1. The Common Assessment Framework The Swansea pilot: all singing from the same song sheet?

2. Key research themes from the Assessment Framework • Repeated assessment upset families • Not enough information about intervention of other agencies • Same conceptual framework for all children • Increased collaboration between agencies in the assessment of developmental needs • Comprehensive recording for safeguarding

3. Systems, Systems, Systems! Key message from government • Spectrum of children needs • Info sharing and common standards • Lead professionals in multi-agency case • Move to inter-disciplinary teams • Workforce reforms – common core training • Tailored training for lead professionals • Transitional funding

4. Piloting the common assessment framework • Informed by UK Assessment Framework • 8 dimensions for pre-referral assessment – health; education; identity; social presentation; family and social relationships; emotional and behavioural development; self care; physical and social environment. • 3 indicators: mild, moderate, and serious concern.

5. Our research questions • Standardise processes - joined-up system? • Reduce inappropriate referrals? • Enhance joint working by trust and reciprocity? • Lead to more focused further action? • Avoid displacement to child protection?

6. Preparing the ground • steering group of senior managers • focus groups of mixed professionals • parents involved with family support projects • young people from Swansea’s Youth Forum • views on ‘mild’ ‘moderate’ and ‘serious’ • young people and parents – consensus • professionals took longer to agree (vols v stats) • different views on smacking and on parenting

7. Training 250 professionals • Train on history of tools, completing forms, advice • Daunting for staff who have little child care background • Referrers need to know more about what SSD can do • Parental consent problematic for some – stigma of SSD? • Needs assessment not familiar for some – SSD’s job! • Need SSD manager there to deal with queries • Multi agency hard to organise but best • 88% felt equipped to undertake assessment

8. 12 Months Pre and Post • Children in need aged 0-9, • 12 months pre - post implementation, referrals down 7% (comparator up 37%) • Family / public referrals – decreased • No increase in child protection referrals

9. Research Outcomes Samples matched for referrer, household and primary needs - Referral info missing before and after • Ethnicity 27% and 10% • First language 80% and 46% • Religion 94% and 85% • Parental responsibility 27% and 9% • Had always lived with parent 73% and 19% • Looked after or not 77% and 27% • Registered as ‘disabled’ 75% and 23% • CPR history 68% and 23%

10. Pre and Post Change Parents and children’s views entered or not • Parents knew about referral 43% and 86% • Consent given by parents 24% and 83% • Parents views in referral 29% and 69% • Children’s views 4% and 5% • Knowledge of agencies involved with family • Pre- 110 references - Post- 228 references

11. More information on needs • Education needs 13% to 51% • Parent’s capacity re child’s health needs 3% to 24% • Concerns about emotional needs 17% to 35% • Concerns about presentation 10% to 34% • Basic care 3% to 48% • Ensure safety 5% to 34% • Child’s development strengths 10% to 24% • Child’s education strengths 3% to 38% • Emo warmth- strengths 1% to 46% • Boundaries - strengths 1% to 31% • Stability – strengths 1% to 34%

12. Does it help focus services • Reduction in advice and info only 35% to 28% • Reduction in referrals out of SSD 15% to 7% • Reduction in ‘No further action’ 47% to 38% • More cases allocated to teams 17% to 26% • Initial assessments increase 33% to 44%

13. bad news – good news • time consuming and can raise expectations • family co-operation problematic for some • reciprocity? Feedback and communication • profs - effective to learn needs and ‘positives’ • SWkrs- starting point for identifying needs • most professionals see it as valuable to retain • Very little on the emotional / psychological

14. In England - • The CAF part of strategy for world class workforce with qualification framework • Child and young person development • Safeguarding and promoting • Supporting transitions • Multi-agency working • Sharing information.