The Common Assessment Framework is a new way of working with children and young people. It involves listening to families to find out what support they need, and what is working well in their lives. An Action plan is then put together with the family to make sure they get the right sort of support.
How will the CAF support families
The CAF will work out what support families need. It can lead to a quick solution or help to identify extra support if needed. The CAF will ensure that everyone involved with the child or young person– such as teachers and health visitors- work together to support the child. The CAF will help the child or young person to receive support at an early stage before their needs increase. As the CAF is a shared assessment, the family will not have to repeat the same story to different workers.
Who will have the information
As a rule the information on the CAF will not be shared with anyone else unless the family agree. But there may be times when practitioners working with the family need to do so.
For example:
- when they need to find out urgently if the child or someone else is at risk of harm
- to help the child or someone else who is at risk of harm
- to help stop crime.
When to use CAF
The CAF can be used for any unborn baby, new born, child or young person who has additional, unmet needs. It is not necessary to do a common assessment on every child. Those who are progressing satisfactorily, or already having their needs met, do not need one. A common assessment is also unlikely to be needed if the child’s needs are clear and can be met by the child or their parent/carer or by the assessing agency (although we would encourage practitioners to look beyond the presenting problem).