Common Assessment Framework Research Articles

The Common Assessment Framework: the impact of the lead professional on families and professionals as part of a continuum of care in England

AbstractThis paper utilizes data gathered as part of an exploratory study to assess the costs and impact of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF), to examine the impact that the lead professional role had on families and workers. The study found that both families and workers believed the lead professional to be central to the CAF process, providing a range of support, coordinating multi‐agency responses to need and acting as a single point of contact between families and workers. The paper highlights the need for consideration to be given to inter‐agency working, data sharing, training for workers and the capacity implications for those taking on the role. The extent to which the lead professional might be more integrated into the continuum of support for vulnerable children and families is also examined. The paper highlights the need to consider the lead professional's role in not only preventing the need for more intensive services, such as those provided by statutory social work, but also maintaining outcomes achieved once a child protection plan is closed, or a child is reunified with his or her birth family after a period of being in care. The implications of the findings for policy and practice are discussed.

Performance through the Common Assessment Framework. A Critical Review for Romania

The performance management is the framework of a good implementation of the strategy in an organization. It shows how plans transform in results and it underlines the importance of the integration of processes, methodologies and activities which used isolated will not give the same results. The aim in this paper is to analyze one of the mechanisms which is considered appropriate for the improvement of public administration results: the Common Assessment Framework. The objective of the practical study consists in the preparation of the implementation of the Common Assessment Framework in one city hall from Romania: the city hall of Vulcana-Băi commune. The main tools of the research were the questionnaire and the focus-group. The interpretation of results was made in the light of information collected following some steps: the presentation of the associated criteria and sub criteria; the presentation of the questions that we used for the focus-group session; the statistic interpretation. The notation system we used was according to the classical notation of CAF 2006. Conclusions and recommendations of the study were pertained to the meaning of public administration performance and it represents the starting point of an appropriate performance evaluation in the context of Romanian local public administration.

Total Quality Management in the Implementation of Tasks of The Local Community: The Case of Pre-School Education

The paper presents the challenge of establishing a substantial governance framework of local government provision of tasks and services. The assumption that this end is highly dependent on the implementation of total quality management paradigm has led us to base our work on the Common Assessment Framework model. The research discusses the case of pre-school education. The main research question is how the representatives of the municipality, responsible for pre-school education, understand their role and accountability in the process of the provision of local government genuine services and tasks. As the main methodological result of the research is approved that the questionnaire based on the CAF model can help to discover the main opportunities for improvement of governance of genuine local government tasks. The results of the survey on pre-school education show that local governments are in control of financial matters and that their strategic focus is limited to the investment aspect. The accountability for quality management was approved as a key opportunity for improvement of local government governance.

Innovativeness as part of quality and excellence development in the Slovenian public administration (survey results 2007–2008)

The purpose of the study was (1) to investigate the trends in the development of excellence and innovativeness, or the use of the relevant tools, by comparing the situations of 2003, 2006 and (as projected) 2009 to one another, and against the approaches used in companies, and (2) to encourage the spread of awareness within the public administration of the importance of identifying and spreading good practices. We found that trends are taking the same direction, with the number of different tools and the frequency of their use – especially of the CAF (Common Assessment Framework) and EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) models, partly also the BSC (Balanced Scorecards), and of ISO standards – being on a continual rise, while the main systemic deficiencies are the inconsistent top-down policy of quality and excellence development, and the non-existent methodology for empirical evaluation of the effects produced by the use of those tools. The organisations are left to their own initiative, and support of the Government and the Ministries is only declarative. Innovativeness, unlike this, primarily entails gradual improvements in the ways in which work is done – in the first place from the client perspective –, which is mainly reflected by the estimated financial savings.

Beyond the veil — The real value of Foresight

The wide application of foresight would benefit from a common assessment framework that hardly exists. This would require a higher level of reference, i.e. pursuing more generic goals. This is offered by the two concepts of “knowledge society” and “participatory governance”. The aim of the research is to develop an impact assessment framework of foresight programmes in developing more participatory “knowledge societies” beyond their specific aims. Research shows that the major impacts of foresight belong to three groups, i.e. in relation to knowledge, network creation, and promoting public engagement in policy-making. At the same time, the major features of modern societies are of three types, i.e. related to knowledge value, to innovation-driven growth and to consequences of a “risk society”. Thus, the relevant areas where foresight might contribute are: knowledge, networking, and coping with a ‘risk society’. The new framework is built on the features and pre-conditions of more participatory societies and draws upon existing evaluation approaches and concepts (“theory-based evaluation”, “knowledge value framework”, “behavioural” and “cognitive capacity additionality”) to tackle short-comings of earlier evaluation efforts. It is then tested in a case study that demonstrates its feasibility and comprehensiveness and further refines the assessment criteria it is based on.

P85 Home and school directly observed therapy in a child with difficult and life threatening asthma

Background and aimWe report the case of a child with difficult and life- threatening asthma whose control improved with directly observed therapy (DOT). School based DOT improves adherence1 but to...

The impact of CAF enablers on job satisfaction: the case of the Slovenian Law Enforcement Agency

In recent decades, public sector organisations in Slovenia and across the European Union have been placing ever-more emphasis on the quality and excellence of their operations. For this purpose, they use different management tools and/or excellence models such as the European Foundation for Quality Management model, CAF (Common Assessment Framework), Balanced Scorecard, etc. An important aspect of excellence in any organisation involves the employees, i.e. human resources management. In spring 2012, a study was conducted within the Slovenian Law Enforcement Agency. The main purpose of the paper is to investigate the correlation between the results of a self-assessment of the CAF enablers and the job satisfaction of employees, having in mind that the evaluation regarding both the CAF enablers and job satisfaction was made by the employees within the same questionnaire. A multiple regression model was applied to test the intensity of the influence of the CAF enablers on total job satisfaction and on three sets of facets of job satisfaction, designed with factor analysis. The correlation between the employees' evaluation of their total satisfaction and individual facets of their satisfaction and the evaluation of specific CAF enablers can provide management with a useful starting point for improving management and execution processes in the Slovenian Law Enforcement Agency.

Implementing CAF in public administration

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to stimulate interest in the use of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF), a self-evaluation quality tool for the public sector, to disseminate relevant experiences from CAF implementation in Europe, to offer ideas about CAF optimization and to provide a basis and direction for further improvement. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology that is followed in the paper is based on the study of best practices (BP) of CAF implementation in European public administrations. The BP were selected in order to cover a wide range of political fields and to prove that CAF can be used by organizations in all parts of the public sector with different characteristics of size and structure. Findings – Studying relevant examples leads to the conclusion that effective CAF implementation can improve the performance of public administration and help establish a quality philosophy. The paper shows that CAF is a tool that can be easily modified and adapted to the organizations' special needs and characteristics. Practical implications – The study of the selected cases and the related information that is presented in this paper helps to disseminate relevant experiences from CAF implementation in Europe. It offers managers of the public sector ideas and helps on how to implement the CAF model, by providing real examples of organizations that have implemented it. It also helps them understand the benefits from CAF implementation, as well as the obstacles and barriers that may be faced, in order to be better prepared for its successful implementation. Originality/value – The value of this paper lies in the identification and presentation of several ideas and tools which have been successfully developed by European organizations and may as well be implemented by others. Ideas about modifying CAF and adjusting it into the uniqueness of every organization can be obtained only through careful study and analysis of its implementation.

Total Quality Management Systems in the Hellenic Public Administration: A Case Study on the Common Assessment Framework Application

The application of the Quality Management System in the Public Sector requires established objectives and continuous improvement aimed at citizens’ satisfaction. Therefore, more empirical evidence is needed to meet citizens’ requirements. The main quality tools used are: Management by Objectives, Indicators Measuring Efficiency and Effectiveness, the Common Assessment Framework and the Quality Certification through ISO. The CAF consists of nine criteria and 28 sub-criteria for evaluation. Each criterion involves a field or administrative aspect of reality that is accessed to determine whether it meets the stated requirements of the CAF. The paper examines the characteristics, the aim, the methodology and the implementation schedule of Total Quality Management introduced in the Greek Public Administration in 2004 by Law 3230/2004. Furthermore, the paper presents a case study in which the Common Assessment Framework was implemented in the Central Administration of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs, Culture and Athletics in Greece between the years 2010 and 2012. The Total Quality Management System yields multiple benefits. Of basic importance are the internal benefits that arise from better internal functioning of Public Administration. Most significant are the benefits that result from the relationship between Public Administration and external environment. This improves transactions between the administration and the public.

Screening tools for young people

In 2009, Sir Liam Donaldson, former Chief Medical Officer for England, advised parents that children “under 15 should never be given alcohol, even in small quantities”; however, underage drinking is an issue in Wales with approximately 17% of 13 year olds reporting that they have been drunk at least twice (HSBC, 2009/10). There was no significant gender gap between girls (18%) and boys (17%); which is in general agreement with a local survey (Roberts, 2011); where around one in ten secondary students report having been drunk four or more times in their life, with no significant difference in gender. The difficulty is that while there are validated and established screening tools for adults and over 16's the NICE guidelines (2010) recommend the Common Assessment Framework as the only screening tool for under 15's. This is too complex to be used as a screening aid during a brief intervention (5 minutes duration). The aim of this project is to recommend a standardised method to be used in Wales for screening young people during alcohol brief interventions. Public Health Wales (PHW) will conduct a review of the available literature to determine which methods are used internationally and to evaluate the screening tools with a view to recommending a tool for use with Health and Social partners. The review and recommendations will take place through 2013. PHW plan to ensure standardisation across Wales and to raise this at a UK level.

Quality management frameworks implementation in Polish local governments

Quality management frameworks (QMFs) are becoming increasingly crucial in the public administration sector due to the demands and expectations of the stakeholders. Used properly, they provide a structured approach to assessing the current service quality level and the organisational performance and help to identify where improvements can be made. The article analyses and discusses the Polish local government offices experience and involvement in the QMFs implementation, like the ISO 9001 standard, Common Assessment Framework and European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) models. The aim of the article, on the basis of the case-study method, is to present the efforts of QMFs implementation in two selected local governments in Poland – The City Office in Dzierżoniów, and The City Office in Trzebnica, and to confirm that QMFs implementation positively affects overall service quality and the key performance indicators, as well as to confirm that the EFQM model with its general and universal structure can be successfully used by public institutions, such as local government offices.

Use of the common assessment framework in an acute setting

Research suggests that use of the common assessment framework (CAF) assists in the early identification of, and response to, clients' needs. CAF is used to promote early intervention and effective multi-agency working, particularly with children who have additional needs. The holistic process includes good information sharing and well co-ordinated plans, in partnership with service users, families and other agencies. CAF was launched at an acute children's hospital more than five years ago. However, it was not established successfully as part of routine practice until a CAF lead was appointed in recognition of the awareness, training and support that staff require to use the tool effectively, resulting in notable improvement in CAF activity and client outcomes.

Commentary: A Public Health and Hospital System Collaboration for Conducting Community Health Assessments and Community Health Improvement Plans: Seven Hospital Systems in Oregon and Washington and Four County Public Health Departments in Oregon and One in Washington

Commentary: A Public Health and Hospital System Collaboration for Conducting Community Health Assessments and Community Health Improvement Plans: Seven Hospital Systems in Oregon and Washington and Four County Public Health Departments in Oregon and One in Washington

Application of common assessment framework to evaluate performance of leaders in public sector

Application of common assessment framework to evaluate performance of leaders in public sector

Making a case for common assessment framework responses to concerns about children

The past 11 years (1995-2006) have seen several major government initiatives in child welfare programmes culminating in the Children Act 2004 which places a duty on Children’s Services and their relevant partners to ‘cooperate to improve the well-being’ of children. One of the most important vehicles of delivery is the establishment of a common assessment framework (CAF) (DfES, 2003) as a key recommendation of the Green Paper Every Child Matters (2003). It is believed that the implementation of the Framework will lead to a significant re-shaping of intervention practices and to a measurable improvement in the lives of children and families facing adversity of different kinds.The research presented in this article aims to address a fundamental problem which stands in the way of this initiative designed to standardize approaches to the assessment of need. The problem concerns the identification and categorization of matters which are currently being referred by different agents and agencies to children’s services social care ‘front-doors’ as child protection matters. In the context of the findings of the first evaluation of the CAF and Lead Professional Guidance (DfEs, 2006) and the issues it raised over how ‘thresholds’ for services are being defined between partner agencies, the findings of research from the study being reported on this paper have implications for the reform of children’s services in the UK and in other places where polices to improve the well being of children and young people are paramount.

The Value of Audit Tools in Children's Services: Reflections upon a Common Assessment Framework Audit

This paper considers the value of audit tools in children's services. The article draws upon reflections from an audit of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) in an English local authority. The wider context of the CAF is outlined, highlighting the prominence of performance management within children's services and critical commentary around the same. Thereafter, the local context of CAF audit and the Quality Review Form (‘audit form’) used in the exercise is described. Observations from the audit are noted and the author reflects upon the validity of the audit form in light of the relevant literature. The article concludes that the CAF audit form does have many shortfalls, similar to those evident in other audit tools, including reliance upon quantitative data and a lack of both practitioners and children's perspectives. However, there is significant potential for it to be shaped into a useful tool to facilitate organisational learning, particularly through the incorporation of qualitative approaches to outcomes measurement.

Quality Assurance Policies and Indicators for Long-Term Care in the European Union, Country Report: Latvia

This paper describes the quality assurance system for long-term care services in Latvia. Policy planning for long-term care is undertaken by the Ministry of Welfare and the municipalities. Monitoring takes place at three levels: by the ministry, the municipalities and social service providers themselves. The legislation sets out requirements for social service providers and the evaluation of quality standards against a few criteria. The degree to which institutions attain the quality standards is assessed in three-level rating system (on the satisfaction of requirements), but the qualitative results are not publicly available.During 2011, a new system was developed and introduced for social service providers to evaluate the quality of their services themselves. This new self-evaluation system is based on the Common Assessment Framework of the European Institute of Public Administration, and provides comparable quality indicators across social service providers. At present, self-evaluation is voluntary, but in light of its superiority compared with the existing system for monitoring quality, self-evaluation is expected to replace it.

Partnership working in services for children: Use of the common assessment framework

Transformation in the structure and delivery of services for children and young people in the UK Children Act (Department for Education & Skills, 2004. The Children Act. London: HMSO) initiated new alliances between statutory, public and voluntary agencies. Traditional relationships and notions of partnership have been extended, necessitating an innovative approach to dialogue and multiple perspectives. Hudson's assertion that although the “rhetoric on partnering remains strong, the real policy thrust is now about choice and contestability” (2006, Journal of Integrated Care, 14(1), 13–21) exemplifies the dynamic policy context around notions of partnership and the rationale for collaborative advantage. This paper explores the experiences of practitioners working in a relatively new multi-agency context – the common assessment framework (CAF). Envisaged as a standardized approach to the assessment of need and as a tool to facilitate integrated working, the CAF is utilized by practitioners in the UK to improve outcomes for children and young people. We present data from a study that employed an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach and gathered semi-structured interviews with 20 practitioners. Interviews drew upon their experiences of interprofessional working in which diversity, partnership working, and competing aims and objectives emerged as significant themes. The insights that were gained are discussed in terms of their potential impact on service delivery in the UK and their contribution toward responsive practice across dynamic professional boundaries.

Relationships, learning and team working in UK services for children

PurposeThis paper seeks to report on education, health, and social care practitioners' experiences of working across traditional boundaries and establishing new relationships in the context of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) in UK children's services.Design/methodology/approachSemi‐structured interviews were conducted with a total of 20 education, health and social care practitioners, and operational managers using the qualitative methodology of interpretative phenomenological analysis.FindingsThe article highlights how change in the composition of teams has provided stimulus for new relationships, learning, and ways of working.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based upon a relatively small number of interviews conducted within one county.Originality/valueConsideration of relationships and learning within multi‐agency practice contexts is underdeveloped within the literature. As new forms of partnership may result from ongoing reconfiguration of services, this research into partnership working around the CAF offers insights and learning for future interprofessional teamworking.

The impacts of leadership in the quality of municipal public services: case study of a portuguese municipal council

The present research work, based on some of the components of the Common Assessment Framework, sets to analyse the influence held by leadership in specific factors that constitute the organisational climate, and also the impact that these factors have on the quality of municipal public services. For the purposes of this study, we propose Likert's exploitative autocratic and participative leadership styles to explain the genesis, structure and workflow. As far as the organisational climate is concerned, the variables used are motivation, satisfaction, empowerment, conflict and stress. The main conclusions that arose was that a participative leader confers higher relevance to the quality of service, through motivation, satisfaction, empowerment and human resources positive results, than an exploitative autocratic leader. Performed contributions are based on the empiric research hereby presented, and new research guidelines are proposed. The research methodology used was qualitative, based on the case study.