Assessment and Action Record

There are six age-related Assessment and Action Records for children and young people looked after. They provide a detailed and structured assessment of a child's progress in relation to seven developmental dimensions: Health, Education, Emotional and Behavioural Development, Family and Social Relationships, Identity, Self-Care Skills, and Social Presentation.

It is recommended that an Assessment and Action Record is completed every six months for children looked after under five years of age and once a year for children and young people looked after over the age of five.

Each agency should have a clear policy that sets out at which point an Assessment and Action Record should be completed.

Using the Assessment and Action Record

The Assessment and Action Record records detailed information about a child or young person in relation to each of the seven developmental dimensions. The information gathered is then analysed and used to inform decisions about specific actions required to enable the child or young person to achieve or maintain satisfactory progress in that area.

The actions identified should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Related to the assessment and have a clear Time scale for completion. The identified actions for each dimension are recorded in the two-page summary and used to inform the review process.

It is unlikely that one individual will have all the necessary information to complete an Assessment and Action Record. The record can, therefore, be a useful tool for practitioners in planning and structuring discussions with the child or young person and members of their network.

The Assessment and Action Record records specific and detailed information. It should be used not as a questionnaire but as an aide memoire for practitioners to plan their discussions with the child or young person. The information gathered in planned discussions with the child or young person are then recorded in the Assessment and Action Record.

It is important that the completed record is shared with the child or young person, in ways which accord with their age and ability. As the record covers all the key dimensions of development it provides an opportunity to highlight and discuss areas of achievement as well as those areas that have not gone as well.

Key records index