Nottinghamshire Common Assessment Framework Handbook

1.3
The Nottinghamshire CAF Paperwork
The Nottinghamshire CAF form was reviewed in September 2009, following feedback
from practitioners. Appendix A will provide guidance to practitioners completing an
assessment on areas to explore with children, young people and their families and a copy
of the CAF form can be found in Appendix B.
1.4
How we have introduced the CAF in
Nottinghamshire
In Nottinghamshire, we have introduced the CAF gradually, linking its introduction to the
roll-out of Joint Access Teams (JATs).
Joint Access Teams are at the centre of integrated locality working. They are based
around at least one family of schools. (A family of schools is a group of schools that work
together, often a secondary school and the primary schools around it).
The CAF is a key tool to support integrated locality working across services and agencies.
When practitioners start using CAF, they need support from their line managers and
access to a local structure for multi-agency working. Integrated locality working provides
this support and structure.
1.5
An Overview of the CAF
What is the CAF?
n an assessment process used across all services working with children, young
people and families
n a common form for recording this assessment
n a holistic assessment that summarises a child or young person’s strengths, needs
and goals after considering all aspects of his/her development, including health,
social development and learning
n designed to be shared between services and used as a starting point for planning
coordinated multi-agency action
n a consent-based process — we need the agreement of a parent/carer or of a
competent young person/older child before using the CAF.
Who might have a CAF assessment?
A CAF can be carried out with any child or young person from pre-birth up to age 19
(up to the age of 24 if the young person has a learning difficulty or disability), where:
n you are worried about how well the child or young person is progressing towards
the Every Child Matters priority outcomes. You might be worried about their
health, development, welfare, behaviour, progress in learning or any other aspect
of their well being
n a child or young person or their parent/carer raises concerns with you
n the child or young person’s needs are unclear, or not being met by their current
service provision.
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