4.2 Assessments Guidance

Dimensions of the Assessment Framework
Planning Assessments
Participation of Children and their Families and Carers
Assessment of Children and Families from Black and Minority Ethnic Backgrounds
Assessing the Needs of Disabled Children and their Families
Consent and Confidentiality

1. Dimensions of the Assessment Framework

The Assessment Framework is primarily designed for Social Workers undertaking assessments of a Child in Need, but the principles are useful for in the context of undertaking assessments upon children and/or families within The Continuum Group.

The Assessment Framework is primarily for gathering and analysing information about all children and their families has three dimensions:

The developmental needs of the child;
The capacities of parents or carers to respond to those needs;
The impact of wider family and environmental factors on parenting capacity and children.

This Framework requires practitioners to explore the interaction between, or the influence of these three dimensions on each other in a child’s life and allows professionals to discriminate effectively between different types, and different levels of need.

2. Planning Assessments

The Assessment Process is summarised as follows:

Analysing the information and reaching professional judgements
Making decisions and planning interventions
Intervening, service delivery and/or further assessment
Evaluating and reviewing progress

This process is ongoing, or cyclical

All assessment should be planned. Planning should identify the focus of the assessment including those who will be involved. It will often require a planning meeting to clarify roles and timescales as well as services to be provided during the assessment.

Questions to be considered in planning assessment include:

Who will undertake the assessment and what resources will be needed?
Who in the family will be included and how will they be involved (including absent or wider family and others significant to the child)?
In what grouping will the child and family members be seen and in what order and where?
What services are to be provided during the assessment?
Are there communication needs? if so, what are the specific needs and how they will be met.
How will the assessment take into account the particular issues faced by black and minority ethnic children and their families, and disabled children and their families? (Reference to the Practice Guidance will be particularly useful in these circumstances).
What method of collecting information will be used? Which questionnaires and scales will be used?
What information is already available?
What other sources of knowledge about the child and family are available and how will other agencies and professionals who know the family be informed and involved?
How will the Consent of family members be obtained?
What will be the timescales?
How will the information be recorded?
How will it be analysed and who will be involved?
When will the outcomes be discussed, and service planning take place?

3. Participation of Children and their Families and Carers

It is expected that families and children should be encouraged and enabled to actively participate in an assessment unless this would place the child at increased risk of significant harm. This will include:

provision of verbal information and written information leaflets
opportunities to express their views and have these recorded
being encouraged to participate in planning meetings before and at the conclusion of assessment and at subsequent reviews
identification of strengths within families as well as areas where further help may be needed.
early identification of any special needs of the child or relevant family members to enable any support needs to be addressed during the assessment process such as interpreting, advocacy etc.
careful selection of assessment tools, methods and approaches that will aid participation.

Assessment planning should consider how many and which workers can contribute to the assessment. Preferably, a Keyworker should be identified to co-ordinate the assessment. In general, it would be best to be as un-intrusive as possible, and to minimise the numbers of people working directly with the family for the purpose of assessment.

4. Assessment of Children and Families from Black and Minority Ethnic Backgrounds

The following guidance should be read in conjunction with Chapter 2 of Assessing Children in Need and their Families: Practice Guidance (DOH 2000).

The population of England comprises many white ethnic minority groups as well as black and minority ethnic groups and their differences e.g. in culture/religion have to be taken into account as for other ethnic minority groups. Oppression can also be experienced by these groups and this too needs to be acknowledged and addressed. However, here the focus is on assessments of black and minority ethnic children in need and their families.

Whilst there are some similarities and parallels in the experiences of black, minority ethnic and white minorities in Britain there is also a fundamental difference. Institutional racism has resulted in the significant impairment of the life opportunities of black and minority ethnic people in this country (MacPherson, 1999).

Assessing the developmental needs of children is a complex process which requires all relevant aspects of a child’s life experience to be addressed. For black and minority ethnic children assessments should address the impact that racism has on a particular child and family and ensure that the assessment process itself does not reinforce racism through racial or cultural stereotyping.

Black, minority ethnic and white children require their parents or carers to respond to their same fundamental care needs. They all need basic care, warmth, stimulation, guidance, boundaries and stability. Any child who grows up without access to these basic life blocks (as a result of poor parental care) will suffer to a greater or lesser extent.

The base lines for assessing parenting capacity and the child’s developmental needs should be the same irrespective of whether a black, minority ethnic or a white child is being assessed.

Domain: Children’s Developmental Needs

Health - Pointers for Practice

Assessments of black and minority ethnic families should take account of the specific health needs of different black/minority ethnic communities and address:

The extent to which the physical health of the child may be affected by adverse social conditions;
The extent to which the child and family have direct access to appropriate advice support and services in relation to their health care needs;
Whether the child or family members may be likely to suffer from sickle cell disorder;
Whether past life experiences or trauma has had any affect on the physical health of the child.

Education – Pointers for Practice

Assessment of black and minority ethnic children’s educational and cognitive development should take account of racism as it may manifest itself within the educational system and address:

Whether the child has had the opportunity to realise their educational potential without the limitations imposed upon them by negative stereotyping;
For an excluded child, the extent to which the exclusion is appropriate in relation to the child’s behaviour;
The extent to which the child’s parents are consulted about and involved in the child’s education.

Identity and Emotional /Behavioural Development – Pointers for Practice

Identity allows individuals to understand and conceptualise themselves as distinct from others and allows individuals to form group identities with other individuals who have similar characteristics to their own. Race, culture, religion and language are central to group and individual identity. Assessments should to address identity holistically by considering:

Any difficulties which the child may be having in acquiring a positive racial identity, and what help the child requires to enable them do so;
The child’s awareness of their own ethnicity and personal, family and community history. Where this is not available, what steps can be taken to obtain such information;
The child’s access to a lived experience of their culture, for example, attendance at a wedding, or participation in celebrations which include music, food and traditional rituals will give a child a far more profound and effective sense of their cultural identity than any amount of visual or written material;
The religious and spiritual needs of black and minority ethnic children and their families – this will require professionals to discuss the family’s belief systems religion, rites and traditions and record them routinely;
The identity of disabled black and minority ethnic children holistically and not as a hierarchy of need, in that being black or minority ethnic gives the child a specific perspective on their disability;
The extent to which the child has the opportunity to learn about and maintain family languages. Where the child has not had this opportunity, what steps can be taken to address this deficiency;
The extent to which a black or minority ethnic disabled child has the opportunity to learn their first language. As some disabled children rely upon other forms of communication apart from the written or spoken work, it is vital that communication with their families is facilitated in a way that accounts for their own modes of communication as well as the family’s first language. For example, the basis of British Sign Language is English. Translating BSL into English will facilitate the understanding of English speakers, but for those who speak other languages, further translation is required. The ability to communicate and to be understood has to be promoted as a basic human right, without which any attempt at assessment would be impossible.

Family and Social Relationship – Pointers for Practice

Information about family history and cultural heritage are vital not only to the child’s sense of personal identity and wellbeing, but also to their sense of group identification, in assessing the child’s relationship it is important to consider:

The child’s relationships within the context of their wider social networks and connections;
The extent of quality and quantity of information the child has about their own roots and heritage, and how deficiencies in this information can be addressed;
The specific family structure in which the child lives, and the patterns of attachment which operates within this particular black or minority ethnic family including any attachment figures who may not be blood relatives;
The impact of migration, separation and trauma on the child and wider family network.

Domain: Parenting Capacity

Basic Care / Ensuring Safety – Pointers for Practice

Issues of race and culture cannot simply be added to a list for separate consideration during an assessment. They are integral to the assessment process. In undertaking assessments of black and minority ethnic families professionals, should be mindful that;

From referral through assessment, intervention and planning, race and culture have to be addressed using the Assessment Framework.
Culture can explain the context in which an abusive incident took place, but not the behaviour or action of an individual parent. For example a parent who injures their child with a belt may say that this form of punishment is “cultural”. Their cultural context may explain the parents anger within the expectations that he or she has of the child, but will not explain why the parent acted upon this anger by using a belt to hit the child. Other parents from the same culture in a similar context may choose to punish the child without recourse to any physical punishment at all;
Racial and cultural stereotyping of black and minority ethnic families can lead to inappropriate interventions in families as well as a failure to protect black and minority ethnic children from abuse.

Racial Abuse and Harassment – Pointers for Practice

Racial abuse damages children both physically and emotionally and as such warrants professional intervention to address the effects of this form of abuse whether it comes from within or outside the family. Assessments should consider:

Whether racial abuse, racial bullying or racial violence impacts on the child or on the wider family;
The extent of support, advice and intervention offered to the family, or the family require, and how this can be provided.

Emotional Warmth – Pointers for Practice

There are differences in the way in which affection and love are shown to children by adults. Some of these will be based on established cultural patterns of behaviour whilst some will be related more to individual, family or social influences. In assessing emotional warmth:

Assessments should take account of such variations, whilst still maintaining consistency in the application of minimum standards of child care;
Professionals need to ensure that base lines are consistent across cultures. It is not acceptable that parents who demonstrate cold and unloving responses to children are able to justify their behaviour on the grounds of cultural differences;
In an extended family or clan family structure the whole family may participate in the parenting of the child, including providing emotional warmth for the child. The parent-child interaction will only be one of many adult-child, child-child interactions which should be addressed in an assessment.

Stimulation - Pointers for Practice

In assessing stimulation in black and minority ethnic families it is important to recognise that children’s learning may be encouraged in a range of ways, and that the trappings of a stimulating environment, such as toys and play equipment are not guarantors of a stimulating environment for children. In assessing families workers should make sense of different practices.
In western societies the concept of childhood is underpinned by the desire to be free of adult responsibilities and to have opportunities for explanation, learning and play. In many black and minority ethnic families children are not expected to take on adult responsibilities, but they are expected to learn certain skills that will prepare them for adult life. Whilst western values encourage pretend play, many black and minority ethnic families take pride in teaching children the basics of cooking and child care at quite young ages.

Guidance, Boundaries and Stability - Pointers for Practice

In assessing guidance and boundaries, professionals should understand the context in which these are developed. In undertaking assessments:

Professionals should be aware that black and minority ethnic families at present perceive child welfare professionals as undermining of black and minority ethnic communities, particularly in relation to the guidance of and boundaries for young people;
The imposition of a western and individualised model of autonomy and independence is at variance with the values of many black and minority ethnic families, and it’s application in assessment and intervention can destabilise families and family support networks;
Where intergenerational or family conflicts arise in relation to guidance and boundaries, negotiations are necessary to reconcile differences

Domain: Family and Environmental Factors

Each of the dimensions identified should not be seen in isolation from each other. For instance, having a large family may not in itself be a problem for any one family but if the family are also experiencing overcrowding and low income it may result in family members experiencing additional stress. Any assessment process should take account of the impact on the family of the various factors interacting with each other.

Family History and Functioning - Pointers for Practice

In assessing black and minority ethnic families it is important to take account of family size and structure. For instance, a family with three or more children with a low income and poor housing is a family likely to experience hardship. Any assessment process should address the implications of this for families;
Although the fact of a lone parent household in itself may not be an issue for an individual family, a lone parent household with no support networks may impact on family functioning. Furthermore, lone parenthood can have an impact on income and wealth, and in turn can impact on the material wellbeing of children. This should be taken account of in an assessment.
In relation to a child of dual heritage assessments should consider the implications of family arrangements on the child and family. For instance how does living in a white only household impact on the child’s position within the family, or how does a single white mother’s isolation from her community affect her relationship with her child?
It is important for assessors to understand that the evidence of a higher incidence of lone parenthood amongst Caribbean people does not rule out exploration of the issue of ‘visiting’ relationships, where the responsibility for care of the children may be shared although the parents may not live together.

Parenting strengths and difficulties - Pointers for Practice

Assessments should inform interventions which build on the strengths of black and minority ethnic families, whilst ensuring that areas of difficulty or potential risk to the child’s safety are identified and addressed appropriately;
An empowerment model of assessment should recognise the life experiences of black and minority ethnic families, particularly the ability of families to survive and resist a system that is disadvantaging;
Targeted support to address family problems should be based on an understanding of a family’s circumstances as the result of the assessment process rather than on the basis of assumptions underpinned by stereotypical beliefs of black and minority ethnic families.

Wider Family - Pointers for Practice

In assessing and minority ethnic families, practitioners should ascertain from children and family members their perception of who constitutes their wider family and tap into the strengths that may be present in that wider family network.

Housing, Employment and Income - Pointers for Practice

In assessing the needs of children and their families it is important to understand the implications of social and economic context within which families live and more importantly how fears and worries about money, health, education and employment impact on family life;
In assessing black and minority ethnic families any attempts to disregard the impact of racism on the social and economic context in which black and minority ethnic families live will result in an assessment which is incomplete.

Families Social Integration - Pointers for Practice

Any assessment with individual black and minority ethnic families should recognise that although many black and minority ethnic families gain strength from living amongst their own community, there are individual black and minority ethnic families whose experience of living amongst black and minority ethnic people may not necessarily be a positive one. As with the white community, the reasons for any black and minority ethnic family feeling either isolated or ostracised from the majority community will vary. Whatever the reason it is important to think of the support networks for such families;
Alongside the individual impact which racial abuse and bullying has on children, it is important to consider the impact of racial violence on communities. Fear of abuse or attacks can affect whole ways of life in particular communities which are targeted for such treatment by reducing the freedom of movement of women, children and older people in both the hours of daylight and at night. In such cases local authorities should plan for community safety in a more pro-active and co-ordinated way, using the auspices of children’s planning processes and area child protection committees, alongside initiatives to reduce crime and improve safety in the locality.

Community Resources - Pointers for Practice

During the assessment process professionals should ascertain from families what are their perceptions of available community resources what kinds of services would be most helpful to them and how to make statutory sector services appropriate and accessible to them.

5. Assessing the Needs of Disabled Children and their Families

The following guidance should be read in conjunction with Chapter 3 of Assessing Children in Need and their families: Practice Guidance (DOH 2000).

The basic needs of Disabled Children are no different to those of any other child. However, their impairments may create additional needs and you need to be aware of this in making an assessment.
Disabled children are far more likely than non-disabled children to be the subject of multiple assessments by health, education and social services. There are several reasons for this:
1. There are more disabled children in groups already socially disadvantaged.
2. Disabled children are more likely to have a number of experiences that may trigger assessment.
3. Assessment has become the route to ordinary entitlements for many disabled children and their families.
4. Assessment of special educational needs.
When planning an assessment involving a disabled child, it is important to:
1. think about your own understanding of disability;
2. take into account the child’s experience and understanding of assessment;
3. take into account the family’s experience and understanding of assessment;
4. be clear about the focus of an assessment;
5. find out who else is currently involved with the child;
6. gather information from existing assessments;
7. access helpful information on specific childhood impairments.

6. Consent and Confidentiality

Personal information about children and families held by professionals is subject to a legal duty of confidence and should not normally be disclosed without the consent of the subject. However, the law permits the disclosure of confidential information if it is necessary to safeguard a child or children in the public interest. Disclosure without consent would be justifiable to safeguard a child (Data Protection Act 1989).

All agencies should obtain the family’s prior agreement to sharing information unless this would place the child at risk of Significant Harm. It is good practice to check with the family before contacting another agency.

In obtaining consent to seek information from other parties or to disclose information about the child or other individuals under the Data Protection Act 1998, it is important that explanation include:

clarity about the purpose of approaching other individuals or agencies.
reasons for the disclosure of any information, for example about the referral or details about the child or family members;
details of the individuals or agencies being contacted;
what information will be sought or shared;
why the information is important
what it is hoped to achieve.

Where there are concerns about Significant Harm, it is essential that professionals and others share information, since it is only when all of this information is compiled that it becomes clear whether the child is at such risk.

For further information and guidance, please refer to pages 45 and 46 of the Assessment Framework book, and, if necessary, seek legal advice.

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