Common Assessment Framework (CAF)

The Common Assessment Framework ( CAF ) is a key part of delivering front line services that are integrated and focused around the needs of children and young people. It is a key component of the Every Child Matters: Change for Children Programme. The aim is to identify, at the earliest opportunity, a child or young person’s additional needs which are not being met by the universal services they are receiving, and provide timely and co-ordinated support to meet those needs.

The CAF form is a standardised tool used to conduct an assessment of a child or young person’s additional needs and helps practitioners to decide how those needs should be met. It is used by practitioners across children’s services in England.

The 3 Stages of CAF

• Practitioners can use a simple pre-assessment checklist to help them identify children or young people who would benefit from a common assessment;
• Practitioners use a standard from to gather and understand information about the needs and strengths of the child – based on discussions with the child or young person, their family and other practitioners as appropriate;
• The CAF enables different agencies working with the same child or young person to have a co-ordinated and joined up approach and facilitates the provision of a multi agency action plan designed to meet the child or young persons needs. A lead professional may need to be identified to take responsibility for co ordination of the actions identified and to act as a single point of contact for the family.

CAF Newsletter

Please view the CAF Newsletter (PDF, 309KB) for a brief progress report regarding CAF procedures, training and also an introduction into the support which is also available through Working lunches.

Further information regarding Working Lunches along with future dates and venues can be found in the CAF Working Lunch document (MS Word, 37MB)

CAF and Lead Professional Training Programme

PLEASE NOTE: CAF USER TRAINING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE YOU CAN UNDERTAKE THE LEAD PROFESSIONAL TRAINING.

• CAF Summer 2010 Training Programme (PDF, 215KB)
• CAF Spring 2010 Training Programme (PDF, 215KB)
• CAF Training Application Form (MS Word, 134KB)

CAF Procedures

Cheshire East is following the CAF Guidance set out in the documents recently published by The Children's Workforce Development Council.

For Cheshire East childcare practitioners, these should be used in conjunction with the CAF Process Flowchart (PDF, 50KB). 

North West CAF Group Cross Border Protocol: 

In those situations where a child resides in Cheshire East, but receives services from an organisation within another authority and a CAF is in place, or, if a child is resident in another authority area, but receives services from another authority and a CAF is in place then the North West Protocol (PDF, 27KB) should be followed.

Important CAF Changes from 1st October 2009

As a result of the comprehensive review of CAF implementation an important change has been agreed in the Cheshire East Common Assessment Framework ( CAF ) procedures.

From 1st October completed CAFs, multi-agency action plans and review forms are to be stored centrally.

All CAF documents received will be stored electronically on a secure drive with access restricted to the CAF team. All paper copies of CAF documents received will be scanned, checked and then destroyed securely.

Practitioners will only be required to send in copies of the CAF assessment, action plans and review documents and then a closure form to advise us the CAF has closed.

By collecting in CAF documents and storing them centrally the CAF Team will be able to;

• Reduce duplication 
• Quality assure CAF s 
• Provide feedback to practitioners
• Collate information about local needs which can be used to inform commissioning and begin measuring the impact of CAF activity on children and young people and their families.

New Procedure for Practitioners

In line with the recent changes can all practitioners please follow this procedure:

• Copies of all CAF documents completed from 1st October should be sent to the CAF /ContactPoint Team (details below)
• Log sheets should not be sent in after 1st October as we will have no way of storing them electronically (if we receive any we'll send out a reminder to you of the new process)
• When discussing consent and information sharing with children, young people and their families, practitioners should advise them that the form will be stored centrally and securely. (Leaflets are being prepared for families but in the meantime a Information Sharing fact sheet (PDF, 19KB) is attached which you can use if it will be helpful to you)
• Practitioners completing CAF s should keep the original signed copies in a secure place, following their own agency procedures. If you will be sending it in to us electronically, please write "signed copy on case file" on the signature line(s).

Please use the following options for returning all CAF documentation;

• email: CAFandContactPointTeamEast@cheshireeast.gov.uk
• Or, if you have access to nhs.net or pnn.police.co.uk you can email: cafandcontactpointteameast@cheshireeast.gov.uk.cjsm.net 
• Fax: (Safe haven fax number): 01625 528986
• Post: (envelope marked "confidential-CAF) to: 

CAF / ContactPoint Implementation Team
Cheshire East Council
Oakenclough Children's Centre
Colshaw Drive
Wilmslow
SK9 2PZ

Thank you for your co-operation with this. The revised process will benefit both practitioners and the CAF process in Cheshire East. For further information please contact the team using the details as above.  

Quality Assurance of CAF's

In February 2010 The DCSF introduced a Quality Assurance Framework that will help Practitioners and their Managers quality assure their own CAFs.  The guidance is available on the DCSF Every Child Matters website. Please follow the links below for more information;

• Practitioners Checklist to use when completing a CAF (PDF, 109KB)
• Managers Checklist to use as part of the supervisory process (1PDF, 10KB)

CAF Forms

• Pre-assessment Checklist (MS Word, 85KB)
• CAF form NEW (MS Word, 360KB)
• Multi Agency meeting form NEW (MS Word, 250KB), this has replaced the original form
• CAF Closure Summary (MS Word, 100KB)

Support Materials

• Letter of invitation to an initial Multi Agency meeting (MS Word, 36KB)
• Letter of invitation to a review meeting (MS Word, 35KB)
• Written information to a Multi Agency meeting (MS Word, 43KB)
• Letter to confirm a CAF has been closed (MS Word, 35KB)
• Multi Agency meeting attending list (MS Word, 34KB)
• Multi Agency checklist (MS Word, 36KB
• Information for Parents / Carers (PDF, 387KB)
• Information for Children / Young people (PDF, 1.1MB)

For further information regarding other services for children, young people and their families please visit the Family Information Service pages.