Assessing needs
Learning Objectives
After considering this resource, you should have an understanding of assessment in both adult and children services.
Assessment is a fundamental part of social work. In the following article, Patrick O'Byrne discusses approaches to assessment in practice which will allow you assess someone's needs, from both an adult services and children services perspective.
Reflective Questions
- Do service imperatives to prove eligibility skew the assessment away from service users' potential, aspirations and the ability to take reasonable risks?
- How can you better explore positives and possibilities when using SAP or CAF?
- The theme of independence is fine and is in line with government guidance but in the assessment documents the emphasis is on the risks to it. How could you achieve a better balance?
- Does SAP tend to feed into the assumption that independence is inevitably in decline, and that residential care is inevitable when needs become more complex?
- Restrictions on resources can lead managers to expect assessors to make funding considerations their starting point, rather than the ideas of service users about their needs. How could you correct that?
- How can children's services help you to have more confidence in your professional judgement?
- How do you assess 'good enough parenting'?
The main aspects of law and policy that surround the issues addressed in this resource are listed below. For more information on a specific piece of law or policy, please click on the link.
Law:
Children Act 1989 (Modified by Children Act 2004)
Mental Capacity Act 2005
National Health and Community Care Act 1990
Policy:
A Vision of Adult Social Care (2010)
Direct Payments (2007)
Every Child Matters (2005)
Services for People with Learning Difficulties (2007)
The Care Programme Approach (1995)
The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) (2005)
The Family Assessment Pack of Questionnaires and Scales (2000)
The Single Assessment Process (SAP) (2001)
The Munro Review: Final Report (2011)