CHILD'S ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR ADOPTION
Introductory notes - these notes do not form a part of the Child’s Assessment Report
Content
The Child’s Assessment Report for Adoption is the replacement to the current form E. It is referred to specifically in the Adoption and Children Act 2002 Statutory Guidance. The Child’s Assessment Report for Adoption must capture all of the information specified in Parts 1 and 3 of Schedule 1 of the Adoption Act Regulations 2005. This sets out the information about a child, his or her parents an wider family that must be sent to the Adoption Panel.
This report has been developed in an ICS exemplar format to show how the information required for a Child’s Assessment Report for Adoption could be drawn together and presented using information already recorded within the ICS. The information is taken mainly from the Referral and Information Record the Placement Information Record and the Adoption Plan. Information that is not available from the ICS has been highlighted in yellow. Where a particular section is not available the section heading (in capitals) has been highlighted.
Because children will have been looked after for different periods of time it has been not been possible to draw information directly from either the Core Assessment or the Assessment and Progress Record as this would require a different Child’s Permanence Report format for children looked after for less than or more (Core Assessment) than 10 months (Assessment and Progress Record). However, within an IT system it should be possible for information to be called forward from the summary sections of these records.
Structure
The information has been structured in four parts:
· Part One contains a summary and analysis of the child’s needs, personality and interests and placement needs first.
· Part Two sets out in more detail the child’s needs in relation to the seven dimensions used in the ICS. As the child in this case is under 5, emotional and behavioural development also includes aspects of self care and Identity is combined with Social Presentation. Details of the child’s relationships with parents, siblings, wider family and other significant adults and current and future contact are contained within the Family and Social Relationships section.
· Part Three contains further details of the child’s parents, siblings, wider family and other significant adults
· Part Four sets out the plan, timetable and the views
Size
The size of the record is dictated by the content required in the Regulations. However, it should be born in mind that the size of this Child Placement Record exemplar is illustrative and the use of drop down boxes available in records produced through IT will reduce the overall size.
Comments should be emailed to: and
CHILD'S ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR ADOPTION
Family name ______Given names ______
Date of Birth (dd/mm/yyyy)
PICTURE OR SCANNED IMAGE OF THE CHILD
Physical DescriptionName and address of the social worker for the child:
Name:
CSSR:
Address: /
Postcode Telephone
emailPlease record the name of the link worker for interagency placement:
Name:
Telephone Fax
Date form first completed Name of worker who completed record______
(dd/mm/yyyy)
Date updated Name of worker who updated record ______
Date updated Name of worker who updated record ______
Date updated Name of worker who updated record ______
Completing a Child’s Assessment Report for Adoption
‘Not all children, though, are able to live with their birth parents. A range of different circumstances may apply that render this impossible….But whatever the reason, the needs and merits of such children are no different to children in birth families. Their needs and desires are exactly the same. Children unable to live with their birth parents still need a stable and loving family to provide them with the security and love through childhood that they both require and deserve’ (Adoption a new approach, Cn507, p6).
It is important that children who are unable to live with their birth parents in the long term, for whatever reason, are placed with carers that can provide them with a safe, stable and loving environment for the rest of their childhood. To achieve this it is essential that the child and carers are carefully matched, to ensure that the child’s needs are balanced by the carer’s strengths.
The Completing a Child’s Assessment Report for Adoption is intended to present one half of the picture. It provides a framework for recording an up to date assessment of the child’s needs and analysing this information to identify what the child would need from any potential carer. The Child’s Assessment Report for Adoption uses the dimensions of a child’s development used in the Integrated Children’s System. It uses information from across the System to build up an accurate picture of the child’s needs, which the social worker for the child can use, in consultation with family members, carers and other professionals, to identify the child’s needs for each dimension of their development. A key source of information for the Child’s Assessment Report for Adoption is the Assessment and Progress Record and where a record has not been completed prior to commencing a Child’s Permanence Report one should be completed as part of this process.
The Child’s Assessment Report for Adoption is an aid to professional social work practice and its completion is the responsibility of the child’s social worker. However, it is expected that the social worker will consult with all those who have direct knowledge of the child or young person to develop a clear understanding of their placement needs. This should always include the child, in accordance with their age and understanding, birth parents, carers, other significant adults and those other professionals working closely with the child. Evidence should be given for the conclusions the social worker has reached.
It is important to emphasise that the completion and use of the Child’s Assessment Report for Adoption should never be approached as a simple mechanistic exercise. It is not simply a matter of ensuring that all sections are completed. The completed Child’s Assessment Report for Adoption should provide the social worker and all those involved in making decisions about the child’s future placements with a clear picture of what the child will need from any placement and the evidence that supports the identification of these needs.
Those involved in the completion of this record:
Name / Relationship to child/young person or designation / DatesBirth Mother
Birth Father
Carers
Part One
Summary and analysis of the child’s placement needs
Having analysed all of the child’s needs this section should identify what a placement should offer to meet the child’s needs in each dimension of their development. It should also identify any post-adoption support the child may require.
SUMMARY OF CHILD’S NEEDS
This section should consider what the child will need from carers to meet their health needs. It should consider both existing and where known, for example in the case of some disabled children, any future health needs the child may have.This section should, based on the child’s background and current needs, identify the type of environment that the child will need to enable them to reach their educational potential.
In identifying the kind of care the child will need to support their emotional and behavioural development, this section should consider: the child’s temperament and behaviour; the extent of changes that the child has experienced and how they have responded to these; the kind of parenting approaches that the child has received and how they have responded to them. / HEALTH
EDUCATION
EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL DEVELOPMENT AND SELF CARE SKILLS
Identity is not simply concerned with the child’s culture and ethnicity. Identity is concerned with the child’s sense of themselves as an individual with value.
This section should consider the child’s current view of themselves and their abilities, taking account of their race, religion, gender culture and any disability along with the impact of their experiences to highlight what the child would need to develop or maintain a positive image of themselves within their family, community and wider society.
This section should consider the child’s ability to develop relationships with new carers, peers and how any contact the child may have with birth family and other significant adults. It should identify what the child will need from carers to develop effective relationships and to maintain the level of contact with birth family. / IDENTITY AND SOCIAL PRESENTATION
FAMILY AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
DESCRIPTION OF THE CHILD’S PERSONALITY AND INTERESTS
DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITY AND WHY THE PLAN FOR ADOPTION IS IN THE CHILD’S BEST INTERESTS
KEY CHARACTERISTICS THAT PROSPECTIVE CARERS MAY REQUIRE TO MEET THIS CHILD’S NEEDS
Part Two
The Child’s Needs
CHILD/YOUNG PERSON’S DETAILS
(please place “X” in box applicable) /
BASIC DETAILS
Family name ______Given names ______
Known as(including nicknames):______Place of birth______Date of Birth: Gender: Male Female
(dd/mm/yyyy)Child/young person’s first language or preferred means of communication
Is an interpreter/signer required? Yes No Nationality______
ETHNICITY AND RELIGION
The child’s parents should be asked which ethnic group the child belongs to.
In some circumstances, local authorities may wish to record more specific information about a child’s ethnicity to assist in service provision. This should be recorded at Further details regarding.
Child’s Religion refers to the child’s religion at birth / Black or
Black British / Asian or
Asian British /
White
/ Mixed / Other Ethnic GroupsCaribbean / Indian / White British / White &
Black Caribbean / Chinese
African / Pakistani / White Irish / White &
Black African / Any other
ethnic group
Any other
Black
background / Bangladeshi / Any
White
background / White & Asian / Not given
Any other
Asian
background / Any other
Mixed
background / If other, please specify:
______
Further details regarding child/young person’s ethnicity ______
Child/young person’s religion______
Details of baptism, confirmation or equivalent ceremonies______
______
What religion, if any, does the child practice______
PLACEMENT DETAILS AND LEGAL STATUS
This is the child’s usual or home address.Type of placement may include foster placement, residential placement,.
Where a child is placed in any type of residential unit the name of the key worker and unit manager should be recorded. / Address
Postcode Tel.
Current address if different from above:
Postcode Tel.
Type of placement:______
Legal status: Accommodated Care Order Other Please specify______
If a court order is in place in respect of the child please provide details of :Court address______Date of order
Has the child/young person any rights or interest in property? Yes No
Has the child any claim to damages under the fatal accidents Act 1976? Yes No
If the answer is yes to either of these questions please provide details below:
Name of foster carers/key worker/relatives or friends providing accommodation / Relationship to child/young person (if any) / Parental Responsibility
Yes No
Yes No
CHONOLOGY OF CHILD/YOUNG PERSON’S CARE SINCE BIRTH
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AND CHANGES IN CHILD/YOUNG PERSON’S BIRTH FAMILY AND WIDER SOCIAL NETWORKS
Significant events include: changes in family composition, in the address where the child lived. /Date (dd/mm/yyyy)
/ Type of event or change /Details
/ Reason for change / Impact on child/young person:to be completed by social worker
PLACEMENT HISTORY FOR LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN
Date(s) (dd/mm/yyyy)
/ Type ofcare event:
e.g. new episode
or episode ceased /
Reason for care event: e.g. reason for becoming or ceasing to be looked after, change in placement
/ Type of Placement Code / Name& Address / Un -authorised absence from placement for longer than 24 hours / Impact on child/young person: to be completed by social worker
HEALTH
SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS OF CHILD’S HEALTH NEEDS
This section should include a summary of the child’s health needs. It should take account of the history of the child’s development in this area and identify any specific needs that the placement for the child would have to meet.A detailed medical should be arranged when adoption has been identified as a possible option for the child.
The detailed medical should be completed by the Agency’s medical adviser who should present the report to the Adoption Panel / Past
Present
Future
EDUCATION
EDUCATION HISTORY
Educational events would include change of nursery or child minder and whether the child is subject to, or has been referred for a statement of special educational needs under the Education Act 1996. Details of the child’s special educational needs should be included in the Summary and Analysis of Current Education Needs /Date
(dd/mm/yyyy) / Type of Event / Further Details (including address of educational establishment or details of SEN statement) / Reason for change / Significance for or impact on child/young personName and address of pre-school
nursery/ school/college or other
educational provision: /
Postcode Telephone
Key contact i.e. Head Teacher,Form Tutor.
Does the child/young person have a Personal Education Plan? Yes No
Check box if completed and attached
If not, when will it be completed:
(dd/mm/yyyy)
SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS OF THE CHILD’S EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
This section should include a summary of the child’s educational needs. It should take account of the history of the child’s development in this area and identify any specific needs that the placement for the child would have to meet. / PastPresent
Future
EMOTIONAL and BEHAVIOURAL DEVELOPMENT and SELF CARE SKILLS