Assessments

How to Write a Child and Family Assessment UK

January 2025•15 min read

What is a Child and Family Assessment?

A Child and Family Assessment (C&F) is the core assessment completed by children's social workers in England to determine a child's needs and whether statutory intervention is required. It replaced the previous two-tier system of Initial and Core Assessments following the Munro Review, creating a single assessment process that is proportionate to the child's circumstances.

The assessment uses the Assessment Framework triangle, examining three domains: the child's developmental needs, parenting capacity, and family and environmental factors. The goal is to understand the child's world holistically and determine what support or intervention is needed.

Legal Framework

The C&F Assessment is conducted under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989. Key statutory guidance includes:

  • Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023): Sets out the assessment process and timescales
  • Children Act 1989: Defines children in need and local authority duties
  • Assessment Framework: Provides the triangular model for assessment

Timescales

Assessments should be completed within a maximum of 45 working days from the point of referral. However, the assessment should take as long as is necessary to understand the child's needs - this might be shorter for straightforward cases or require the full 45 days for complex situations.

Key principle: The assessment timescale should be determined by the needs of the child, not arbitrary deadlines. A thorough 40-day assessment is better than a rushed 10-day assessment that misses crucial information.

The Assessment Framework Triangle

1. Child's Developmental Needs

  • Health: Physical, mental health, growth, development, disabilities
  • Education: Cognitive development, learning, achievements, attendance
  • Emotional and Behavioural Development: Feelings, behaviour, attachments, self-control
  • Identity: Self-image, sense of belonging, cultural identity
  • Family and Social Relationships: Relationships with family, peers, wider network
  • Social Presentation: Appearance, dress, hygiene, behaviour in social settings
  • Self-Care Skills: Practical, emotional, communication skills (age-appropriate)

2. Parenting Capacity

  • Basic Care: Meeting child's physical needs - food, warmth, shelter, hygiene, medical care
  • Ensuring Safety: Protecting from harm, danger, unsafe adults
  • Emotional Warmth: Meeting emotional needs, praise, encouragement, secure attachment
  • Stimulation: Promoting learning, cognitive development, social opportunities
  • Guidance and Boundaries: Enabling appropriate behaviour, discipline, values
  • Stability: Providing consistent, stable home environment

3. Family and Environmental Factors

  • Family History and Functioning: Relationships, family dynamics, extended family
  • Wider Family: Role of extended family, support networks
  • Housing: Appropriateness, safety, stability of accommodation
  • Employment: Work, income, impact on family
  • Income: Financial resources, poverty, debt
  • Family's Social Integration: Community connections, social networks
  • Community Resources: Services, facilities, neighbourhood

Assessment Structure

A well-structured C&F Assessment typically includes:

  1. Reason for Assessment: Referral information, presenting concerns
  2. Family Composition: Household members, significant others, genogram
  3. Child's Developmental Needs: Analysis across all seven dimensions
  4. Parenting Capacity: Analysis across all six dimensions
  5. Family and Environmental Factors: Analysis across all seven dimensions
  6. Chronology: Key events in family history
  7. Analysis: Synthesis of information, risk and protective factors
  8. Views: Child's views, parents' views, other professionals' views
  9. Conclusion and Recommendations: Findings and next steps

Gathering Information

A thorough assessment requires information from multiple sources:

  • Direct observation: Seeing the child at home, in school, with parents
  • Interviews: With parents, child (age-appropriate), family members
  • Professional consultation: School, health visitor, GP, police, other agencies
  • Records: Previous social work records, health records, school records
  • Specialist assessments: Where additional expertise is needed

Seeing the Child

The child must be seen and their voice must be central to the assessment:

  • See the child alone (age-appropriate) as well as with parents
  • Observe the child in different settings
  • Use age-appropriate tools to ascertain wishes and feelings
  • Consider non-verbal communication for younger children
  • Record the child's views directly, using their words

Remember: The child's voice should be evident throughout the assessment - not just in a single "child's views" section. Their perspective should inform your analysis of each domain.

Writing Effective Analysis

The analysis section is the heart of the assessment. Avoid simply describing what you found - instead, analyse what the information means for the child:

Good Analysis Includes:

  • Triangulation of information from different sources
  • Identification of patterns and themes
  • Assessment of risk and protective factors
  • Professional judgement about impact on the child
  • Consideration of historical information
  • Clear reasoning for conclusions

Example of Poor vs Good Analysis

Poor analysis: "Mother says she loves her children. The house was clean during visits. The children attend school regularly." Good analysis: "While Mrs Thompson demonstrates warmth towards her children during observed interactions, there is a concerning pattern of the children's needs being deprioritised when her mental health declines. During the assessment period, three incidents occurred where the children were left unsupervised for extended periods coinciding with Mrs Thompson's reported depressive episodes. School attendance has improved to 85% since our involvement began (compared to 68% the previous term), suggesting capacity for change when support is in place. However, Jake (7) has disclosed feeling 'worried about mummy' and taking on age-inappropriate caring responsibilities during these episodes. The key question is whether Mrs Thompson can maintain consistent parenting during periods of poor mental health, and what support would enable her to do this safely."

Risk and Protective Factors

Clearly identify and weigh up factors that increase or decrease risk:

Risk Factors (examples)

  • History of abuse or neglect
  • Parental substance misuse
  • Domestic abuse
  • Mental health difficulties (untreated/unmanaged)
  • Previous children removed
  • Social isolation
  • Non-engagement with services

Protective Factors (examples)

  • Secure attachment between child and carer
  • Supportive extended family network
  • Engagement with services
  • Recognition of concerns
  • Stable housing and income
  • Child's resilience and coping strategies
  • Strong school engagement

Recommendations and Outcomes

The assessment should reach one of the following conclusions:

  • No Further Action: Child is not in need, no concerns
  • Signpost to Universal Services: Low-level needs that can be met without statutory intervention
  • Early Help: Child would benefit from coordinated early help services
  • Child in Need (S17): Child meets CIN threshold, CIN plan required
  • Section 47 Enquiry: If significant harm concerns emerge during assessment
  • Child Protection: If assessment indicates ongoing risk of significant harm

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  • Description without analysis: Listing information without saying what it means
  • Missing the child: Assessment focused on parents, not the child's experience
  • Start again syndrome: Ignoring historical information and starting fresh
  • Over-optimism: Focusing on recent positive changes without considering patterns
  • Rule of optimism: Giving parents benefit of the doubt without evidence
  • Confirmation bias: Only seeing evidence that confirms initial view
  • Missing disguised compliance: Accepting surface engagement as genuine change

Quality Markers

A good C&F Assessment:

  • Is child-centred throughout
  • Contains the child's voice in their own words
  • Uses information from multiple sources
  • Considers family history and patterns
  • Contains clear analysis, not just description
  • Identifies risk and protective factors
  • Weighs up evidence to reach justified conclusions
  • Makes clear recommendations with rationale
  • Is written in accessible language

Document Assessments Efficiently

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Conclusion

A well-written Child and Family Assessment is the foundation for good decision-making about children's lives. By using the Assessment Framework systematically, gathering information from multiple sources, keeping the child at the centre, and providing clear analysis rather than description, you create an assessment that serves its purpose - understanding the child's world and determining what they need to thrive.

Remember: the assessment is not a tick-box exercise. It's a professional analysis of a child's circumstances that will inform decisions about their future. Take the time to do it well.