Assessment
Patrick Ayre
Department of Applied Social Studies
University of Bedfordshire
Park Square, Luton
email: [email protected]
web: http://patrickayre.co.uk
Our image of assessment
A ssessm ent
The reality of assessment?
A ssessm ent
Assessments
Assessment work is complex and emotionally demanding
Collation and analysis of large bodies of information from multiple sources
Continuous series of mini-decisions about what to collect, how to collect
Each mini-decision has an impact on the assessment
The chain of reasoning
Facts
Analysis/summary
Conclusions and recommendations
The facts
‘It is the task of practitioners to share, sift, search for and weigh the significance of their information’ (Morrison 2009)
The facts
Family composition (attach a genogram)
Background history (family and individual)
Recent events
The facts
Tell the story chronologically without too much editorialising
Facts sufficient support your argument and also to refute counter arguments
First hand evidence is best but give source of any information
Make sure that you have put information as fully and accurately as possible (Checklist: Who, what, when, where, how)
Seeking strong evidence
Information may be: Ambiguous Missing Assumption-led
But can become ‘firm-ground’ if further enquiries are made or it is explored further
Bias and Balance
Include information favourable to ‘the other side’ as well as that favourable to yours
It is your job to make judgements but: – avoid empty evaluative words like
inappropriate, worrying, inadequate – Give evidence for descriptive words like
cold, dirty and untidy Beware the danger of facts
Bias and Balance
Born in 1942, he was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment at the age of 25. After 5 unsuccessful fights, he gave up his attempt to make a career in boxing in 1981 and has since had no other regular employment
Lies, damned lies and killer breadResearch on bread indicates that More than 98 percent of convicted felons are bread users. Half of all children who grow up in bread-consuming
households score below average on standardized tests. More than 90 percent of violent crimes are committed within
24 hours of eating bread. Primitive tribal societies that have no bread exhibit a low
incidence of cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, and osteoporosis.
In the 18th century, when much more bread was eaten, the average life expectancy was less than 50 years; infant mortality rates were unacceptably high; many women died in childbirth; and diseases such as typhoid, yellow fever, and influenza were common.
Incomplete or out of date
Can you trust a snapshot?
Information handling Picking out the important from a mass of
data Interpretation Decoyed by another problem False certainty; undue faith in a ‘known fact’ Discarding information which does not fit First impressions/assumptions Too trusting/insufficiently critical Distinguishing fact/opinion
Department of Health (1991) Child abuse: A study of inquiry reports, 1980-
1989, HMSO
Fact or opinion?1. There are inadequate play and stimulation
opportunities available. 2. The bruise and swelling are consistent with hitting his
head on the door. 3. This is the first incident of abuse to the child. 4. The flat is unsuitable for bringing up a young child. 5. Mrs Green is good at keeping her flat tidy. 6. Experienced professionals are better at dealing with
child protection issues.7. Children who were abused usually become abusers. 8. The child said his dad hit him. 9. I saw Peter playing with his toys when I last visited. 10. Mrs Green does not display appropriate parenting skills
when relating to her son
Assessment Pitfalls
When faced with an aggressive or frightening family, professionals are reluctant to discuss fears for their own safety and ask for help
Attention is focused on the most visible or pressing problems and other warning signs are not appreciated
Parents’ behaviour, whether co-operative or uncooperative, is often misinterpreted
Not enough weight to information from family friends and neighbours
Not enough attention is paid to what children say, how they look and how they behave
In Cleaver, H, Wattam, C and Cawson, P Assessing Risk in Child Protection, NSPCC, 1998
Child centred assessment
The purpose of assessment is to understand what it is like to be that child or young person (and what it will be like in the future if nothing changes)
Assessment pitfalls
Rule of optimism
Start again syndrome
Natural love
Cultural relativism
Too much
not enough
Analysis
Studies (and SCRs) highlight problems in the quality and level of analysis
Assessments too static and descriptive, resulting in an accumulation of facts that are not analysed in a way that offers an explanation of the situation (Brandon 2008)
But what is analysis?You have gathered lots of information but now what?
All you need to do is ask yourself my favourite question:
“So what?”
You have collected all this data, but what does this mean, for the young person, for the family and for the authority?
Analytic thinking
‘a conscious and controlled process using formal reasoning and explicit data and rules to deliberate and compute a conclusion’ (Munro, 2007)
‘Analysis should be seen as acting like a good secretary keeping a check on the products of intuition, checking them for known biases, developing explanatory theories and testing them rigorously’ (Thiele, 2006)
Intuition and Analysis
Intuitive thinking – unconscious process that allows the integrations of a large amount of information to produce a judgement in an effortless way
Gut feelings: ‘take advantage of the evolved capacity of the brain and are based on rules of thumb that enable us to act fast and with astonishing accuracy’ (Gigerenza, 2007)
Intuition versus Analysis
It is the combination of intuitive and analytic modes that produces the kind of evidence-based practice by which social work knowledge establishes its relevance, expertise and authority
Morrison 2009
Assessment and analysis Suspected injuries and unconfirmed bruises over
limbs - not explained. Previous history of abuse by older sibling - off Child
Protection Register Single mother and new boyfriend Concern by school staff about negligence in hygiene,
clothing and school attendance Growth at the third centile - no medical reason Uncle visiting - ex-convict Mother was abused as a child Financial problems - on social security
Assessment and analysis
“He is a young boy who is confused about his current situation. Until the child care planning meeting confirms the long-term future plans for him he will effectively remain in limbo. This is affecting his ability to feel secure. He is noticeably anxious at school on Mondays prior to contact at home and he therefore learns very little on that day. By Wednesday of each week he calms down again”
Conclusions and recommendations Summarise the main issues and the conclusions
to be drawn from them. (The facts do not necessarily speak for themselves; it is your job to speak for them.)
Define objectives as well as actions Draw conclusions from the facts and
recommendations from the conclusions Explain how you arrived at your conclusions
(Have you demonstrated the factual/theoretical basis for each?)
Consider and discuss alternative possibilities
Conclusions and recommendations In drawing conclusions be aware of the
extent and limitations of your own expertise. Conclusions may be supported by research
(Don’t go outside expertise; be careful with new or controversial theories; be aware of counter arguments)
Your recommendation should usually be specific (not either/or)
Remember: conclusions may be attacked in only two ways– founded on incorrect information– based on incorrect principles of social work
Conclusions and recommendations
Problems:
Unsupported assertions or judgements
Inability or unwillingness to analyse and draw conclusions
Failure to answer the key question: ‘So what?’
Reaching a decision ‘Often a decision is made first and the thinking
done later’ (Thiele, 2006) As humans, we resort to simplifications, short
cuts and quick fixes! We reframe, interpret selectively and reinterpret. We deny, discount and minimise We exaggerate information especially if vivid,
unusual, recent or emotionally laden and We avoid, forget and lose information
Good Assessments Are clear about the purpose, legal status and
potential outcomes Are based on a clear theoretical framework Are clear about context and value base Are collaborative and promote accessibility for
service users Are based on multiple sources of information Value the expertise and understanding service
users bring to their situation Are clear about missing information
Good Assessments
Identify themes and patterns about needs, risks, protective factors and strengths
Generate and test different ways of understanding the situation
Give meaning to themes, using knowledge based on experience/research
Lead to an evidence-based conclusion Use supervision to assist reflection, hypotheses and
objectivity Are able to record and explain outcomes Are reviewed, updated & amended in light of new
information
Spotting the bad ones:Organisational Clues Mythology exists about the family – ‘this
family is/always/behaves like Negative stereotypes about other agencies
exist so their information is discounted Sudden changes about view of risk not
explained Sudden changes of plan not rationally
explained
Worker clues Gut feelings says something is wrong
Worker does not ask difficult questions
Analysis does not account for facts/history
Proposed plan does not address issues raised in assessment
Practitioner is working much harder than the parents to explain significant concerns
The child’s story is missing
Inter-Agency Clues
Agencies have conflicting views of the family/risk
Agencies have strong views but offer ambiguous/limited evidence
Some agencies unwilling to share information
Pressure to agree suppresses permission to question / inter-agency acclimatisation
Family Clues
Parental intentions not supported by actions
Parental optimism involves denial of difficulties
Children's accounts conflict with parents’
Parents’ ‘talk’ about their child is contradictory/lacks coherence
Co-operation is only on the parents’ terms
Focus on parental ability to carry out tasks rather than understanding how history, development and current environment shapes parenting (3Ns)
Failure to give sufficient weight to relevant case history
Facts recorded faithfully but not always critically appraised
Learning from Past Experience Major themes from Serious Case Reviews:
Learning from Past Experience Major themes from Serious Case Reviews:
Importance of comprehensive family assessments, especially male figures
Formal assessment of risk
Failure to make use of diversity information
Understanding ‘chronic abuse’ and the need to accumulate evidence
Learning from Past Experience Major themes from Serious Case Reviews:
Importance of comprehensive family assessments, especially male figures
Formal assessment of risk
Assessment in context of diversity
Understanding ‘chronic abuse’ and the need to accumulate evidence
Risk assessment The dangers involved (that is the feared outcomes);
The hazards and strengths of the situation (that is the factors making it more or less likely that the dangers will realised);
The probability of a dangerous outcome in this case (bearing in mind the strengths and hazards);
The further information required to enable this to be judged accurately; and
The methods by which the likelihood of the feared outcomes could be diminished or removed.
Learning from Past Experience Major themes from Serious Case Reviews:
Importance of comprehensive family assessments, especially male figures
Formal assessment of risk
Assessment in context of diversity
Understanding ‘chronic abuse’ and the need to accumulate evidence
Diversity and assessment
Favourite question again: So what? You have collected all this diversity information but what does it mean for:
– The way I understand this child and family
– The way they understand me
– The way we will work together
Understanding what we see We need to know not just what people do,
but why they do it. What is its significance? what does it mean?
Understand it in its historical and cultural context, how people see the world, the family, childhood, authority
Understanding why someone does something doesn’t make it right
Assessment and diversityThe difference dilemma: Because you do something differently, that doesn’t make you wrong, but it doesn’t make you right either. Equally, doing something like everyone else doesn’t always make you right.
To see ourselves as others see us
To see ourselves as others see us
Ongoing work
We need to manage:
Barriers to effective access
– Physical, linguistic, cultural
Barriers to effective engagement
– Perceptions, attitudes, expectations, starting point, objectives
Learning from Past Experience Major themes from Serious Case Reviews:
Importance of comprehensive family assessments, especially male figures
Formal assessment of risk
Assessment in context of diversity
Understanding ‘chronic abuse’ and the need to accumulate evidence
Assessment of long term abuse
Judging the quality of care is an essential component of any assessment but how well do we do it?
Judgements subjective and prone to bias
Intangible: Difficult to capture and compare
High threshold for recognition
Neglect is a pattern not an event
Assessment of long term abuse
Judging the quality of care is an essential component of any assessment but how well do we do it?
Judgements subjective and prone to bias
Intangible: Difficult to capture and compare
High threshold for recognition
Neglect is a pattern not an event
Pattern of neglect seen in caseloads: uncommon
The pattern of neglect: typical
Intervention Intervention
The pattern of neglect: uncommon
'G ood enough' level
Intervention Intervention
The pattern of neglect: uncommon
'G ood enough' level
Intervention Intervention
The pattern of neglect: common
Intervention Intervention
'G ood enough' level
Intervention ceases
The pattern of neglect: common
Cumulativeness
T h r es h o ld f o rin te r v en tio n
SEXUAL
ABUSE
PHYSICAL
ABUSE N
EGLECT
NEGLECT
NEGLECT
Failure of cumulativeness
T h r es h o ld f o rin te r v en tio n
SEXUAL
ABUSE
PHYSICAL
ABUSE
NEGLECT
NEGLECT
NEGLECT
NEGLECT
What’s the problem?
Chronic abuse and the principle of cumulativenessFiles very long and badly structured
Patterns missed and ‘chronic abuse’ overlooked
The problem of proportionality
Acclimatisation