Eight local authorities are trying a more fl exible approach to child protection assessment timescales. Here, three College members debate the pros and cons
16 SOCIALWORKMATTERS MAR12
he Munro review recommended a more fl exible approach to the assessment of children and young people in child protection cases. Under current rules, initial assessments
have to be completed in seven working days, and core assessments in 35 working days. But Munro said social workers should be
liberated to use their professional judgement, so in eight local authorities the government is allowing assessment timescales to refl ect children’s needs and has relaxed the prescriptive element. Findings from the eight trials, due to fi nish at the end of March, may be used to amend Working Together to Safeguard Children. So we asked three social workers unconnected with the trials to give their views on the pros and cons of assessment timescales.