Once it has been agreed that a Common Assessment should be undertaken either to identify the needs of a child or to involve other agencies to meet identified needs, there are a number of things practitioners should consider.
1. Discuss the process with the parents, child and young person and obtain their written consent to complete a Common Assessment. The process cannot be undertaken unless consent has been obtained. The parents’ leaflet and, if appropriate, the young persons’ leaflet should be discussed and left with the parent, child or young person. These explain the steps in the process and what will happen to information, including special circumstances when information may be shared in the best interests of the child/young person, without consent.
Occasions when information should be disclosed without consent as well as wider issues of confidentiality and data protection are covered in the multi agency training and explained in the Information Sharing Guidance that includes the Information Sharing booklet.
2. Check whether a Common Assessment already exists by asking the child and/or their parent/carer. This should include any assessments undertaken in other authorities. Where there is an existing Common Assessment try to obtain a copy. Practitioners should contact the Common Assessment Team who will check the Leeds data base. In the future ContactPoint will assist with these processes.
3. Register the Common Assessment. Phone the Common Assessment Team, providing the details of the child/young person needed to register the intention to do the assessment. A check will also be undertaken to ensure that the practitioner is authorised to undertake a Common Assessment. The practitioner will be given a unique Common Assessment reference number which will identify that assessment for any practitioners who may need access to it.
4. Receive the electronic Common Assessment Form and save and store it on their computer system ready to be completed with the relevant information. Practitioners often capture initial information on the word version form. This allows them to then obtain parents agreement and signature on the paper version before transferring information onto the electronic form.