Completion of the core assessment, within 35 working days, should include an analysis of the child’s developmental needs and the parents’ capacity to respond to those needs within the context of their family and environment. This analysis should include an understanding of the parents’ capacity to ensure that the child is safe from harm. It should include consideration of the information gathered about the family’s history and their present and past family functioning. It may be necessary to commission specialist assessments (for example, from child and adolescent mental health services, adult mental health or substance misuse services, or a specialist in domestic violence) which it may not be possible to complete within this time period. This should not delay the drawing together of the core assessment findings at this point. A core assessment is deemed complete once the assessment has been discussed with the child and family (or caregivers) and the team manager has viewed and authorised the assessment.
