Multi-agency assessments

Bexley’s Assessment Protocol sets out the arrangements for how cases will be managed once a child is referred into children’s social care. Each child who has been referred into children’s social care should have an individual assessment to identify their needs and to understand the impact of any parental behaviour on them as an individual.

The Assessment Protocol was refreshed in December 2019.

Additions to the protocol include a direction that any gaps in information should be clearly recorded within the assessment. When partners are asked to contribute, they should be clear about what information is required and importantly, by when, giving practitioners as much notice as possible. No assessment should have a final analysis if contributions from significant agencies are missing and where that information could potentially impact on the outcome of the assessment.

The refreshed protocol emphasises the need for agencies to make use of their escalation policy, should efforts made to obtain information not be responded to. It is recognised that all agencies working with children and their families hold relevant information and that by agencies being accountable for their role in assessments and working closely together, as many already do, the family will benefit from a comprehensive assessment that will result in a more targeted and responsive intervention, based on the family’s needs.

Here is the link to the Assessment Protocol:

https://bexleysafeguardingpartnership.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/assessments.pdf

A separate Pre-birth Assessment Protocol has been developed as part of the Learning Hub’s work in 2021. The purpose of this guidance is to ensure that a clear system is in place which assesses and responds to concerns regarding the welfare of an unborn child and to maintain clear and regular communication within the multi-agency network.

Here is the link to the most recent version of the Pre-birth Assessment Protocol:

Pre birth Assessment Protocol 2023