Needs and risk assessment is an ongoing process of the examination and evaluation of a client’s risk factors and strengths, together with an evaluation of problems and strengths within the client’s broader environment – for the purpose of deciding on action or intervention. A comprehensive assessment of needs and risks should be informed by a detailed process of case conceptualization. Case conceptualization, within social work, is the process of reviewing, organising and interpreting information across the broader context of people’s lives – their family, material circumstances, culture and social networks. It helps to provide a rationale for intervention; inclusive of informing effective needs and risk assessment practices – as taught throughout this course.

The assessment process, as a whole, draws on a shared understanding – calling on the expertise of all parties involved, seeking to answer the following four fundamental questions:

1. Are there any current or potential child protection risks and concerns? And how significant are these risks/concerns?

2. Are there any bio-psycho-social needs for the child that are not being addressed?
3. What are the vulnerabilities and protective factors that can inform the assessment process?
4. How will all of this information be weighed up and prioritized?

To respond to these four questions, it will be important to explore and discuss your informed understanding of the following key factors:-

• Child-centred theory and practice principles; inclusive of respectful child and family centred practice approaches – clearly linked in with key factors outlined in the child’s scenario
• Relevant legal, cultural and ethical issues/responsibilities, e.g. worker’s duty of care when working with young children.
• Practice approaches and perspectives that will inform the assessment process.
• Factual assessment of the child’s immediate safety concerns and a comprehensive analysis of relevant information about past harm, current harm, and risk of harm.

Missing information needing to be followed up

Core Requirements and Structure

• This assignment needs to follow an essay structure: introduction, body, and conclusion
• No indented, dot pointed or numbered lists to be used in the paper
• This is an academic paper and needs to be well researched and referenced with a clear application of theoretical and professional knowledge used throughout. In-text references to be used evenly throughout the paper
• Normal 3^rd person academic language to be used throughout the assessment
• A minimum of 10 peer-reviewed academic sources to be used
• This assessment is 2250 words. Assessments to adhere to this word limit (plus or minus 10%)