Integrated Assessment Framework

Good Practice Guidance

Good Practice Examples

Example 1

Child Record
Chronology of Significant Events
Comprehensive Integrated Assessment

Example 2

Child Record
Chronology of Significant Events
Comprehensive Integrated Assessment

Questions & Answers

Q. What should I do if I have a lot of information that doesn't seem relevant to the particular assessment?

A. You must keep in mind at all times the reason the assessment has been commissioned and make the information going into it proportional. You should not be putting information into every box of the assessment triangle just for the sake of it. Information has to be appropriate. Remember however that you may think something is irrelevant but once it is included in the assessment it may be crucial so if in doubt you should discuss with the other members of the assessment team. Try not to repeat information throughout the assessment. If you capture it in one place then unless appropriate to do so do not repeat the information elsewhere.

Q. What information has to be considered in the Analysis (Wellbeing Indicators ie SHANARI)?

A. ALL OF THE INFORMATION GATHERED - ie the information contained within the chronology, family background, current family circumstances plus the information contained within the assessment triangle. An analysis of the information gathered within the assessment triangle may not give you an analysis of Assessed Risks, particularly if the child is living away from home. THE ANALYSIS and RISK ASSESSMENT SHOULD ALWAYS BE DONE AS A TEAM.

Q. Do I need to carry out another assessment using the Triangle when carrying out a review?

A. No. You would only do this if the circumstances regarding the child or young person have changed considerably and the original assessment was no longer appropriate. Otherwise, use the Review of Comprehensive Assessment paperwork which reviews the Action Plan.

Q Why were Child Protection and Looked After Away from Home cases chosen for implementation due to the volume of work?

A. The South Ayrshire Implementation Group decided that these were the cases that required to be prioritised for comprehensive assessments and felt that this was manageable in the first instance.

Q. Will the school (making a referral) receive a copy of the outcome of the Child Protection Case Conference to enable them to have an idea of 'the bigger picture' as an interested party?

A. The school will be invited to attend the child protection case conference and will be expected to bring along their Core Education Assessment. They will also receive a minute of the meeting.

Q. Who would and when would you be informed if you are going to be part of an assessment team?

A. Comprehensive Assessments are commissioned from Child Protection Conferences and Post Admission Meetings for children who are being accommodated. When the assessment is commissioned you will be informed that you are part of the team and you should immediately start to fill in your sections of each of the assessment forms in preparation for the first Core Group or LAAC review. The comprehensive assessment requires to be completed by the Child Protection Conference Review or 2nd LAAC review.

Q. What happens if the family refuses consent for information sharing?

A. The Lead Practitioner would explain that a Comprehensive Integrated Assessment would not be able to be carried out and that the young person and family will have to speak to different practitioners and go to meetings within different venues ie social work, school etc. It will be a longer process and they may not get access to the resources they require in such a timely manner.

Q. Where do IEP's and PEP's fit into the IAF process?

A. All children who are Looked After or Accommodated should have a Personal Education Plan.
Currently there is a project working on a new format of PEP which has had input from young people to make it more 'child friendly'. These will be filled in by the young person with the help of an adult within the school. This is currently being piloted within various schools throughout South Ayrshire.
An IEP is an individual education plan and this is currently completed for any child who requires additional input within the school. These processes have not been changed with the introduction of IAF. The new PEP has a box to tick to show if the child has an IEP, CSP and or IAF. The school should access the above plans and place the relevant information into the Comprehensive Assessment.

Q. Is there a timescale between receiving the SW Referral form, completing it and returning it?

A. As soon as possible as the assessment won’t begin until receipt. Unless the initial referral or phone call determines an emergency or immediate need.

Q. Can we attach our own in service form to the Social Work Referral Form?

A. You are requested to transfer what information you have on your own in service assessment form onto the Referral Form. If you are going to either a Child Protection Case Conference or a LAAC Review you need to bring your in service assessment form with you (or send in prior to attendance).

Q. Can we use the DOH Triangle?

A. The Scottish Executive Triangle should be used in all instances, this assessment tool went out for consultation at the start of the IAF process and is an underpinning part of IAF and single shared assessment.

Q. What age should you start your chronology of child/young person as of the 20/7/07? if the child is say aged 9/10 an open case, no chronology pre 20th August and parents have historical files in SW, then following the 20th if CP or LAAC, would chronology include historical significant events of parents pre birth of child?

A. All chronologies as of the 20/8/07 should include all significant events of and relating to the child/young person from their birth. Any significant events relating to parents/carers prior to the child/young person's birth should be included in the family history.
See Guidance pages 76 - 78

Q. Where is Legislation does it say about Sharing Information?

A. The website www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications
contains a document called Sharing Information About Children at Risk: A Guide to Good Practice which details the legal context of sharing information including The Human Rights Act (2000), European Convention Human Rights and the Data Protection Act 1998.

Q. Who do you contact for education information during the school holidays?

A. Cluster Managers and or Care and Learning Team members.

Q. Is the Social Work Referral Form asking us to complete a Core Assessment?

A. No, the Social Work Referral Form is NOT a Core Assessment, the form documents your referral and request sharing and transfer of the information you do have at that time. The form is the beginning of the Child Protection process and both accommodates and includes references such as SHANARI to compliment the IAF process. If a Core Assessment is required, this core assessment will be completed following transfer of the information.

Q. The time spent on completing the assessments is having an effect on other services social work practitioners are involved in, will this be looked at?

A. Yes, the Evaluation Team will cover this and will produce a report on paperwork and processes in July. The same concerns have been noted in Health services. It was agreed that the more often the process is completed and working relationships are established, the time taken to complete an assessment is reduced.

Q. When a CP1 is commissioned, it is noted that a core assessment would be requested to be submitted in 5 days. Would it be possible to submit the original format in this case, due to the time required to collect the information for a Core Assessment?

A. Lesley James, Assistant Manager, Children and Families, and June Gardiner Child Protection Co-ordinator are looking at streamlining the process and at present practitioners are to use the format as requested.

Q. Is the Core Assessment replacing the SBR for the reporters department in all cases as sometimes a Comprehensive Assessment has been commissioned but in the meantime the reporter requests an SBR?

A. Currently all SBR report requests from the Reporter have to be completed as Core Assessments. Much of this information can then be used in the Comprehensive Assessment.

Q. It has been noted that the information can change from when it is first recorded to the finished assessment being submitted due to waiting for other agencies collecting their information, can this be combated?

A. This can be alleviated by sitting down with all practitioners involved to complete the assessment triangle info., Analysis and Action Plan.

Q. When should an Action Plan be completed?

A. When the team are collating the information and analysing the assessment together the action plan should be formed from this. The analysis should identify any gaps and areas requiring work to meet the needs of the child.

Q. What is Section 6 being used for in South Ayrshire?
A. Section 6 of the comprehensive integrated assessment has been agreed to be used to record the amount of hours the assessment has taken to complete. This will then be analysed by the Evaluation Team.

Q. Often there is only 1 person identified in education establishments for IAF purposes and this is leading to delays in collecting information.

A. Every primary school is having the head teacher and or deputy head teacher trained, in most cases both. Secondary schools are having a range of staff trained including child protection co-ordinators, pupil support staff and guidance staff. Issues where schools have not been covered by training or seem to have a lack of staff trained are being highlighted to management through the Implementation Group, Management Group and Project Board.

Q. The review paperwork does not have the assessment triangle or wellbeing indicators - what do you do if the child's circumstances have changed significantly?

A. If significant changes have occurred then a new analysis should be carried out against the new circumstances and the chronology, family background etc. This information should be placed within the Significant Changes section of the review paperwork.

Q. Can guidance be sent out on the role of the Lead Professional?

A. Section 4 of the Training and Resource Pack gives this guidance.

Q. Can a letter be sent to Assessment Team members if they are not at the meeting which commissions a comprehensive assessment.

A. This should be covered in the minutes of the meeting but will be investigated further.

Q. What should go into a Chronology?

A. The guidance notes give a list of significant events for each agency. The event should state the outcome for the child ie not just that a meeting took place but what the outcome of the meeting was for the child.

Q. Is it appropriate to share information from a Comprehensive Assessment with GP's?

A. It would be seen as good practice that this information is shared. The GP should be involved with the process as the named nurse would be gathering health information from them therefore they should be aware that a comprehensive assessment had been commissioned.

Q. Should assessment information be shared with GP's?

A. It would be good practice that this information is shared where appropriate and the GP should be aware that a comprehensive assessment has been commissioned. The GP should be contributing to this assessment either directly or indirectly through the named nurse as the named nurse would be gathering health information.