Core Assessment and the Section 47 Enquiry

 A core assessment is undertaken:

• When an initial assessment recommends that a further complex assessment is required
• When a strategy discussion/meeting initiates a s.47 enquiry
• When new information obtained on an open case indicates a core assessment should be undertaken

 The core assessment is the means by which a Section 47 enquiry is carried out. While Children’s Social Care have the lead responsibility in carrying out this assessment, other statutory agencies have clear legal duties under s11 of the Children Act 2004 and s175 of the Education Act 2002 to provide help and assistance where required and are essential partners in completing a full and comprehensive assessment.

The core assessment should:

• Focus initially on the information identified during the initial assessment as being of most importance or seriousness when considering whether the child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm.
• Cover all relevant dimensions in the Assessment Framework before its completion.
• Include an analysis of the child’s needs, including their need to be kept safe from harm, and the parent’s capacity to respond to those needs within the context of their family and environment using all available current and historical information about the family.



In analysing the information the key questions to ask are:

• What will the child’s future be like if nothing changes?
• What are the consequences for the child of failing to meet their needs?
• What needs to change to prevent the child suffering harm?
• How can the necessary changes be made and sustained?

The timescale for completion of core assessments is within 35 working days of the strategy discussion decision to initiate Section 47 enquiries. If there is to be an initial child protection conference, this must take place within 15 working days of the strategy discussion/meeting decision to initiate Section 47 enquiries. It follows therefore that the core assessment may not be fully completed by the time of the initial child protection conference.

This should not delay the drawing together of the core assessment findings at this point.

 The full completion of the core assessment which may involve commissioning specialist assessments should be included as an action within future planning for the child.

 A core assessment is deemed to be completed when it has been discussed with the child and family and has been viewed and authorised by a manager.

When joint enquiries take place, Children’s Social Care retains the lead for the Section 47 enquiries and the child’s welfare, but the police have the lead for the criminal investigation.

Ref:

Working Together 2010 Chapter 5 Para 5.62 – 5.69

Working Together 2010 Chapter 5 Para 5.120 – 5.121

Good Practice Guidance:-

Initial/Core Assessment

The framework used for collecting, drawing together, and analysing available information for the initial/core assessment is the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. The assessment will address the following questions:

• What are the needs of the child?
• Are the parents able to respond appropriately to those needs?
• Are there wider family and environmental factors that impact on the child’s welfare and development, or the parents’ capacity to meet the child’s needs?
• Are there adequate support networks for the child and family?
• What are the relationships between strengths and protective factors and vulnerabilities and risk factors and does any imbalance constitute significant harm?
• Is the child being adequately safeguarded from significant harm, and are the parents able to promote the child’s health and development
• Is action required to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child?
• What is the likelihood and capacity for any change/improvement needed to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child?
• What are the child’s views about their safety and welfare?

Completing an initial/core assessment  involves:

• considering the information in the context of the domains and dimensions of the Assessment Framework;
• seeing and speaking to the child, on their own where possible, and according to their age and understanding;
• seeing and speaking to family members, as appropriate;
• discussions with the police if there are concerns that a crime may have been committed against a child;
• obtaining relevant information from professionals and others in contact with the child and the family;
• considering the impact of any parental domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse or learning disability;
• drawing together and analysing available information from a range of sources, including a common assessment, existing records and historical information about the family’s history and functioning;
• ensuring the child has adequate day care within the family or elsewhere, including alerting the education welfare services of any case where a child of school age is not attending school;
• identifying strengths as well as difficulties;
• consideration of interventions to address any unmet needs.

If the child and family have spent time abroad, it will be necessary to seek information from relevant services. Professionals from agencies such as Health, Children’s Social Care or the Police should request information from their equivalent agencies in the countries in which the child has lived. Advice on who to contact is available via the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (0207 008 1500) or the appropriate Embassy or Consulate based in London (see the FCO web site – www.fco.gov.uk). International Social Services can also help with communication and information sharing between agencies; they can be FAXED on 0207 582 0696 or emailed at: issuk@charity.vfree.com.

If the child has lived abroad as part of a service family in the Armed Forces (see Children Whose Parents are in the Armed Services)

Initial discussions with the child should take place in a way that minimises distress to them and maximises the likelihood that they will provide accurate and complete information. When a criminal offence may have been committed against a child, the timing and handling of interviews with victims, their families, and witnesses can have important implications for the collection and preservation of evidence. Leading or suggestive questions must be avoided.

Communications with both the child and their family must be sensitive to needs arising from gender, race, culture and disability. Interviews must be undertaken in their preferred language if this is not English, and appropriate support must be given where disabled children or parents have additional needs e.g.  using non-verbal communication methods.