Using an assessment framework: outcomes from a pilot study
Abstract
This article reports on the evaluation of a pilot project which tested the utility of a framework for the Assessment of Vulnerable Children and their Families in five health board (local authority) areas in the Republic of Ireland. The framework had been developed following a consultancy process with practitioners and managers from a number of disciplines. The evaluation sought to establish whether (1) use of the framework helped to standardise practice across a range of organisational environments, (2) the framework was effective in a range of family situations and circumstances, (3) the process of assessment was transparent, (4) the framework advanced collaboration between disciplines and (5) the materials were user‐friendly. The methods used for evaluation were: semi‐structured interviews, a review of case records, a postal survey of practitioners, an action learning set and consultation with an expert group. Findings indicated that the framework was largely successful in its aims, with weaknesses demonstrated principally in two areas, namely inadequate use of evidence for decision‐making and deficiencies in documented information about children.
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Citation
Buckley, H., Whelan, S., Murphy, C. and Horwath, J. (2007), "Using an assessment framework: outcomes from a pilot study", Journal of Children's Services, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp. 37-47. https://doi.org/10.1108/17466660200700004
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited