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Common Assessment Framework
What is it?
The Common Assessment Framework is a standard process that helps to identify a child or young person’s additional unmet needs. These needs can range from health and housing, to family support and learning needs. The assessment provides a basis for getting other services involved as necessary to address the unmet needs whilst ensuring overlaps or gaps in support are prevented.
Everybody in the children and young people’s workforce should have an awareness of the CAF and either know how to complete an assessment or how to go about raising one.
How does it work?
There are 3 elements to the CAF
- A pre-assessment checklist to ensure the child will benefit from a common assessment.
- A process for undertaking a common assessment that involves gathering and understanding the needs and strengths of the child.
- A standard form to record and if necessary, share the findings of the assessment.
Where a range of needs are identified that require an integrated response, the lead professional co-ordinates these actions and acts as a single point of contact for the child and family.
For more information about Lead professionals - click here.
When should it be used?
When there is concern about the progress being made by a child or young person When the child or young persons needs are unclear or wider than a service can offer on it’s own.
How do I raise a CAF?
If you identify a child as having additional unmet needs then you must first gain permission from the family or young person to raise a CAF.
Contact details for the Leicester City CAF Team
Details of the Leicestershire County Council CAF Team and CAF and MAF Process for practitioners in Leicestershire.
Further Information
Further Information on the CAF from Every Child Matters
Translated CAF Forms - Links to CAF forms translated into Polish, Lithuanian and Portuguese.
Information resources for Parents, Carers and Young People - Links to downloadable resources to explain the CAF to young people, parents and carers.
CWDC Integrated Working Newsletter - news and tips on CAF and the Lead Professional
Integrated Working Common Language Glossary from CWDC.
For explanations of some of the key terms used on this page please see our glossary.