Common Assessment Framework

The Common Assessment Framework (better known as “CAF”) is a new standard format for carrying out an assessment of a child or young person’s additional needs and deciding how those needs should be met. It can be used by anyone providing services to children in in England.

The CAF has been developed as part of the Every Child Matters programme: it is seen as "a key part of delivering frontline services that are integrated and focused around the needs of children and young people".

The CAF will promote more effective, earlier identification of additional needs, particularly in "universal services" (i.e. things which are available to everyone: schools, health services, etc.). It is intended to provide a simple way for anyone who is involved in supporting a child to raise issues and communicate with other workers and agencies who are also involved. Practitioners will then be better placed to agree, with the child and family, about what support is appropriate.

For voluntary and community sector organisations it’s a means of flagging up a wider view of the needs of the child or young person taking account of the role of parents, carers, housing, neighbourhood and other factors which have an impact. By having a common form across all agencies, there is a way for information to be shared between those providing support and so help them to work together.

Members of the CAF team came along to the Child and Family Support Forum meeting in September 2008 to give an update and discuss the implications of CAF for voluntary and community sector organisations.

Resources

All information including toolkits, guidance, fact sheets and training packages for integrated working are located on the Every Child Matters website : CAF home page.

This includes a number of standard forms which are used in the CAF process - the two main ones are (click to download and view them):

• CAF Pre-assessment checklist (Word)
  
• Common Assessment Framework form (Word)
• CAF Flowchart (shows how the process works) (Word)
  

A CAF training programme is being rolled out in Manchester by the CAF team aimed at practicioners and managers within all agencies - including the voluntary and community sector.  To find out further details contact the CAF team (see below).

• CAF Training Calendar - July to December 2008
  

A report is also available on the early stages of putting CAF into practice - the pilot was carried out in Wythenshawe: click here to download the evaluation (word)

Contacts

A team of CAF Coordinators have been established to offer support/advice and guidance who can be contacted on 0161 234 7549. The full team across the city is:

CAF Coordinators

• Wythenshawe: Kerry Vacara - k.vacara@manchester.gov.uk - 0161 234 7103 - 0795 798 5481
• South: Samantha Tran - s.tran@manchester.gov.uk - 0161 234 7085 - 0795 798 5484
• Central West: Nicky Johnson - n.johnson@manchester.gov.uk - 0161 234 7103 - 0795 798 5500
• Central East: Bernie Liburd - m.liburd@manchester.gov.uk - 0161 234 7047 - 0795 112 3645
• North West: Steven Parker - s.parker1@manchester.gov.uk - 0161 234 7047 - 0794 625 2048
• North East: Patricia Campbell - p.campbell2@manchester.gov.uk - 0161 234 7085 - 0795 798 5483
  

• Training Information: Darren Chambers - d.chambers@manchester.gov.uk - 0161 234 7525       
• Database information: Sarah Downing - s.downing@manchester.gov.uk - 0161 234 7536
• CAF Project Manager: Rosemary Braithwaite - r.braithwaite@manchester.gov.uk - 0161 234 7549

There are voluntary and community sector district reps on each of these steering groups.  If you would like to contact them to find out more about what is going on in your area click <here> for contact details.