It is important that children and young people receive the right service at the right time. In order for this to happen, all staff and volunteers who have contact with children, young people and families have a duty of care to identify issues at the earliest opportunity and assess what intervention is required.
Assessment should be a dynamic process that identifies, analyses and responds to the changing nature and level of need and/or risk faced by a child or young person. A good assessment will enable practitioners to intervene at the right time with the right level of support and to monitor and record the impact of any services delivered to the child and family. Continuous assessment is crucial in ensuring that the help and support being delivered is having the intended impact.
This multi-agency neglect assessment toolbox has been developed to support practitioners accurately identify appropriate cases in need of early help or onward referral to Children’s Social Care. The tools included should also be used to review the effectiveness of the support plans that are in place and the outcomes for the child/ren.