Common assessment framework
The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a key part of
delivering frontline services that are integrated and focused
around the needs of children and young people. The
CAF
is a standardised approach
to conducting an assessment of a child's
additional needs
and deciding how those needs should be met.
It can be used and completed by practitioners from any agency who
come in contact with children and young people.
About the Common Assessment Framework
The
CAF
will
promote more effective, earlier identification of additional needs,
particularly in universal services. It is intended to provide a
simple process for a holistic assessment of a child's needs and
strengths, taking account of the role of parents, carers and
environmental factors on their development. Practitioners will then
be better placed to agree, with the child and family, about what
support is appropriate. The
CAF
will also help to improve
integrated working by promoting co-ordinated service provision.
Completing the Common Assessment
Framework
A standard CAF form is now available
to help practitioners record, and, where appropriate, share with
others the findings from the assessment. The Common Assessment must
be completed with the parent/carer and consent to share the
information must be obtained. It has also recently been agreed
within Rochdale that a CAF can be used as a referral to Rochdale
Council’s Children's Social Care Service. Contact the
Integrated Services Team for further information.
Rochdale Borough Children’s Trust is currently
piloting the use of an electronic tool to help support
practitioners when undertaking a common assessment framework on a
child or young person (known as eCAF). The pilot is being conducted
for practitioners based in the Middleton area in the first
instance, and will be rolled out to the remaining parts of the
borough in due course. A series of multi-agency training sessions
are being held to show practitioners how to use the eCAF system and
the dates and times are available via the REAL Trust website or by
contacting the Integrated Services Team. All attendees on the
training course must have an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check
(CRB) and should have attended the Common Assessment training
course.
Further information
Further information on the Common Assessment
Framework is available on the Every Child Matters website including
fact sheets, supporting tools and manager and practitioner guides.
Local training courses are run by the REAL Trust. For support and
guidance in completing a CAF (paper version or e-CAF) please
contact the Integrated Services Team.
CAF Form (293kb word
file)
CAF leaflet for
parents and carers (675kb pdf file)
Information for practitioners on all aspects of the Change for
Children agenda within the borough is also available in
the Change for Children Newsletter.
Lead professional
The lead professional is a key element of
integrated support. They take the lead to coordinate provision and
act as a single point of contact for a child and their family when
a range of services are involved and an integrated response is
required.
Where a child or young person with multiple
additional needs requires support from more than one practitioner,
the lead professional is someone who:
- Acts as a single point of contact that the
child or young person and their family can trust, and who is able
to support them in making choices and in navigating their way
through the system
- Ensures that they get appropriate
interventions when needed, which are well planned, regularly
reviewed and effectively delivered
- Reduces overlap and inconsistency from other
practitioners
Evidence suggests that the lead professional
role is a key element of effective frontline delivery of integrated
children's services. It ensures that professional involvement is
rationalised, coordinated and communicated effectively.
More importantly, it provides a better
experience for children, young people and their families involved
with a range of agencies.
Who can be a lead professional?
Many practitioners in the children's workforce
could take on the lead professional role, as the skills, competence
and knowledge required to carry it out are similar regardless of
professional background or role. We have therefore defined the role
by the functions and skills, rather than by particular professional
or practitioner groupings.
For most children and young people with
additional needs requiring support from a lead professional, we
anticipate that the person carrying out this role will be drawn
from the range of practitioners who are currently delivering
effective early intervention support.
This could include (but is not limited to)
personal advisers, health visitors, midwives, youth workers, family
workers, substance misuse workers, nursery nurses, educational
welfare officers, community children's nurses, school nurses and
support staff such as learning mentors working in schools.
Such practitioners could be drawn from
voluntary sector organisations or from statutory services,
depending on the agencies currently involved with the child or
young person.
Further information on the Lead Professional is available
on the Every Child Matters website including fact sheets,
research reports and manager and practitioner guides. You can also
contact the Integrated Services Team. Local training courses are
run by the REAL Trust.
REAL Trust -
Local training courses run by the REAL Trust.