of Family Services
6. Concerned with issues of risk danger or self harm
7. Involved taking a detailed history and an analysis of dynamics
8. Using a Network Meeting to pull the Assessment together and make a plan

There are two types of Core Assessment:

• A Core Assessment without a Child Protection Assessment – where Significant Harm is not suspected; See Section 3.1, Core Assessments without a Child Protection Assessment
• A Core Assessment with a Child Protection Assessment – where Significant Harm is suspected; See Section 3.2, Core Assessments with a Child Protection Assessment
  
  

3.1 Core Assessments without a Child Protection Assessment
Before proceeding, please read the following sections:  Section 1, Criteria for an Initial or Core Assessment and Section 4, Universal Assessment Procedures
3.1.1	Purpose of a Core Assessment (Without a Child Protection Assessment)
	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, using the information gathered to draw up a Plan aimed at meeting the child’s needs.
3.1.2	Timescales of a Core Assessment (Without a Child Protection Assessment)
	The 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.
3.1.3	Outcome and Approval of a Core Assessment (Without a Child Protection Assessment) and Planning
	During the course and upon completion of the assessment it will be necessary to decide what services should be provided and draw up a plan.  The services that will be appropriate will be different for each child, depending on his/her needs.  Where the assessment concludes that it may be appropriate for the child to be Looked After, a Care Plan and Placement Plan will be required. Other services must be outlined in the form of a Case Plan.
3.1.4	Recording of the Assessment
	See Section 4.1, Recording
3.2 Core Assessments with a Child Protection Assessment
Before proceeding, please read the following sections: Section 1, Criteria for an Initial or Core Assessment Section 4, Universal Assessment Procedures This procedure relates to Core Assessments incorporating a Child Protection Assessment conducted upon children in need believed to be suffering or likely to suffer from Significant Harm. Procedures for Core Assessments which do not incorporate a Child Protection Assessment are contained in Section 3.1, Core Assessments without a Child Protection Assessment It is assumed that a Strategy Discussion/Meeting will have been convened, in relation to a child believed to be suffering or likely to suffer from Significant Harm, and a decision reached to conduct a Core Assessment with a Child Protection Assessment. This procedure must be read in conjunction with London’s Child Protection Procedures Section 7.5, Strategy Meeting/Discussion
3.2.1	Purpose of a Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Assessment)
	The purpose of the Core Assessment is to conduct an in depth assessment of the child’s needs and any risk factors.  It will draw on the information provided by partner agencies in order to make a decision about the existence of Significant Harm, the requirement for services and the need for a Child Protection Plan or other Plan.
3.2.2	Timescales of a Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Assessment)
	The assessment must be completed in time for the Initial Child Protection Conference or Network Meeting, which is normally convened within 15 working days of the Strategy Discussion/Meeting or the decision to undertake a Child Protection Assessment. If required, the Initial Child Protection Conference or Network Meeting may request a further assessment, and should identify the areas where this is needed.
3.2.3	Process of a Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Assessment)
	Family Services is responsible for the coordination and completion of the assessments, which must be undertaken by a Social Worker. Detail of the procedures for Child Protection Assessments, including the arrangements for Video Recorded or other interviews and medical assessments are also contained in London’s Child Protection Procedures. At the conclusion of the assessment it should be possible to decide whether to: Hold an Initial Child Protection Conference Hold a Network Meeting Carry out a Case Plan or determine that No Further Action is necessary If it is not possible to make this decision then further assessment is required. If a decision is made to hold an Initial Child Protection Conference or a Network Meeting then the assessment that has been undertaken needs to be carefully edited in order to make it appropriate for used as the initial case conference report or network meeting report. Care should be taken to ensure that any information of significance removed in this editing process is recorded elsewhere on the record.
3.2.4	Outcome and Approval of a Core Assessment (With a Child Protection Assessment)
	Following a Child Protection Assessment a number of outcomes may take place or be authorised by the manager; they are: That an Initial Child Protection Conference is convened and a decision reached to place the child’s name on the Child Protection Register.  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 to make the Child subject to a Protection Plan, a Core Group will be established and a Child Protection Plan formulated.   That an Initial Child Protection Conference is convened but the child is not made the Child subject to a 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 the child may not be made the subject of a Child Protection Plan. There are indicators that Significant Harm has taken place or is likely to take place but a Network Meeting is felt to be more appropriate at this stage That there are indicators that Significant Harm has not taken place and is not likely to; in these circumstances the manager must consider whether or not to conclude the Core Assessment or continue 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.
3.2.5	Recording of the assessment
	See Section 4.1, Recording

4.  Universal Assessment Procedures

The following procedures/principles apply to all Assessments, whether Initial or Core.

4.1 Recording

The same basic form is used for both Initial Assessments and Core Assessments. The Record of Section 47 Enquiry and Reports to Child Protection Conferences should include the date(s) when the child was seen alone, or if not seen alone, who was present and the reasons for their presence.

The prompts should be used for reference.

For Children with Disabilities there are additional prompts and consideration needs to be given to the completion of a Carers Assessment.

4.2 Assessing and Seeing the Child

The needs section of the assessment must be completed in relation to each individual Child.

Each Child should be seen, alone, at least once during an assessment. Children should always be seen and communicated with alone by the Lead Social Worker.

If a Child’s age and level of understanding is sufficient, s/he must be given a copy of assessment reports.

4.3 Notifying, Consulting and Interviewing the Parents or Other Family Members

Unless there are exceptional circumstances, the parent’s consent must be sought and they should be consulted before and during the assessment process; also, they must be given a copy of the assessment report(s).

4.4 Notifying, Consulting or Commissioning other Agencies

If the Child has moved to this authority from another London borough, the procedures in Section 11, London Child Protection Procedures, Mobile Children and Families, must be applied.

Other relevant agencies, known to or with a potential interest in the Child, must be consulted at the outset and during the assessment.

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.

4.5 Chronology

A Chronology must be started when initiating an assessment.  If a Chronology has already been started, it must be updated.

See Chronologies Guidance.

4.6 Ending Assessments, Planning and Review

A manager must approve the outcome of all assessments and authorise any plan.

Where an assessment concludes that a child should be Looked After, a Care Plan and Placement Plan will be required.

Where a Child’s name is placed on the register for a Child Subject to a Child Protection Plan, it will be necessary to complete a Child Protection Plan.

Where other services are provided, a Case Plan must be completed

All assessments and plans must be reviewed as determined by relevant procedures or within six months.  All Reviews must involve the service user and a systematic check to see if the plan has been carried out and whether it has been successful.

4.7 Timescales

The timescales outlined in each of the Initial and Core Assessment procedures are maximum timescales. Consideration should be given by the date of the Initial Child Protection Conference where one is convened to whether the Core Assessment has been completed or what further work is required before it is completed.

End