Arrangements for Assessment
Children are assessed using the Framework for the Assessment of
Children in Need and their Families, which is a Welsh Assembly
Government Policy. This aims to provide ways to secure the safety
and well-being of children and their families.
Before an assessment takes place, a Referral is made to the
department. A referral is a telephone call or letter, from you or
another person perhaps a teacher or health visitor who may feel
that your family need help. For us to help with a difficulty you
may be having which affects your child (or children), we need to
know about you and your family. This means we need to talk things
through with you and find out what your family needs. This is
called an Assessment.
What does having an Assessment involve?
There are two types of assessment: An initial (or first)
assessment and core assessment. Both types of assessment will
require the social worker to talk to you and other people about the
things that affect your family. You can have your say and we will
help you take part. The assessment may produce a plan to address
the needs of your child (or children) or you may be directed to
other agencies for services. The assessment outcome should state
this.
At the end of the assessment, a plan could be made to list the
help you need or you may be given advice and information. Whatever
is decided will be talked about with you.
What is the Initial Assessment?
An initial assessment should take 7 days. You will probably only
have to tell us some things about your child for this assessment to
be made. If other people are already helping you and your family,
it is likely that the social worker will talk to them too. We shall
discuss this with you.
What is a Core Assessment?
A core assessment is made when we think more information is
needed to help your family. This is likely to involve other
organisations such as Health, Education or in some cases the
Police. The core assessment should take 35 working days.
To help your family, we need to know what you all do well and
what you need help with and we ask your permission to ask others
about your family for example Health and Education.
In the core assessment we will need to find out much more about
you, your partner and children within the family. We are interested
in understanding you and your family’s strengths to build on, as
well as problems that need resolving. We will also request your
consent to ask other organisations to share any information they
have about you and your family.
How is information used?
It is used to make sure we now know:
- Needs of your child
- Challenges you face being a parent
- Family and living circumstances
You may be asked to go to a first meeting with the organisations
who may be involved with your child, to plan how the assessment
will be done and decide what information is needed.
Once we have the information we need, we may ask others for
their help in deciding:
- What your child’s needs are
- What services may be right for your family
- If or how much you and your family may be able to help
You may then be asked to go to a second meeting where these
services any your child's needs will be agreed in a plan.