The Government is proposing a common assessment framework that will be used by all youth professions in England.
The framework was mooted in the Every Child Matters green paper. Local authorities will not be able to "opt out", and it will be used to evaluate a young person's needs when they first come into contact with services.
If the agency refers a young person to another service, the assessment will go with them.
The public consultation on the proposals will continue until late November.
An implementation plan is due in December and yearlong pilots are due in April next year. Full-scale implementation will begin in April 2006.
www.dfes.gov.uk.
