Common Assessment Framework

1 October 2006 - Responsibility for supporting 'integrated working' implementation moves to Children's Workforce Development Council

November 2006 - Leaflets for Children, Young People, Parents and Carers on CAF and the lead professional now available

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a key part of delivering frontline services that are integrated and focused around the needs of children and young people. The CAF is a standardised approach to conducting an assessment of a child's additional needs and deciding how those needs should be met. It can be used by practitioners across children's services in England.

The CAF will promote more effective, earlier identification of additional needs, particularly in universal services. It is intended to provide a simple process for a holistic assessment of a child's needs and strengths, taking account of the role of parents, carers and environmental factors on their development. Practitioners will then be better placed to agree, with the child and family, about what support is appropriate. The CAF will also help to improve integrated working by promoting co-ordinated service provision.

12 local areas formally trialled the CAF and the role of the lead professional during 2005-06; trials were evaluated by the University of East Anglia (UEA). Over two-thirds of local authorities chose to use the CAF during the trial year and materials were issued in April 2005 to support implementation. An evaluation report will be made available on the DCSF research website in the near future.

Alongside the UEA evaluation, we worked with the trialling groups to identify any early lessons, enabling them to share good practice and inform further development of the CAF materials. Following wide consultation, revised CAF materials have been issued, including practitioners' and managers' guides, CAF form, pre-assessment checklist and supporting tools. You can download the documents below.

All local authority areas are expected to implement the CAF, along with the lead professional role and information sharing, between April 2006 and March 2008.

CAF documents

Common Assessment Framework: Practitioners' and Managers' Guides (September 2007)

Common Assessment Framework Forms
This includes the CAF form in word & pdf format; the Pre-assessment Checklist and the Guide to Definitions.

The Common Assessment Framework for Children and Young People: Supporting Tools (April 2006)

Common Assessment Framework: Frequently Asked Questions (September 2007)

Integrated Children's System, the Common Assessment Framework and ContactPoint - an overview
A short essay on harnessing information for ECM.

Integrated Working Factsheets - including a factsheet on CAF

Better Information Sharing in Practice
Case studies showing how the common assessment framework, combined with the function of the lead professional and multi-agency working, contribute to better information sharing.

CAF training

A range of professionals and agencies were consulted during an intensive period of consultation in early 2005 in order to develop and refine training materials to support the implementation of the CAF. The materials were piloted during summer 2005. Revised materials have now been produced and are available as part of the integrated working training.

Click to go to the integrated working training page where you can see how training materials fit together, or download the CAF training materials below.

CAF training materials

Introduction to assessment to support Common Assessment Framework training - handbook to support practitioners (April 2006)

Introduction to the Common Assessment Framework training materials (April 2006)

Using the Common Assessment Framework in practice (April 2006)

CAF training for trainers

Common Assessment Framework Training for Trainers (May 2006)