RCC 3.

6: Assessment and planning with children and

young people in residential childcare
Unit reference A/506/7828 Unit level 3
Credit value 3 Guided Learning 20
Unit aim This unit provides the knowledge and skills required to carry out
assessment and planning with children and young people in residential childcare.

1. Understand the purpose and principles of assessment and

planning with children and young people.

1.1. Describe the purpose of assessment and planning with children and
young people in residential childcare.

Assessment must be part of a cycle. The assessment must inform planning, the plan
must then be implemented, the implementation must then be reviewed, which may
lead to further assessment. Assessment on its own – for its own sake – will not
achieve effective change and support for children, young people and their families.

The purpose of assessment

Assessment may take place in a wide range of situations and for a variety of
purposes, for example:
 A teacher’s assessment of a child’s educational attainment at key stages of
the national curriculum, to determine future learning plans
 A paediatric assessment to ensure that a child has reached the appropriate
developmental milestones and to monitor progress.
 A Connexions personal adviser’s assessment of a young person’s strengths
and barriers to participation in learning to provide feedback and motivation.
 An educational psychologist’s assessment of a child or young person’s
special educational needs to identify their educational strengths and needs.
 A social worker’s assessment of a child’s home situation, to determine if they
are at risk of harm.

Each of these types of assessment has a clearly defined purpose and it is important
to note that the role and function of assessment may vary according to the context.

The purpose of effective assessment is:

 To gather information
 To identify strengths
 To identify needs
 To inform action

The purpose of planning:

Is to plan for the next steps in children’s development and learning. Much of this
needs to be done on the basis of what you have found out from your assessments.
There are three types of planning which are Long-term planning; medium-term
planning; and short-term planning. Long term planning provides a structure with
goals and aims. It also helps you to focus on the medium term planning. Medium
term planning usually outlines in some detail the overall programme for anything
from two to six weeks at a time. Medium-term planning informs or helps you focus on
short-term planning. Short-term planning involves setting out what is to be included
on a day-to-day basis (depending on the needs of the child) based on your
observations from the previous day. This enables much more focus on what specific
needs the child has, and how these will be met.

1.2. Explain why a child centred model of assessment and planning is used.

A child centred approach promotes the right of the child to make choices and to be
listened to. It meets “person centred care” which means you treat them as an
individual, promote their rights, choices and independence, privacy and dignity whilst
respecting them and their wishes. Child centred assessment and planning is a good
way to make sure that the child has the best possible chance to develop at their own
rate. All children and young people are different and have different needs.
Assessment can be defined as a systematic process of gathering a range of
information relating to a child, to help identify their strengths and needs, in order to
decide/plan on appropriate further action. Assessment can provide a baseline of
information against which a child or young person’s future development can be
measured.

In 1989, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child internationally recognised

children’s right to be involved in making decisions that affect them. This lead to UK
Every Child Matters (ECM) which is a UK government initiative for England and
Wales, which was launched in 2003. It is one of the most important policy initiative
which has been introduced and development programmes in relation to children and
children's services of the last decade. Every Child Matters covers children and young
adults up to the age of 19, or 24 for those with disabilities. Its main aims are for every
child, whatever their background or circumstances, to have the support they need to:
 stay safe
 be healthy
 enjoy and achieve
 make a positive contribution
 achieve economic well-being

1.3. Explain how assessment frameworks help to ensure holistic assessment.

Assessment forms a key part of providing person-centred care. Holistic assessment

serves to identify the child’s unmet needs, and highlights where other practitioners
need to be involved in order to address this. A child’s preferences and wishes
regarding both the type and location of care can also be elicited – helping them
remain in control and supporting dignity and choice.

One reason services can fail to meet an individual’s needs is that professionals may
not have adequately assessed his or her needs and preferences for care. Holistic
assessment addresses three main areas that impact children and young people’s
potential to achieve these outcomes:
• Be healthy
• Stay safe
• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic wellbeing

Some examples of holistic assessments are the

• Common Assessment Framework (CAF)
• Social services initial assessment (IA)

The CAF is a standardised approach to assessing children’s needs for services. It is

for children with additional needs, i.e., those at risk of poor outcomes. It has been
developed for practitioners in all agencies so that they can communicate and work
together more effectively. It is particularly suitable for use in universal services, so as
to tackle problems before they become serious.

An Initial Assessment is a brief assessment of each child referred to Social Services

to determine whether the child is a Child in Need of protection of additional services,
the nature of any services required, and whether a further, more detailed Core
Assessment should be undertaken. Where other assessments (e.g. a Common
Assessment (CAF) have been completed prior to referral, the Initial Assessment
should build on these.

1.4. Explain the legal requirements for recording assessment and planning
information.

All information collected must be gathered and stored as per the Data Protection Act.
This means data should
1. Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully and, in particular, shall
not be processed unless:
1. at least one of the conditions in Schedule 2 is met, and
2. in the case of sensitive personal data, at least one of the conditions in
Schedule 3 is also met.
2. Personal data shall be obtained only for one or more specified and lawful
purposes, and shall not be further processed in any manner incompatible with
that purpose or those purposes.
3. Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the
purpose or purposes for which they are processed.
4. Personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date.
5. Personal data processed for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for
longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes.
6. About the rights of individuals e.g.personal data shall be processed in
accordance with the rights of data subjects (individuals).
7. Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against
unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental
loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.
8. Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside
the European Economic Area unless that country or territory ensures an
adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects in
relation to the processing of personal data.

Also The Human Rights Act 1998 guarantees respect for a person's private and
family life, home and correspondence.
2. Understand how to place children and young people at the centre
of assessment and planning.

2.1. Explain how to use a child centred model of assessment and planning to
identify the needs of children and young people.

Child centred assessment and planning is a good way to make sure that the setting
is giving the child the best possible chance to develop at their own rate. This is done
by observation as it enables you to get to know the individuality of the child, ensuring
that they are well placed and able to plan and all of their individual needs are met.
The child centred model is person centred so takes into account the childs likes and
dislikes, their choices, age, abilities and stage of development, and allows you to set
individual goals for them which are appropriate.

The child centred model supports the child’s unique set of situational circumstances
and how it enables tailored support and specific sourcing of external service
providers to happen. A child centred model promotes a child's right to choice,
communication and to express themselves. Where children are actively encouraged
to take the lead this model would hope to see them flourish creatively as they
explore possibilities, make connections they feel are relevant to them and formalise
decisions that affect their lives in a positive way. It allows freedom for children
to think, experience, explore, question and search for answers. Practitioners take on
a new role in seeing how play develops, rather than directing play; children therefore
become more creative and enhance communication skills with one another. As with
A Gibbs reflective cycle assessment is part of a planning cycle.

2.2. Explain the importance of working with others when assessing and
planning for the needs of children and young people.

There will be many people involved in the childs life and it is important to work with
everyone involved when assessing and planning for the childs needs. Others may
include:
• children and young people
• families / carers
• foster carers
• residential workers
• social workers
• psychologists
• doctors
• support workers
• police
• youth justice
• speech and language therapists
• other agencies.

Integrated working ensures everyone combines their expertise, skills and knowledge
to ensure the best possible outcomes for the child. Children benefit from integrated
care and education centres have been shown to improve their behaviour, social skills
and learning. Children who gain most from an integrated service include those at risk
of neglect and abuse and those who attend such centres at an early age. Integrated
working is at the centre of making a real difference to the lives of children, young
people, and their families. It is a central part of the Every Child Matters agenda and
the One Children’s Workforce Framework. Sharing information is vital for early
intervention to ensure that children and young people get the services they require. It
is essential for safeguarding and protecting the welfare of individuals and for
providing effective and efficient services that are co-ordinated around the needs of
an individual or family. It is important that practitioners understand when, why and
how they should share information so that they can do so confidently and
appropriately as part of their day-to-day practice. Multi-agency working enables
different services to join forces in order to prevent problems occurring in the first
place. It is an effective way of supporting children, young people and families with
additional needs and helping to secure improved outcomes. There are a number of
different models of multi-agency working, including fully integrated services, multi-
agency teams, multi-agency panels, Teams Around the Child (TAC) and locality
teams.

2.3. Describe how to use methods of engagement to ensure the child is central
when assessing and planning with children and young people.

Participation and engagement are important at a number of levels. Children and

young people have insight into their needs and the right to influence their care, the
services they receive and the opportunities available to them. United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child:
Article 12 states that children have the right to participate in decision-making
processes that may be relevant in their lives and to influence decisions taken in their
regard.
Article 13: Children and young people have the right to get and to share information,
as long as the information is not damaging to them or others.
Article 17: Children and young people have the right to receive, seek and give
information.
Article 23: Disabled children and young people have the right to active participation
in their community.
Article 2: Requires all of the rights in the convention on the Rights of the Child to be
implemented for every child, without discrimination.

Children have a right to contribute to the assessment and planning which affects
their lives. Since the passing of the Children Act in 2004, there has been a growing
emphasis on services actively involving children, young people and parents/carers in
the commissioning, development and evaluation of services. Authorities have a
statutory obligation to ensure that their services for young people have accounted for
the opinion of the young person. Participation of the young person is therefore a
legal requirement.

Children and young people can be engaged in a variety of ways, based on what is
best suited to their age and level of development / maturity. In particular, play based
methodologies can be developed for involving younger children. It is important for
children and young people to be provided with the support needed to engage
effectively in the decision making process. By doing the following it will ensure the
child is central in the assessment and planning:
  Children and young people should be provided with the knowledge they need
to engage fully in decision making processes.
 Information should be easily understood, child friendly and produced in a
range of accessible formats to ensure this.

It is important to be transparent about the terms on which we are involving Children

and Young People. The following ‘participation ladder’ gives some idea of the range
of engagement options available:
 Support - Offering organisations advice and other support to deliver their own
agenda.
 Partnership - Different organisations deciding to work together in partnership
to carry out decisions or plans.
 Participation - Encouraging new idea and suggestions, opportunities for joint
decision-making.
 Consultation - Offering options for consideration and listening to opinions but
not seeking out new ideas.
 Market Research - Information gathering to help inform decision making.
 Communication - Telling people what we plan to do.
Children and young people have a right to provide their views and inform the
decision making process which will affect their life. Staff within children’s services
who make decisions which impact on the lives of individual children and young
people should ensure that the child or young person has a voice in the processes
that they are going through. Every person working with children, young people and
families should have the skills, time, resources and commitment to enable them to
ensure that the voice of the child is clearly visible and evidenced and should be
central to what we do.

2.4. Describe strategies for child centred assessment and planning with
children and young people who disengage from the process.

DISENGAGEMENT – Definition – the action or process of withdrawing from

involvement in an activity, situation, or group - Emotional detachment.

Children can become disengaged for many reasons such as when they are
unmotivated and are then unwilling to participate in the assessment and planning
process. They can be disengaged because of their home life, socio-economic,
cultural, religious, health, trauma or personal relationships. Early signs of
disengagement need to be recognised so that potential risk to children can be
assessed. Examples of disengagement include parental refusal for the child/ren to
be assessed, or failure to attend or be available for pre-arranged appointments. It is
recognised that disengagement is a strong feature in domestic abuse, serious
neglect and physical abuse in children and families

Engagement is a two way process, considering the needs of the child / young
person, the parents / carers capacity, the environmental context of the family.
(Working Together 2015)

Behaviours of disengagement are usually cumulative and may include:-

 Disregarding health appointments

  Not completing health questionnaires
 Not having a GP
 Not being home for professional visit
 Not allowing professionals into the home
 Agreeing to take action but never do it
 Hostile behaviour towards professionals
 Manipulative behaviour resulting in no health care
 Actively avoiding contact with professionals

In order to safeguard and protect the welfare of children and young people,
professionals should be aware of the risks and damaging impact disengagement
from health care can pose. Actions which could be taken could be:

 Where possible, speak with parents/ carer or young person to ascertain their
understanding of the situation.
 Health staff should try every method known to engage the family with health
care.
 The use of a chronology of significant events can help to identify
disengagement
 In cases where disengagement is conclusive refer to children’s Social Care
and continue to work with the multidisciplinary team to gain access to support
the child.
 In emergency situations health staff should contact the Police to gain access
to the child to enable an assessment to be carried out (Safe and Well Check).

3. Be able to participate in assessment and planning for children

and young people.

3.1. Explain the boundaries of own role and responsibilities within assessment
and planning.

The 2013 Working together guidance for England lists some of the following as
features of a high quality assessment:
 They are child-centred and informed by the views of the child
 Decisions are made in the best interests of the child
 They are rooted in child development and informed by evidence
 They build on strengths as well as identifying difficulties
 They ensure equality of opportunity and a respect for diversity including family
structures, culture, religion and ethnic origin
 And they are a continuing process, not a single event (HM government,
2013).

Look at your own role and responsibilities as stated in your job description and say
how you contribute to assessment planning and review. This could include things
such as:
 Defining any specific requirements the child may have
 Preferred communication methods and language
 Any special needs in respect of care and support
  identifying environments, objects, situations and the behaviour of others that
stimulate and interest or that cause fear and adverse reactions in the child or
young person
 engage with the child or young person to identify parts of the plan which they
feel need changing, changes to their preferences and needs and changes in
the needs and circumstances of key people which could affect the plan and its
implementation
 provide feedback to the appropriate people on the strengths and limitations of
the plan in meeting the assessed and changing
 contribute to meetings and discussions about revisions to the care
or support plan and its implementation

3.2. Engage with children or young people to enable them to express their
needs, views and aspirations in the assessment and planning process.

This will be completed by observation carried out by your assessor

All children and young people are different and have different needs. Similarly, a
family’s ability to respond to and meet all their needs may also differ. In some
circumstances, professional assessment may be required to identify strengths and
needs, to ensure that all children, young people and their families receive
appropriate support. Assessment can be defined as a systematic process of
gathering a range of information relating to a child, to help identify their strengths and
needs, in order to decide on appropriate further action (or to confirm that no
additional help is required). Assessment can provide a baseline of information
against which a child or young person’s future development can be measured. The
information may be gathered from a wide range of sources.

 Make sure the child feel comfortable in the setting/surroundings.

 Use play to encourage the child to participate
 Allow the child to be involved in setting ground rules
 Written contributions, such as pictures, likes and dislikes, interests etc

Observing the child is vital. Because each child has a unique set of abilities and
talents, observations in different situations capture these first hand. The starting
point is always with the child. Observing what children choose to do, what their
interests are and who and what resources they enjoy playing with, will provide you
with reliable information about children as individuals.

3.3. Use and adapt assessment frameworks to ensure the assessment is full,
accurate and child centred.

Assessments should be appropriate and proportionate. The assessment process

must be flexible and should be adapted to best fit with the child or young person’s
needs, wishes and goals. Assessment will not be the same for all and depending on
the circumstances, it could range from an initial contact which helps a child or young
person with lower needs to access support in their local community, to a more
intensive, ongoing process which requires the input of a number of professionals
over a longer period of time. Assessments may be combined – where the needs of
more than one person align – or be joint when different agencies are involved.
The Common Assessment Framework has many benefits. It enables a range of
professionals to form a shared understanding about a child and their family’s needs
and how best to meet them. There are a number of specific benefits associated with
CAF:
 It creates a single record of the child/young person and of the action being
undertaken to support them. 
 Duplication, repetition and confusion is avoided
 Plans adjusted to meet changing needs through regular reviews
 It provides children, young people and families with a flexible statutory
assessment, a single plan and a single point of contact
 There is no overlap between services and families only have to ‘tell their story
once.’
 Needs are considered holistically i.e. From a broad range of perspectives
rather than from the focus of any one agency or need
 It facilitates a more complete picture of the child/young person and their family
through shared information
 It easier for practitioners to agree which services are required
 To co-ordinate delivery with other services, monitor progress and decide at
what point a more specialist assessment is required
 The e-CAF system ensures that information is stored and shared
appropriately (i.e. With consent) and securely between agencies and
practitioners;
 Progress is continually monitored and adapted to needs
 It can help identify unmet needs and be used to inform strategic forward
planning and commissioning.

3.4. Work with the child or young person to agree goals and targets.

The first thing to do is to ensure the child or young person has any relevant
communication support they need so they are able to express themselves. By
spending time with a child or young person and talking to them you can discuss and
establish their goals and targets. These should be what the child wants to achieve.
By using them as a base at which to start you can determine the specific things the
child needs to reach their goals. This will lead you to the objectives, which are the
steps that need to be taken to reach those goals. Objectives should be measurable
and attainable. Objectives are important because they clarify the tasks to be done
and provide a means of tracking an intervention’s progress. Once the goals and
targets are established you can look at any possible risks involved and find solutions
together. This allows any barriers that would otherwise prevent a child from
organising and fulfilling their aspiration/goal/target are removed. A child’s goals and
targets should:
 Be appropriate and specific
 Realistic
 Achievable but challenging
 Reflect their age and stage of development
 Take into account resources and time available
3.5. Explain how the goals and targets identified will support the achievement
of positive outcomes.

The 5 positive outcomes of “every child matters” are:

 stay safe,
 be healthy,
 enjoy & achieve,
 make a positive contribution
 achieve economic wellbeing.

As a practitioner this is what you should be striving for. When children set their own
goals and targets and are encouraged to talk about them with others, they can
ensure that they remain safe and healthy i.e. that risks have been looked at and
minimised, that they enjoy the activity and achieve whatever goal was identified.
When you support a child or young person they can develop and implement a
personal action plan for realising their goals based on a holistic assessment of their
needs. It is important to refer to the goals and targets regularly and progress
monitored. By celebrating and recognising the child’s achievements and successes
will build their confidence and self-esteem. When a child makes their own plans they
are making positive contributions to their own lives. This also contributes to their
confidence, self-esteem, self-identity and makes them feel valued. It will encourage
the child to have a positive attitude, be more independent, think creatively, be flexible
and also take some risks to reach their goals and targets, all of which will help them
develop the skills needed to achieve economic wellbeing, in the world of work.

3.6. Work with the child or young person and others to develop a plan to meet
assessed needs and work towards positive outcomes.

As previously stated once the child has defined their goals and targets, you need to
support them to devise and agree an action plan. This may include things such as:
 ensuring the plan is age and stage appropriate
 The child is involved in the plan and take ownership of it.
 Identify what support they need
 People who can support them e.g. their family, carers, residential and social
workers, psychologists, doctors, teachers etc. depending on what their goals
and targets are
 Clear instructions
 Timescales
 Costs involved
 Review dates

3.7. Confirm that the child or young person and others understand and agree
to the plan.

It is no good setting targets and goals for a child or young person because they are
unlikely to achieve them if they have not participated in identifying the goals and
targets for themselves. Once the goals, targets and action plan have been discussed
and made, it is important that all those involved agree to the plan.
4. Be able to work with children and young people as a plan is
implemented.

4.1. Support the child or young person and others to understand their roles
and responsibilities in implementing an agreed plan.

A child, young person and others should be provided with clear information about the
roles and responsibilities of all those involved in the plan. To do this you must use:
 clear communication and instructions,
 using language that is appropriate to age and stage of development of child or
young person,
 use of one-to-one meetings or group sessions

You need to agree with the child or young person and others:
 how goals and targets will be measured:
 the timescales,
 how frequently they will be monitored,
 how results will be recorded,
 what happens when a goal or target is accomplished

Everyone involved in the plan should meet and each person’s role and responsibility
can be discussed. This ensures everyone is clear as to what their part in the plan is.

4.2. Encourage the child or young person to work towards the achievement of
a plan.

How a positive approach is used to encourage children or young people

to work towards the achievement of goals and targets:
 give children or young people sense of control and choice as appropriate;
 encourage participation in decision making;
 discuss targets for work or behaviour;
 give constructive feedback;
 focus on strengths and progress rather than weaknesses

Other areas that will support the child to succeed are if you:
 build positive relationships with individual children and young people and
understand the importance of this in their lives
 encourage and support children and young people to take responsibility for
their own progress and plan their own next steps
 be an open and accessible source of information and support, provided
confidentially, and ensure children and young people know they are willing to
listen
 be able to identify needs and concerns regarding children's and young
people's welfare and personal development,
 understand the role of other agencies and have the ability to support children
and young people to seek or accept their help
 be able to communicate effectively with parents and other professionals, with
and on behalf of the child or young person, sharing information on progress
as well as problem solving
  be accountable for the identification of children's and young people's needs,
and subsequent responses and actions, in partnership with others as
required.

4.3. Agree ways of recording progress towards goals and targets with the child
or young person and in line with organisational requirements.

When you are implementing the plan agreeing with the child or young person how
you are going to record their progress towards goals and targets should be
discussed. When doing this it is good practice to have a collaborative approach and
to take into account the views and ideas of the child. By having regular meetings the
plan and the child’s progress can be monitored and you will be able to give the child
constructive feedback. This could be in respect of what they have done well and
what is not going so well. This will give the child vital information on their progress
and how well the plan is progressing. Recording the progress needs to be done in a
clear and acceptable way for all concerned. The records can be used to visually see
the progress made over a period of time and can form a baseline for evaluation.

By recognising the practitioner’s role in making judgements about the children’s

progress and in deciding how much record keeping is necessary we enhance the
professionalism of practitioners.

4.4. Record progress of a child or young person in relation to a plan.

Your assessor will want to see copies of records kept here.

Progress Record is a recording tool and is used to assess and monitor the
developmental progress of a child/young person who is in public care and to inform
the child's plan. Its purpose is to support social workers in recording and analysing
information. The Progress Record should be used to inform a child/young person's
review and assist in evaluating the impact of actions and services and identifying
further actions. Your records should contain an accurate and comprehensive record
of any meeting, or meetings, which constituted the views of all those who attended or
were consulted as part of the process. The record should also reflect the view of
people or professionals that made a contribution but were not present.

Records should be informative, clear, concise, accurate, factual information, with

dates and times, people’s names, signed and dated and confidentiality should be
maintained. They must also show a clear indication that child or young person’s view
has been taken into account. All records must be securely stored in line with your
workplace policies and procedures.

5. Be able to work with children and young people to review and

update plans.

5.1. Explain the importance of reviewing and updating plans.

Assessment must be part of a cycle. The assessment must inform planning, the plan
must then be implemented, the implementation must then be reviewed, which may
lead to further assessment. Assessment on its own – for its own sake – will not
achieve effective change and support for children, young people and their families.

Carrying out a review can provide updates and information to inform changes
needed and lead to amendments of the action plan: This can be done by identifying
and celebrating achievements, dealing with perceived failures, and enabling children
and young people to identify any changes in needs and aspirations, and inform
amendments to the action plan. The importance of this is that the plan must remain
up to date so progress made by the child or young people must be monitored to
ensure it remains effective and safe.

The child’s or young person’s plan should be reviewed at a time agreed at the start.
No child or young person should have to experience unnecessary reviews. Reviews
should be held as often as necessary, taking account of the risks in each case.
When things are unstable for a child or young person, or when a number of agencies
are being very active in supporting his or her needs, the plan is likely to be reviewed
or renewed frequently.

5.2. Work with the child or young person and others to review progress
towards goals and targets.

At review, the practitioner discusses with the child or young person whether and to
what extent they have achieved the relevant outcomes. The review should include
discussion of all outcomes, not just those identified in the plan. This allows both for
identification of new issues and recognises the impact of any support on multiple
outcomes.

It is important to support the child or young person to contribute to reviewing their

achievements towards their goals and targets. By encouraging the child to reflect on
their progress and to use self-evaluation can give you insight into what is working
well in the plan and what is not working so well. The plan may be too ambitious or
not ambitious enough and reviews are a tool for renegotiating targets and goals. The
review is also a time to congratulate the child or young person on their achievements
or to discuss their lack of progress with the plan. It may be a time to introduce
rewards or sanctions if necessary.

5.3. Identify aspects of the plan that are working well and those that need to be
revised.

An outcomes focused plan provides a good basis for tracking progress over time, as
long as the plan is reviewed. This can be motivational for everyone involved. It can
also identify a lack of progress and promote consideration of what needs to change.
For the individual, achievements which fall short of hard measures can be
recognised in addition to more traditional output type goals, i.e. improved confidence
can be recognised as a step towards achieving employment.

Reviews should detail:

 How well the child or young person is doing – a review of progress measured
against agreed targets and goals.
  New information or change of circumstances – to include changes in living
circumstances, schools, new incidents or concerns.
 A summary of contacts with the child and family – this should include contacts
or appointments, both kept and missed, with the child or young person/ their
parents/carer.
 Has everyone done what they set out to do? – accounting for any changes to
the agreed actions.
 Have these actions had the desired effect? – recording the actions that have
had an impact on progress or outcomes (positive and negative) and those that
appear to have had no impact.
 Is there a need for further action? – identifying the current level of needs and
risks and what else, if anything, needs to be done and who should do it.
 The child’s or young person’s views (and those of their parents or carers)
about any part or all of the plan and review.

5.4. Use outcomes of review to update plan.

A key benefit of recording outcomes is clarity of purpose. The review should be

recorded and details of what is going to happen and why. This means starting by
identifying the desired outcome, and working backwards to consider the who, what,
when and whereby doing this and sharing documentation with individuals, can flush
out mistaken assumptions about the purpose of involvement. There should be space
to record differences of opinion and the record can be used as a negotiating tool
over time. It may be that the child agrees with the overall plan but wishing specific
areas of disagreement to be noted.

5.5. Agree the updated plan with the child or young person and others
involved.

Any updates made to the plan need to have been discussed and agreed with
everyone concerned.

Everyone should be clear about the details of the plan, they should be clear what
needs to change and what is expected of them as part of the plan for safeguarding
and promoting the child’s welfare. A copy of the plan should be given to the child or
young person, so that they are clear about their own role and responsibilities as well
as the roles and responsibilities of others. The child’s copy should be written in a
format appropriate to the child’s age and understanding.

6. Be able to contribute to assessment led by other professionals.

6.1. Explain own role and the roles of others in the external assessment
process.

The keyworker is the specified residential child care worker who is initially
responsible for establishing a relationship with the newly arrived child and creating
an attachment with the youngster in order that he or she can begin to feel safe in the
home. A keyworker is usually, though not always, appointed for each new child
before the child is admitted to the children’s home. This allows time to prepare for
the admission to be made in order that the unique needs of the youngster are
considered prior to admission. As well as being responsible for the fundamental task
of developing a helpful, caring attachment relationship with a child during his or her
stay at the home, the keyworker is also responsible for assuring the consistency and
continuity of the care the children’s home provides the child. In doing this the
keyworker also has a role in ensuring the involvement of the young person, his
family, his school and other community agencies such as the health services in order
that the goals of the child’s care plan can be achieved. The keyworker carries out
these tasks with the support of her colleagues and with supervision from her
designated senior practitioner or her line manager.  In addition to this keyworker
works in partnership with the young person’s social worker.

The Lead Social Worker will always be a suitably qualified and experienced social
worker from within the Children’s Social Care Services. Each child with a Child
Protection Plan must have a Lead Social Worker. The Lead Social Worker is the
lead professional in co-ordinating the multi-agency work under the child protection
plan.  The specific responsibilities of the Lead Social Worker are:

 To promote good communication between agencies and with the family.

 To draft the practical and detailed proposals for the Child Protection Plan
 The frequency of contact will be stipulated in the Child Protection Plan but
must never exceed intervals of more than 4 weeks. This must include seeing
the child alone or a baby when awake at least every 4 weeks between each
Child Protection Conference.
 To take lead responsibility for monitoring the progress of the Child Protection
Plan and alert their manager where the Plan cannot be progressed and it is
necessary to consider alternative action
 To convene, co-ordinate and record the Core Group meetings, their
frequency, send invitations and make members of the group aware of meeting
dates
 To take lead responsibility for ensuring that the child's assessment is
completed and that any specialist assessment identified as necessary is
commissioned.
 To prepare the assessment report of the Core Group for the Child Protection
Review Conference

Social Services
 To provide support and take action to protect vulnerable children or young
people
 Responsible for co-ordinating and implementing an inter-agency child
protection plan to safeguard children
 Act as a principle point of contact
 Responsible for co-ordinating the assessment of the child or young person’s
needs, the parent’s capacity to keep the child safe and the wider family
circumstances

Psychologist
 Review, gather and evaluate situations as to why, how, when the child or
young person became at risk/harmed/abused
  Counselling
 Provide psychological evaluations on both the child and parent/carers
 Recommendations for other services that would help create a safe
environment for the child or young person

GP’s
 Share information with social services when enquiries are being made
 Attend child protection conferences and make available relevant information
about a child and its family
 Know when and how to refer a child/young person to social services when
they are concerned about abuse, neglect or its likelihood

HEALTH VISITORS
 Monitor children’s development and identify if there is a reason for a child
failing to thrive

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

 mental health service may be asked to contribute to investigations to advise
on the effects of a parent’s illness or the risks created by a child’s illness
 Attend and submit written reports to child protection case conferences
 Assess and/or treat children or young people in families where abuse had
occurred and there may be a conflict between the needs of the child/young
person and the parent

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
 identify children/young people who are suffering, or likely to suffer, significant
harm
 Have a child protection policy that sets out the procedures that should be
followed whenever there are concerns about a child/young person
 Refer any concerns to the designated child protection officer within their
setting, who in turn would report to social services where necessary
 Assist and liaise with social services by referring concerns and providing
information which will contribute to child protection investigations

Others who may be involved in the external assessment process could include the
police and NSPCC

6.2. Respond to requests for information to support the assessment in line

with organisational requirements.

The Key Worker will provide written reports, for review meetings, on the progress of
the child or young person. This will support the child’s care plan and ensure all
colleagues are aware of any changes etc. The key worker will also collate
information, together with the child or young person’s input, information relevant for
meetings concerning assessment. Regular communication, progress reports, and
changes in circumstances, will be communicated to the child or young person’s
social worker as these will affect the care plan.
Confidentiality must of course be maintained at all times and in line with the Data
Protection Act and only shared with others on a need to know basis.
6.3. Support the child or young person to understand and contribute to
external assessment.

Your role is to support the child or young person to understand and contribute to
external assessment. You must ensure that the assessment and any communication
is in a format the child can understand. It is also your role to be advocate for the child
and speak on their behalf where necessary.