Thread: CAF

**Cammie Doodle** · 24-02-2008, 02:31 PM

Has anyone attended anything to do with The Common Assessment Framework ????????????????????

June and Carolyn

**miffy** · 24-02-2008, 02:42 PM

Yes it was covered as part of my safeguarding children course

Miffy xx

son77 · 24-02-2008, 02:46 PM

Yes I did an introductory course last year but told we also need to do a full day course too. Still waiting on that one. xx

**Cammie Doodle** · 24-02-2008, 02:47 PM

We have to attend a meeting in May. Did you find it useful?

son77 · 24-02-2008, 03:08 PM

Yes it was (if not alittle scary!)

As childminders we may have to contribute to this if there is a problem with a child we look after but the paperwork & the seriousness of the nature involved looks a bit daunting! Hense why a full day course is required!

Was interesting though.

**sarah707** · 24-02-2008, 03:31 PM

I've never been involved in this but I have helped get a child statemented a few years ago and the paperwork for that was bad enough!

**Blaze** · 24-02-2008, 05:11 PM

Yep I did an online course on it that was layed on by my county last year.
Tasha

**Cammie Doodle** · 24-02-2008, 07:12 PM

Thanks Girls, I was just wondering how the rest of the country was dealing with this. I suppose it is better if EVERYONE who deals with a child does have some input. (but as an ex foster carer I thought I had finished with all that kind of thing

. Mind you the child is Paramount and I should remember that, should'nt I ?)

**deeb66** · 24-02-2008, 07:22 PM

Originally Posted by tasha

Yep I did an online course on it that was layed on by my county last year.
Tasha

I keep threatening to do this but then something else always comes along and CAF training goes on the back burner again!

Did it take you long Tasha?

What is involved?

**Tatia** · 24-02-2008, 08:06 PM

I had a briefing session and am still awaiting the full training course. I remember our trainer was really wonderful, had us all in stitches. I found it all so interesting. I have a little guy who is in the system and after attending the briefing on CAF, I realized I should be a part of his "team around the child" considering I was the only one, besides Dad, who attended his case conferences who actually knew him (his teacher didn't go as the school has an officer to deal with this who gets reports from the teacher).

I tihnk a lot of the times,the other agencies have a hard time accepting childminders as a fellow professional. Luckily I am not one to feel intimidated or inferior because they sure try their level best sometimes.

**sarah707** · 24-02-2008, 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by Tatia

I tihnk a lot of the times,the other agencies have a hard time accepting childminders as a fellow professional. Luckily I am not one to feel intimidated or inferior because they sure try their level best sometimes.

Don't they just! I was involved in the statementing process for a lad a while ago and the amount of times i opened my mouth to talk and got talked over...

I used to get so frustrated, everyone else was listened to, I had that child 5 days a week, I knew him better than his absent mother or his working father who had custody...

I got there eventually, had a one-to-one with the child psych and told her I was an ex teacher and that actually i knew what I was talking about... but it took more time and wasted more time than it should have done

**mjw** · 24-02-2008, 08:17 PM

been on 2 trainings about CAF which were not very good even the trainer who is a wonderful speaker said she is tired of doing this as everytime the info changes. I found the e-learning course far better and it had the right amount of info.This was a surrey website course and free!

**Blaze** · 24-02-2008, 08:19 PM

It took about an hour, but I'd allow a little longer to be on the safe side...you read then take little tests along the way...then at the end you take a full test of 20 questions...if you pass...you print out certificate...if not you re-read & take test again! Pretty painless & surprisingly informative! Hey ..it can't have been so bad...i got 20/20 first attempt! Word of advice...pay attention to the wording! You have to pick the correct word in some of the question...so you might type in standard & get it wrong...they wanted you to type common...same meaning, but not what they were looking for IYSWIM....It's all stuff that was in the reading though, so not too bad!
Tasha

**deeb66** · 24-02-2008, 08:23 PM

Thanks Mary & Tasha

Will have to pull my finger out and get it done in the next week or so.

**Blaze** · 24-02-2008, 09:23 PM

No problem Dee..it's well worth doing!
Tasha

**LittleMissSparkles** · 25-02-2008, 08:43 PM

I did an online one to cant quite remember now where I found it !

xx

**Banana** · 25-02-2008, 08:47 PM

sorry.... whats this?

xx

**Cammie Doodle** · 25-02-2008, 11:12 PM

Its where all agencies (us included) would have some input about a child who may need extra help ie learning care etc. Basically they take info from everyone who deals with that child and build a bigger picture. Hope this makes sense?

And I agree with Sarah about us being taken seriously as we know some of the children in our care better than anyone else.
We used to get angry as a Foster Carers when our views and opinions were over looked

After all we only wants what beat for the kids

**Tatia** · 26-02-2008, 07:38 AM

Because families can be involved with so many agencies and whatnot that a child can easily slip through the cracks. If they move, it can take Social Services a long time to catch up to them. The CAF will hopefully mean that there will be one docment listing every agency and professional working with family and child.