Treatment itself is intimately bound up with assessment, relying on it as a house relies on its foundation. Consequently, assessment continues throughout the treatment process, despite a change in focus during its course (Jones, 1997). 4.1 The Guidance has emphasised that assessment is not an end in itself but a process
which will lead to an improvement in the wellbeing or outcomes for a child or young person. The conclusion of an assessment should result in:
● an analysis of the needs of the child and the parenting capacity to respond
appropriately to those needs within their family context;
● identification of whether and, if so, where intervention will be required to secure
the wellbeing of the child or young person;
● a realistic plan of action (including services to be provided), detailing who has
responsibility for action, a timetable and a process for review.
4.2 Generally, all these phases of the assessment process should be undertaken in partnership with the child and key family members, and with their agreement. This includes finalising the plan of action. There may be exceptions when there are concerns that a child is suffering or may be suffering significant harm.
4.3 In many approaches or referrals to social services departments, families are clear about their problems but may not be sure where to turn or how to obtain services. With advice and information, they are able to take appropriate action. This action may be all that is required by a social services department. Where there is a question about whether a child is in need and therefore services are necessary an assessment is required. For some families, the process of assessment is in itself a therapeutic intervention. Being able to look at problems in a constructive manner with a profes- sional who is willing to listen and who helps family members to reflect on what is happening, is enough to help them find solutions. During the assessment process, it may emerge that families will best be helped by agencies other than social services. Armed with this information, families may wish to seek solutions themselves; others may wish to have help in gaining access to other agencies or practical services.
4.4 A significant proportion of families who seek help from social services are unable to resolve stresses or problems solely from within their own emotional or practical resources or from their own support network. It is for these families that assessment may be important in order to identify the nature of their children’s needs and,
simultaneously, may be the first stage in a longer process of positive intervention. Ultimately, careful judgements must be made about balancing the needs of children and parents.
4.5 In most situations, meeting children’s needs will almost always involve responding also to the needs of family members. The two are closely connected and it is rarely possible to promote the welfare of children without promoting the welfare of significant adults in their lives. In some cases, meeting the children’s needs may mean giving others either parenting responsibility or legal parental responsibility for the child, either for short periods or on a longer term basis. Where consideration is being given to meeting parents’ needs, as part of the plan of intervention, this must be because it is in the best interests of the child and will assist in securing better outcomes for the child. Parents may also require help in their own right as adults who have specific needs.
Analysis
4.6 In Chapter 3 it was emphasised that gathering information is a crucial phase in the assessment process, which requires careful planning about how best to undertake it. Information may be gathered from a variety of sources, using methods which will be determined by the purpose of the assessment and the particular circumstances of each child and family (see paragraph 3.38). Some of the information may have been gathered through the use of questionnaires and scales, such as those published in the accompanying materials (Department of Health, Cox and Bentovim, 2000). The
Home Inventory (Caldwell and Bradley, 1984) and the Assessment of Family Competence, Strengths and Difficulties (Bentovim and Bingley Miller, forth- coming), due for publication later in 2000 will also provide important information about the child’s world and family functioning respectively.
4.7 The information should be organised according to the dimensions of the Assessment Framework as a necessary beginning to the next phase of analysis. Information should be summarised under each of the three domains ie. children’s developmental needs, parents’ or caregivers’ capacities to respond, and wider family and environmental factors. The Department of Health has developed assessment recording forms to assist practitioners and their managers in this phase of work (Department of Health and Cleaver, 2000).
4.8 In organising the information, there may be different perspectives to be explored, recorded and taken into account, for example, the child may have a different understanding and interpretation of what is happening from that of either parent or of a professional. These differences are important when developing an understanding of the child’s needs within the family context. Different family members may attach different meanings to the same information, for example, the significance of past family history or events. The same information may vary in its salience for different family members, for example, the impact of a bereavement in a family. Sometimes these differences in perception can lead to conflicts in the family or between family members and professionals. In reaching a shared understanding of what is happening in a family, it is important to keep the focus on the needs of the child. This enables family members and professionals to agree a plan of action, even in the context of
some differences or tensions, that will address the identified needs of the child with the aim of improving outcomes for the child.
4.9 By this point, there should be clear summaries which identify from the information gathered the child’s developmental needs, parenting capacity and family and environ- mental factors. In each of these domains, both strengths and difficulties should be identified. Children’s needs do not exist in a vacuum (Jones, 2000) and, therefore, the inter-relationships between the child, family and environment must be understood. Some factors will work positively to support children’s growing up while others will militate against or undermine their healthy development. In weighing up the impact that various factors have on a child, it has to be borne in mind that not all factors will have equal significance and the cumulative effect of some relatively minor factors may be considerable. Thus the analysis of a child’s needs is a complex activity drawing on knowledge from research and practice combined with an understanding of the child’s needs within his or her family.
4.10 The elements of parenting capacity can be described, and minimum parenting standards or requirements assessed by the practitioner and related to their child. However, it is not possible to ascribe numerical values to each element because parenting capabilities and behaviours are complex and subject to influences from within and outside the family (Jones, 2000). Parenting capacity can only be understood within the overall context in which children are being brought up. The analysis should identify the family and environmental factors which have an impact on the different aspects of the child’s development and on the parent(s) capacity in order to explore the relationship between the three domains (Department of Health and Cleaver, 2000). At some points in time judgements may be made (based on the analysis of their parental functioning) that the parent is unable to respond to their child’s needs.
4.11 To summarise the analysis stage:
● A child’s needs must be based on knowledge of what would be expected of this
child’s development;
● Parenting capacity should draw on knowledge about what would be reasonable to
expect of parental care given to a similar child;
● Family and environmental factors should draw on knowledge about the impact
these will have on both parenting capacity and directly on a child’s development.