Enfield Common Assessment Framework (CAF) for Children, Young People and Families

Updated October 2012

CONTENT

GUIDANCE

PART ONE

CAF Creator Details 6

Demographics for the child/young person

Family Relationships

Assessment information

Conclusions and solutions

Vulnerability Level

Consent

Sending your CAF to CAF Administrator

PART TWO

Lead Professional Details

Team Around the Family (TAF) Action Plan

Review Action Plan

Vulnerability Level at point of closure of Team Around the Family (TAF)

Appendix 1

Enfield Common Assessment Framework Education Addendumto 18

Accompanya completed CAF when referring to CAMHS/EPS/ /BSS

Guidance

Why complete a CAF?

A CAF allows multi-agency practitioners to assess the strengths and needs of children and young people in a uniform and comprehensive way.It provides a tool for assessment, action planning, referral and review.

The CAF is now in two parts:

Part 1 is the assessment of need,to be completed by CAF Creator. Once Part 1 is completed it should be sent via CAF Administrator into the Single Point Of Entry (SPOE).
Part 2captures the decisions made within the SPOE and the subsequent action plans and reviewswhich will be completed by the identified Lead Professional.

When should a CAF be completed?

A CAF should be completed when:

There are concerns about how well a child or young person is progressing. These concerns might be about their health, welfare, behaviour, progress in learning or any other aspect of their well-being.
Parents/carers have raised their own concerns and are requesting help, support or guidance.
the child or young person’s needs are unclear or broader than the remit of the practitioner’s service
A CAF would help identify needs and/or get others to meet them.

Understanding the CAF Process

The CAF Form is available the Children’s Trust Website

For further support or training with any aspect of integrated working and Enfield CAF process contact the Community Parent Support Service on 0208 372 1500.

Practitioners should take care about how they present the different types of evidence they may use in assessment. All those providing information should take care to distinguish between fact, observation, allegation and opinion. Practitioners should be careful not to prescribe service responses.

Sharing the CAF Information

In most circumstances the child or young person (if they are of an appropriate age and understanding) or their parent or carer should be provided with a copy of the CAF. This should not be done if it could put the (unborn) baby, child or young person at risk of harm. In the event of a child protection concern Pan London Safeguarding procedures should be followed.

Parents/carers, children and young people must give their explicit consent for information to be shared with other agencies unless there is a compelling reason for over-riding this principle.

Exceptional circumstances: significant harm to infant, child or young person

If at any time during the course of this assessment you feel that an infant, child or young person has been harmed or abused or is at risk of harm or abuse, you must follow the Pan London Safeguarding procedures as set out in the booklet What To Do If You Are Worried A Child Is Being Abused (Department of Health, 2007).

CAFs and Addenda

After completion of Part 1 of the CAF, please also complete the appropriate sections of the addendum for the following services:

The Behaviour Support Service
The Educational Psychology Service
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

The CAF form is now in Two Parts

Part 1 is to be completed by the CAF Creator and a vulnerability scale is to be assigned. Part 2 is to be completed by the Lead Professional.

Reason for Assessment

At the beginning of the assessment information section, you are asked to assign a category of the major reason the child/young person is being assessed. Please only tick one box.Please see the guidance below which should help you to select the main category.

Main Reason For Assessment

Child/ Young Person Behaviour
Routines
Boundaries
Issues around Sibling Relationships/Sibling Violence
Issues around Behaviour at School
Issues around Behaviour at home
Issues around Anti Social Behaviour/ Offending /Crime
Gang Involvement
Peer Pressure/Peer Violence / Health Issues
ParentEmotional / Mental Health Issues
Physical Health
Access to Health Care
Sexual Health
Healthy Lifestyles including obesity
Child / Young Person Development
General Health
Speech/ Language & Communication
Physical Development
Achievement /Attainment
Learning/ SEN
Socialisation / Housing Issues
Poor Housing (water/ heating/ sanitation/ sleeping arrangements)
Over crowding
Homelessness (or Risk of) including rent arrears, evictions
Accessing Information on Housing / Housing Benefit
Child / Young Person Emotional/ Mental Health
Identity
Confidence/Self esteem
Bullying & Discrimination
Mental Health Issues, self harm, depression, anxieties etc.
Sexuality/ Relationships
Attachments / Separation/ Loss / Bereavement
Parent
Child/Young Person
Extended Family member
Significant Other
Parenting Issues
Parent Lack of Confidence/ Self Esteem
Ability to provide basic care, ensuring safety and protection
Ability to provide emotional warmth and stability
Ability to provide guidance, boundaries and stimulation
Parent Anger Management
Parent Programme
Parents support systems ( wider family, friends, community)
Cultural/Religious Issues
Language/ Communication Issues / Social Isolation
Parent
Parent & Child/Young Person
Cultural Isolation
Relationship issues between
Parent/Partner and Child/Young Person
Parent and Partner
Parent and Family
Other signification relationships / Substance Misuse Concerns
Parent
Child/ Young Person
Family/ Household Member
Significant Other
Education/Employment/Training issues - Child
Exclusion (including risk of)
Poor attendance
Lack of Literacy/ Numeracy Skills
Accessing Education
Accessing Employment/Training
ESOL / Domestic Violence
Adult to Adult
Young Person to Young Person
Child/ Young Person to Parent
Education/ Employment/Training Issues – Parent
Lack of Literacy/ Numeracy Skills
Accessing Adult Education
ESOL
Accessing Employment
Parent/ Employer relationship / Child and Family Poverty
Accessing Benefits including no access to public funds
Budgeting
Debt
Effects of hardship such as fuel poverty

Vulnerability Scales

These have been developed to help us identity the journey of the child/young person and to measure the effectiveness of interventions.

All CAF creators are asked to assign a level of vulnerability when completing Part One of the CAF. This will be reviewed by the Lead Professional in cases where a Team Around the Family (TAF) meetings have taken place and the case is being closed.

The descriptors below are provided as guidance only.

Level / Descriptor
1. / Additional need/s may be unclear. Failure to meet the additional need will not impact greatly on outcomes. Some targeted intervention from one or two agencies is likely to meet the needs within a relatively short period of time
2. / Additional need/s may be unclear. Failure to meet the need/s could impact on outcomes. Effective multi-agency working between agencies is likely to meet the needs within a medium time frame
3. / Additional needs have been identified, but effective services are not yet in place. Risks and protective factors are balanced. Effective multi-agency working between agencies is likely to meet the needs within a medium time frame
4. / Additional needs are becoming more complex and are likely to require coordinated intervention from a number of agencies over a sustained period. Existing interventions have become inadequate and/or ineffective. The consequences of the needs not being met could have a significant and/or long term impact on outcomes
5. / Additional needs are complex and not being effectively addressed. It is very likely that a sustained multi-agency intervention will be needed. There may be a history of involvement with statutory services
6. / Additional needs are complex, though not acute, and are not being addressed in any effective way. The risks far outweigh the protective factors and the immediate consequences of not addressing the needs are serious. There may be a history of involvement with statutory services and it is likely that multi-agency working will take a considerable amount of time to resolve the needs.

Practitioners should adopt a ‘best fit’ approach when discussing, agreeing and assigning a level to the CAF.

(To put a tick in any of the boxes within this form, highlight box, right click, select ‘properties’ and select ‘checked’ and click ok)

PART ONE

CAF Creator only needs to complete Part One of this CAF Form.

Before completing a CAF please remember to check with the CAF Administrator whether a CAF already exists. Please contact CAF Administrator on

Demographics for the child/young person for which the CAF is being created

Record details of unborn baby, infant, child or young person being assessed. If unborn, state name as ‘unborn baby’ and mother’s name, e.g. unborn baby of Ann Smith

Forename

SurnameAKA/Previous Names:

Male FemaleUnknown Date of Birth or EDD:

Address

Contact tel. no.

School Attending:

Post CodeUnique Pupil Number:

Religion:

Ethnicity

White British / Caribbean / Indian / White & Black
Caribbean / Chinese
White Irish / African / Pakistani / White & Black
African / Any other
ethnic group*
Any other White
background* / Any other Black
background* / Bangladeshi / White & Asian / Not given
Any other Asian background* / Any other mixed background*
*If other, please specify / Immigration status
Child’s first language
Is an interpreter or signer required? / Yes / No / Has this been arranged? / Yes / No
D
D Does this child have a disability? /

Yes

/ No
If ‘yes’ give details

Details of any special requirements

(for child and/or their parent)

Family Relationships

Details of Parents/Carers:
Mother’s Name:
Date of Birth:
Address:
Ethnicity:
Religion:
Language: / Interpreter/Signer required: Yes No
Father’s Name:
Date of Birth:
Address:
Ethnicity:
Religion:
Language: / Interpreter/Signer required: Yes No
Carer’s Name: / Relationship to Child:
Date of Birth:
Address:
Ethnicity:
Religion:
Language: / Interpreter/Signer required: Yes No
Who has parental responsibility?
Children/Others in the household
Name / Address / Age / Gender / School / Relationship

Assessment information

Reason for Assessment (Episode): please see further information in the guidance and the CAF Toolkit

Please only tick one box

Child/YP BehaviourHealth Issues

Child/YP DevelopmentHousing Issues

Child/YP Emotional/Mental HealthBereavement

Parenting IssuesSocial Isolation

Relationship IssuesSubstance Misuse Concerns

Education/Employment/Training Issues – ChildDomestic Violence

Education/Employment/Training Issues – ParentChild/Family Poverty

Please give a brief summary as to why this unborn baby, infant, child or young person is being assessed?

Please name the people present at CAF Assessment

Key Professionals/Agencies currently known to/or working with the family:
Please name as necessary:
Services / Practitioner Name / Tel No./Email

CAF assessment summary: strengths and needs

Please identify the strengths and needs on each domain as appropriate. You do not need to comment on every element if it is not relevant. Please enter not known (N/K) in these circumstances.

1. Development of unborn baby, infant, child or young person

Health

General health

Conditions and impairments; access to and use of dentist, GP, optician; immunisations, developmental checks, hospital admissions, accidents, health advice and information

Physical development

Nourishment; activity; relaxation; vision and hearing; fine motor skills (drawing etc.); gross motor skills (mobility, playing games and sport etc.)

Speech, language and communication

Preferred communication, language, conversation, expression, questioning; games; stories and songs; listening; responding; understanding

Emotional and social development

Feeling special; early attachments; risking/actual self-harm; phobias; psychological difficulties; coping with stress; motivation, positive attitudes; confidence; relationships with peers; feeling isolated and solitary; fears; often unhappy

Behavioural development

Lifestyle, self-control, reckless or impulsive activity; behaviour with peers; substance misuse; anti-social behaviour; sexual behaviour; offending; violence and aggression; restless and overactive; easily distracted, attention span/concentration
1. Development of unborn baby, infant, child or young person (continued)
Identity, self-esteem, self-image
and social presentation
Perceptions of self; knowledge of personal/family history; sense of belonging; experiences of discrimination due to race, religion, age, gender, sexuality and disability

Family and social relationships

Building stable relationships with family, peers
and wider community; helping others; friendships; levels of association for negative relationships

Self-care skills and independence

Becoming independent; boundaries, rules, asking for help, decision-making; changes to body; washing, dressing, feeding; positive separation from family

Learning

Understanding, reasoning and
problem solving
Organising, making connections; being creative, exploring, experimenting; imaginative play and interaction
Participation in learning, education
and employment
Access and engagement; attendance,
participation; adult support; access to appropriate resources

Progress and achievement in learning

Progress in basic and key skills; available
opportunities; support with disruption to
education; level of adult interest

Aspirations

Ambition; pupil’s confidence and view of progress; motivation, perseverance
2. Parents and Carers
Basic care, ensuring safety
and protection
Provision of food, drink, warmth, shelter,
appropriate clothing; personal, dental hygiene;
engagement with services; safe and healthy
environment

Emotional warmth and stability

Stable, affectionate, stimulating family
environment; praise and encouragement; secure attachments; frequency of house, school, employment moves
Guidance, boundariesand stimulation
Encouraging self-control; modelling positive
behaviour; effective and appropriate discipline;avoiding over-protection; support for positiveactivities.

3. Family and environmental

Family history, functioning and well-being

Illness, bereavement, violence, parental substance misuse, criminality, anti-social behaviour; culture, size and composition of household; absent parents, relationship breakdown; physical disability and mental health; abusive behaviour

Wider family

Formal and informal support networks from
extended family and others; wider caring and
employment roles and responsibilities
Housing, employment and
financial considerations
Water/heating/sanitation facilities, sleeping
arrangements; reason for homelessness; work and shifts; employment; income/benefits; effects of hardship
Social and community elements
and resources, including education
Day care; places of worship; transport; shops;
leisure facilities; crime, unemployment, anti-social behaviour in area; peer groups,social networks and relationships

Conclusions and solutions

Now the assessment is completed you need to record conclusions, solutions and actions. Work with the baby, child or young person and/or parent or carer, and take account of their ideas, solutions and goals.
What are your conclusions?(For example strengths, no additional needs, additional needs, complex needs, risk of harm to self or others)

What are the goals that the child/young person, parent/carer and practitioner want to achieve?

Vulnerability Level(Please see further information in guidance and CAF Toolkit)

Please indicate the type of assessment

Multi Agency

Single Agency Assessment(Please tick below which Single Agency this applies to :)

16/17 Homeless Housing ServiceEnfield Parent Partnership Service

Behaviour Support Service (BSS)Enfield Parents & Children (EPC))

Central African Youth Enfield (CAYE)Health Visitor

Child Development Team (CDT)Home-Start

Childcare – Early Years ProvisionJoint Service for Disabled Children

Children & Adolescent MHS (CAMHS)Police Safer Schools Officers

Children CentresSpecial Educational Needs (SEN

Community Parent Support Service (CPSS)Speech & Language Therapy (SALT)

ConnexionsSchool Nurse

DAZU Social Care – Intake & Assessment

Domestic Violence Specialist) Teenage Parent Project

Education Welfare Service (EWS)Youth Inclusion & Support Panel

Ebony People’s AssociationOther

Educational Psychology Service (EPS)

Consent statement for information storage and information sharing
Please ensure this consent statement is understood by the family for information storage and information sharing purposes
“We need to collect the information in the CAF form so that we can understand what help you may need. We may need to share some of this information with other organisations, so that they can help us to provide the services you need.
“We will treat your information as confidential and we will not share it with any other organisations without your permission unless we are required by law to share it or if you or any other person will come to some harm if we do not share it. We will only ever share the minimum we need to share.”
Consent for information storage and information sharing
I understand the information that is recorded on this form and that it will be stored and used for the purpose of providing services to:
Me
This infant, child or young person for whom I am a parent
This infant, child or young person for whom I am a carer
I have had the reasons for information sharing explained to me and I understand those reasons Yes No
I agree to information being shared with and/or a referral being made to:
All agencies as necessaryYes No

If No, Practitioner to detail what information may be shared with which agencies