Government considers abolishing eCAF children's assessments
Lauren Higgs
Friday, August 12, 2011
The government is considering scrapping the national system that allows professionals to electronically record details of assessments for children and young people with additional needs, CYP Now has learned.
The electronic common assessment framework (eCAF) system, which was introduced by the previous government, was designed to help practitioners from different agencies to plan and deliver co-ordinated services for children and young people with specialist support needs.
For example a health visitor could use eCAF to register concerns about a child’s development and check if they are receiving any extra support at school.
Sharing such information electronically was supposed to reduce unnecessary repeat assessments and inappropriate referrals and tackle the problems associated with working across geographical borders.
In a letter to directors of children’s services, seen by CYP Now, the Department for Education’s (DfE) director general for children and families Tom Jeffery said the government is "minded" to decommission the system following Professor Eileen Munro’s review of the child protection system.
"Professor Munro was clear that the government should not endorse nationally prescribed approaches to IT systems," the letter said. "She was also clear that it is local ownership of assessment processes – and the quality of local thought and engagement – which will ensure that early help makes a difference to children and families."
The letter urged local authorities to inform the DfE of how the loss of national eCAF could affect their organisation by e-mailing national.ecaf@education.gsi.gov.uk before 30 September. The views of councils will influence the final decision on whether or not to scrap the scheme, it said.
