Common Assessment Framework (CAF)

The CAF is a shared assessment and planning framework for use across all children's services and all local areas in England. It aims to help the early identification of children's additional needs and promote co-ordinated service provision to meet them. It is a standardised approach to conducting an assessment of a child's additional needs and deciding how those needs should be met.  

Anyone whose work brings them into contact with children and families should have an awareness of the CAF and either know how to complete a common assessment themselves or know how to arrange to have one carried out. Everyone working with children should be aware of the sorts of situations that indicate the need for a common assessment. Every organisation offering services to children will need to ensure at least some of its staff are equipped to complete common assessments.

CAF in Bromley

The CAF advice and support team is a multi-agency team consisting of colleagues with backgrounds in health, education, social care and the voluntary sector. They support the implementation of the CAF by offering advice, support and training opportunities to practitioners completing CAFs and/or acting as lead professionals.