Evidence-Based Children Assessments

Overview

The session aims to support practitioners to undertake a good quality, analytical, evidence-based assessment to inform the decision making and care planning for children, young people and their family. It covers the theory, principles and value base that underpins best practice in assessment and care planning, including SMART outcome focused objective setting.

Who is Evidence-Based Children Assessments aimed at?

This session is for frontline practitioners’ e.g. restorative family coaches, personal advisers, family support workers, social workers and others who are involved in completing social care assessments or quality assuring these assessments.

Course Length

1 day

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course participants will have an:

• Increased knowledge and understanding about the principles for undertaking an evidence based assessment;
• Increased understanding about the factors that are about not complying with social work ethics, values and standards, and the impact for the child and family;
• Increased understanding about inter-agency relationships, and how to escalate concerns if there is professional disagreement;
• Increased understanding about the importance of chronologies, genograms and  assessment tools in the assessment process;
• Improved ability to capture relevant information in case recording, assess and evaluate complex circumstances in the analysis to reach evidence based conclusions;
• Increased understanding about the assessment pathway across early help, S17 and S47 assessments and care-proceedings, and how information an evidence is transferred across the stages of intervention;
• Improved understanding about how to set evidence based SMART objectives in care plans, and; 
• Be able to recognise the components of an outcome focused plan that effectively measures change for the child.