Exploration of the costs and
impact of the Common Assessment Framework
Funder
The Department for Education
Background
Previous studies carried out by CCFR (Holmes, McDermid and Sempik, 2010;
Holmes, Munro and Soper, 2010; Holmes and McDermid, forthcoming) have
highlighted the need for a better understanding of the costs of the
Common Assessment Framework (CAF). Research carried out by CCFR has
identified a variety of systems for recording CAF assessments that were
rarely linked to the main social care management information system
(Holmes and McDermid, forthcoming). Consequently, the numbers of
children and families receiving support following the completion of a
CAF assessment may be underestimated.
Aims
This
exploratory study aims to examine the costs and impact of the Common
Assessment Framework. The study will explore four key areas:
·
The
costs of CAF,
including completing a CAF assessment; the Lead Professional; and team
around the child;
·
The
services provided to families
and children. Existing data
gathered as part of the study to cost support and services to children
in need (Holmes and McDermid, forthcoming) will be examined to explore
the types of additional services provided to both vulnerable children
and families and children in need and how those services are recorded;
·
The
impact of CAF on professionals
concerning capacity, the numbers of CAFs being completed and how the
assessments are recorded;
·
The
impact of CAFs on families
including the views and experiences of a sample of families who have
received an assessment, their perception of the process and what impact
the CAF assessment and the provision of services under early
intervention strategies has had on them.
Methods
The
research will be carried out in two phases: The interim report will be
submitted on 31 March 2011 to ensure that key findings can feed into the
Munro Review of Child Protection,
and the final report will be submitted in December 2011. Four local
authorities are participating in the research.
Interviews and focus groups will be held with local authority
professionals with responsibility for CAF to explore how CAF has been
implemented in each of the four authorities, the impact of CAF on
capacity, the numbers of CAFs being completed and how those assessments
are recorded in Phase 1 of the research.
An
online survey will be distributed to professionals from a number of
different agencies in order to identify the times spent on the CAF
processes, along with any other issues with regard to capacity, the
numbers of CAFs being completed and how they are recorded.
Face
to face interviews will be conducted with a sample of families that have
received services as a result of a CAF assessment. These interviews will
explore the views and experiences of families, their perception of the
assessment process and what impact the provision of services under early
intervention strategies has had on them.
Implications for Policy and Practice
Exploration of the costs of the CAF assessment, the extent to which
families are in receipt of services as a result of a CAF assessment and
the impact this has on both professionals and families would start to
provide a comprehensive understanding of the costs incurred to the
public purse for interventions provided to all ‘vulnerable children’.
Research Team
Lisa Holmes
Samantha McDermid
Jean Soper
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