This guide is aimed principally at the social worker who is leading a multi-agency assessment of a child and their family after concerns have been raised that the child is being or has been sexually abused, or is at risk of sexual abuse.
It is also relevant to any other professionals working with the child (in school, for example), to help them understand what happens during an assessment and explain this to the child and family. Section 12 contains information specifically for professionals who may be contributing to the assessment.
What is a multi-agency assessment?
Led by a social worker but conducted in collaboration with the multi-agency network, this assessment will involve the child, their family members, and all professionals who know the child and family; it will build a holistic picture of the child, their circumstances and their needs (including the need for protection from any risks they continue to face), to help children’s social care decide how best to meet those needs.
A multi-agency assessment will take place when:
- a child protection enquiry identifies that a multi-agency assessment is needed
- the child is considered not to be at immediate risk of significant harm
- signs and indicators of sexual abuse have been identified, but the facts and circumstances still need to be fully established.
How may the child be feeling?
The child may be experiencing a range of complex feelings:
- Relieved that the abuse is now known and hoping for action.
- Unhappy about revisiting past events.
- Anxious about what raising concerns might mean for them or their family.
- Unsure about what social workers or police involvement will bring.
- Mistrustful if they've had negative experiences with authorities.
- Worried or relieved about possible placement in care.
- Responsible for their family's distress or blame.
The child may also feel in trouble or that they've done something wrong, and may find talking about their experiences frightening or embarrassing.
Planning the multi-agency assessment
Often, multi-agency assessments are carried out following concerns relating to matters such as neglect, substance misuse or domestic abuse in addition to indicators of sexual abuse. When planning and conducting the assessment, you need to maintain a clear focus on the risk or likelihood of sexual abuse, alongside addressing these other areas of the child’s health and development.
- Decide who you want to talk to, and where and when.
- Prepare to visit the child.
- Identify and address any communication needs, including needs related to language, learning disability or difficulty, physical disabilities, or neurodiversity.
- Liaise with the police to discuss how the visit will be conducted.
A multi-agency approach is essential for effective information sharing and building a picture of the child's circumstances. Multiagency professionals may have information about signs and indicators of sexual abuse, such as the child's behaviour, the behaviour of people around the child, or their environment.
When talking with the child:
- discuss who will speak to the child, when, and how.
- consider diversity and how personal characteristics might increase vulnerability and shape the response to child sexual abuse.
- check the child's understanding of the situation.
- identify the child's concerns and what they want to happen.
During your conversation, and at other times (such as when the child is around their parent(s) and any family members suspected of sexually abusing them), be aware of any emotional, behavioural and physical signs that may indicate child sexual abuse.
Even where a child’s parent(s) have had no involvement in the sexual abuse of their child, professionals sometimes assume that they were complicit in or knew about the abuse. Such assumptions are often wrong; often the parent(s) can be key allies in making their child(ren) safe, providing support and repairing the harm that has been done.
It is critical to continue talking to the non-abusing parent(s) throughout the child protection enquiry and beyond, so that you can understand their circumstances, draw on their unique knowledge of their child, and explore their understanding of how the family works. Interview them separately from any adult about whom there are concerns.
We recommend that you read our Supporting parents and carers guide, to help you understand how the parent(s) may be feeling and reacting when concerns about child sexual abuse have just come to light; explore the impacts of the abuse on the whole family; and offer effective and appropriate support so they in turn can support their child(ren).
At this stage, you need to establish whether:
- the parent(s) are acting to keep the child safe (and will continue to do so), or can be supported to keep them safe.
- there is any grooming behaviour, coercion or control in relation to the child.
- whether anyone in the family is subject to violence, coercion or control more generally – if so, the parent(s) will be less able to set and keep boundaries, or to put a safety plan in place.
- Keep the child safe by considering what steps need to be taken, such as using powers of police protection, a court order, or a voluntary agreement.
- Consider what steps, if any, need to be taken to limit contact with the person of concern.
- Where there are concerns about grooming or coercive control, contextual safeguarding risks, or technology assisted harms, consider what steps need to be taken.
- Develop a safety plan with the child and family.
- Consider whether a medical assessment or examination is necessary.
- Consider what support the child and family might need.
- Where the child has engaged in harmful sexual behaviour, consult your local guidance.
Depending on its findings, and the views of the police and other agencies, the multi-agency assessment will have one of the following outcomes:
- If the child is considered not to be at continuing risk of serious harm, but has unmet support needs, a child in need plan or Family Help plan will be developed.
- If they are thought not to need continuing support from children’s social care, you may decide to take no further action at this time, or an offer of family support.
Once the outcome of the child protection enquiry has been decided, consider how best to inform the child and their non-abusing parent(s). Explain:
- the decision.
- what the decision means.
- what will happen next.
- ensure that they understand why the decision was made, especially if it does not reflect what they said they hoped would happen.
Also communicate the outcome with other professionals, including the person who made the referral.
- Share good-quality information, including an analysis of the child’s circumstances.
- Help the social worker – who may never have met the child – to understand the child and their circumstances.
- Do what you can to support the child's emotional health, education, physical health, and relationships with family and friends.