[senco-forum] Common Assessment Framework CAF

Hi all,
Last week I completed 2 days training on CAF. It looks like a good idea if we all do what we are supposed to do. I do have reservations, and at our training the 'Lead practitioner' was a problem for most. I found that the way it was being set up was a social construction on who it is aimed at. A major problem to my mind is that it requires the permission of parents or the young person if competent. Anyone with anything to hide will not participate. It also brings up the 'nanny state' issue and the possibility of wrong assumptions being made by well meaning practitioners, as was the case in one scenario we ran. The main principle that all agencies that 'need to know' will be able to access certain information. It seems that some agencies will not put information on and some will be 'involvement' notices with no detail. One of the School Nurses said that there were a lot of 'confidentiality' issues, as to who should be told what or if it should even be recorded. With the recent problems with central government computer systems this could end up being a costly issue. 
We will see how the system works when it is 'rolled out'. It also will not contain information on ‘celebrities’ who are CAFed. Back to one law for the rich and another for the poor. I also do not see how it would have stop the abuses on the poor child, Victoria Climbié.
Sceptical as ever. 

Mike Stroud
SENCo. Birmingham Secondary School.

-----Original Message-----
From: whitehouse_tara at yahoo.co.uk
To: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Sent: Wed, 2 May 2007 7.51PM
Subject: [senco-forum] Common Assessment Framework CAF

Hi everyone - I've just got back from a training session all about Common 
Assessment Framework (CAF).  Has anyone heard about it, or using it already in 
their setting, I would be very interested to hear your views and opinions on 
this.

  Thanks for you answers and views in advance.

  Tara :)

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