Common Assessment Framework (CAF)

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Background
The CAF is a key component in the Every Child Matters: Change for Children programme.  The aim is to identify, at the earliest opportunity, children's additional needs that are not being met by the universal services they are receiving, and provide timely and co-ordinated support to meet those needs.

What is the CAF?
• a process for undertaking a common assessment, to help practitioners gather and understand information about the needs and strengths of the child, based on discussions with the child, their family and other practitioners as appropriate;
• a standard form to help practitioners record, and, where appropriate, share with others, the findings from the assessment in terms that are helpful in working with the family to find a response to unmet needs.
• a simple pre-assessment checklist to help practitioners identify children who would benefit from a common assessment;

CAF elements and domains
The CAF has been developed by combining the underlying model of the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families with the main factors used in other assessment frameworks.  They have been grouped into the themes of development of the child, parents and carers and family and environmental elements.

Holistic approach
The CAF provides a process to assess the additional needs of a child or young person and to give a holistic view that considers strengths as well as needs.  Practitioners will then be better placed to agree, with the child and family, what support is appropriate.

CAF benefits
The CAF provides an assessment that is common across services. It will help embed a shared language; support better understanding and communications amongst practitioners; reduce the scale of different assessments that historically some children and young people have undergone; facilitate early intervention and speed up service delivery.

Relationship to specialist assessments
The CAF helps to identify whether a specialist assessment is necessary, and avoid duplication by building on accurate up-to-date information.  Where there is a need for an immediate specialist assessment, the CAF will not delay that process.

Implementation
In North East Lincolnshire we rolled out 6 months early in October 2007. 
The CAF process was rolled out Nationally on the 31st March 2008. 

Electronic CAF (e-CAF)
We are developing a strategy for the IT enablement of CAF, with the objective of securing a nationally consistent approach.  As a first step we have developed, in consultation with local authorities, some standards for eCAF systems. These include guidance on business processes, a common data model, and system requirements. The next steps involve working with a selection of local authorities to develop exemplar eCAF systems that meet the national standards so that we can determine how to implement a national eCAF solution.

Find out more
Please use the CAF Toolkit that has recently been re-launched in line with the developments locally within CAF.  This has been re-launched to ensure that we remain up to date and fit for purpose in the use of CAf within North East Lincolnshire. 
Further guidance documents, training materials and case studies are available from www.ecm.gov.uk/CAF

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