Cwc Children200612 6

Analysis and Representing Children in Assessments

Analysing information
Assessment Framework supports systematic information gathering
The challenge is to bridge the gap between gathering data and using it to analyse, make judgements, plan, intervene and review

How do we represent children in assessments?
Research, inspections and inquiries indicate that children’s voices are absent or minimised during assessment
Focus on parents rather than the child
Use of language in reports

Ways in which children’s voices are silenced
By not reporting what was said
Children are minor characters in the narrative
More weight is given to adult views when there are differences of opinion or conflicting accounts
Presupposing what they might say
Descriptions of children being limited only to how they respond or relate to their parents
Presenting their voices as untrustworthy

Examples from coastal cities study: Child’s views (from Child and Family Assessment in Social Work Practice by Holland)
‘ Elizabeth presents as whimsical and materialistic and may not be impressed by the current accommodation … It is clear that Elizabeth has changed her mind on a number of occasions’

Examples from coastal cities study: Child’s views
‘ Paul has remained consistent in his expressed wish to have Mr Taylor return home … Paul presents as a very sensible child who I feel would not hesitate to voice any feelings of unease’

Examples from coastal cities study: Developmental milestones
‘ Aaron knows and immediately turns to his own name and babbles loudly and incessantly and imitates adults’ playful vocalisation with gleeful enthusiasm’

Good practice in analysis
Acknowledge what you don’t know about the child – describe gaps and limitations
Put the information you have got in context – child development, race and culture, recent events
Consult widely
Consider language
Summarise

Benefits of summaries in the case file (from Write Enough by Walker, Shemmings, Cleaver (2003) www.writeenough.org.uk )
frees workers from the laborious task of hunting for information hidden deep in the file
helps with the process of reviewing the work
helps clarify the purpose of visits
can be ‘cut and pasted’ into longer reports, e.g. child protection conferences, court reports
helps workers become familiar with a new case quickly
enables supervision to be more helpful to the worker

Checklist (From Putting Analysis into Assessment by Dalzell and Sawyer 2007)
How well do I know the child?
Which adults know the child best and what do they think?
How has the child defined the problems in their family life and the effect on them?
Under what circumstances did the child express their views or feelings? What has occurred and what did he or she want to happen?

Checklist (cont) (From Putting Analysis into Assessment by Dalzell and Sawyer)
What has been observed regarding the child’s way of relating and responding to adults? (Consider attachment)
What do I know about research in relation to the experiences the child has had?
What communication methods have I used?
How confident am I that I have been able to establish the child’s views, wishes and feelings?

The Developing World of the Child (Aldgate and others 2006)
A series of steps:
Chronology and genogram
The visit
Reflecting on the meeting
Analysing what you have seen and heard
Planning

The Developing World of the Child (cont)
Gather positive and negative data
Weigh relative significance
Assessment of current situation
Assessment of future circumstances
Prospects for change
Plan – roles and responsibilities, timescales, who will notice changes, date of review

Cwc Children200612 6

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