Assessment and planning with children and young people
This element focuses on adopting a child-centred approach to assessment and planning, ensuring the child or young person is an active participant in decisions affecting their lives. Practitioners will develop skills to collaboratively create, implement, and review care plans that aim for positive outcomes, aligning with legislative frameworks and best practice in health and social care.
Assessment criteria
Topic Overview
The ProQual Level 3 Certificate in Healthcare and Social Care Support Skills is designed for individuals working or aspiring to work in health and social care settings. It covers essential skills such as communication, person-centred care, safeguarding, and promoting independence. This qualification is crucial for those seeking to provide high-quality support to individuals with diverse needs, including the elderly, those with disabilities, or people with mental health conditions.
The course emphasises the importance of understanding legal and ethical frameworks, including the Care Act 2014, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and the Human Rights Act 1998. Students learn to apply these principles in real-world scenarios, ensuring they can protect vulnerable individuals while respecting their rights and dignity. This topic is foundational for roles such as care assistants, support workers, and healthcare assistants.
Mastering these skills is vital for career progression in health and social care. The qualification not only prepares students for direct care roles but also provides a pathway to further study, such as nursing or social work degrees. By focusing on practical, person-centred approaches, students develop the competence and confidence needed to make a positive impact on people's lives.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Person-centred care: Tailoring support to an individual's preferences, needs, and values, ensuring they are actively involved in decisions about their care.
- →Safeguarding: Protecting individuals from abuse, neglect, and harm, following local policies and the Care Act 2014's six principles.
- →Effective communication: Using verbal and non-verbal techniques, active listening, and adapting communication to meet the needs of individuals with sensory impairments or cognitive challenges.
- →Promoting independence: Encouraging individuals to do as much as possible for themselves, using enablement approaches and assistive technology where appropriate.
- →Legal and ethical frameworks: Understanding key legislation such as the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Equality Act 2010, and applying them in practice.
Learning Objectives
What you need to know and understand
- Explain the principles and benefits of child-centred assessment and planning.
- Demonstrate effective communication strategies to engage children and young people in the assessment process.
- Assess the needs and strengths of children and young people to inform the development of a support plan.
- Apply person-centred planning techniques to create achievable positive outcomes with children and young people.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of a care plan in achieving agreed outcomes through regular review with the child or young person.
- Analyse the principles of child-centred assessment and their importance in promoting positive outcomes.
- Demonstrate effective communication techniques to involve children and young people in their own assessment and planning.
- Develop collaborative care plans that reflect the unique needs, strengths, and aspirations of the child or young person.
- Implement care plans in partnership with children, young people, and other professionals to achieve agreed goals.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of plans through structured review processes, making necessary adjustments in consultation with the child.
- Apply safeguarding procedures throughout the assessment, planning, and review cycle.
- Analyse the principles of child-centred assessment and how they influence planning for positive outcomes.
- Facilitate the active participation of children and young people in their own assessment and planning processes.
- Apply professional judgement to balance the child’s wishes with safeguarding responsibilities during planning.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-agency plan in meeting the holistic needs of a child or young person.
- Demonstrate effective communication strategies when involving children and young people in plan reviews.
- Reflect on own role in supporting children and young people to achieve their identified outcomes.
Assessment Criteria
Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio
- Award credit for evidence showing the child's views were actively sought and recorded during assessment.
- Assess the candidate's ability to justify planning decisions with reference to the child's expressed wishes, feelings, and any relevant legal frameworks (e.g., the Children Act 1989).
- Look for clear documentation of how the plan was adapted following a review, demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness to changing needs.
- Award credit for demonstrating how the child’s views were actively sought and recorded during assessment.
- Look for evidence of meaningful participation, not just tokenistic consultation.
- Expect the learner to explain how they have adapted their communication style to the child’s age and understanding.
- Assess the ability to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) outcomes in partnership with the child.
- Check that reviews include documented feedback from the child and lead to concrete adjustments to the plan.
- Award credit for demonstrating clear inclusion of the child’s voice in assessment records, e.g. direct quotes or observations.
- Give marks for explaining how the plan’s objectives align with the five Every Child Matters outcomes or equivalent framework.
- Credit the identification of appropriate professional roles involved in the planning process and their contributions.
- Award marks for evidencing how the plan was adapted in response to a review meeting or changing circumstances.
- Recognise the use of age-appropriate tools and methods to engage children and young people in planning.
Assessment Guidance
Guidance for achieving higher grades
- 💡Always link your practice to the core principle that the child's welfare is paramount, as outlined in the Children Act 1989 and Working Together to Safeguard Children.
- 💡When reviewing plans, provide concrete examples of how you sought feedback from the child and other professionals, and how this informed any changes.
- 💡In your evidence, always explicitly mention how you have enabled the child to express their views, using tools like ‘All About Me’ profiles or communication aids.
- 💡Link your practice to relevant legislation such as the Children Act 1989/2004, UNCRC, and local safeguarding procedures.
- 💡When reflecting on reviews, provide concrete examples of how you adapted plans based on the child’s feedback.
- 💡For portfolio-based assessments, ensure you have signed consent and maintain confidentiality while showing evidence of multi-agency working.
- 💡In written responses, always link theory to practice by providing specific examples from your work setting.
- 💡When discussing participation, reference models such as Hart’s Ladder of Participation to show depth of understanding.
- 💡Use the assessor’s feedback loops to demonstrate how your own practice has evolved through reflective learning.
- 💡For observed assessments, prepare the child or young person in advance so they feel comfortable contributing during professional discussions.
- 💡Familiarise yourself with the key legislation and guidance, such as the Children Act 1989/2004 and Working Together to Safeguard Children, and cite them where relevant.
- 💡Use specific examples from your placement or case studies to illustrate how you apply person-centred care and safeguarding principles. Examiners look for evidence of practical application.
- 💡When discussing legislation, explain how it directly impacts your role. For example, link the Mental Capacity Act to how you assess capacity and make best interests decisions.
- 💡Show understanding of the 'duty of care' concept and how it balances with individuals' rights. Discuss scenarios where these might conflict and how you would resolve them.
Common Mistakes
Common errors to avoid in your coursework
- Confusing assessment with planning, treating them as a single stage rather than distinct but interconnected processes.
- Making assumptions about a child's capacity to contribute, excluding them from discussions based on age or developmental stage without attempting appropriate communication methods.
- Setting outcome goals that are not specific, measurable, or achievable within the given timeframe.
- Failing to involve the child directly, instead relying solely on parents or carers.
- Using overly complex language without checking the child’s comprehension.
- Setting goals that are adult-led rather than co-produced with the child.
- Overlooking the need to update plans regularly based on the child’s changing circumstances.
- Not connecting planning to statutory safeguarding and legal frameworks.
- Treating the assessment as a tick-box exercise rather than a dynamic, ongoing process.
- Failing to distinguish between the child’s expressed wishes and their best interests, or ignoring one in favour of the other.
- Writing plans that are adult-led with no evidence of the child’s participation or agreement.
- Overlooking the need to set measurable and time-bound outcomes in the plan.
- Confusing parental consent with the child’s own consent or assent in decision-making.
- Misconception: Person-centred care means always doing what the individual wants. Correction: It means involving the individual in decisions, but care must also consider their safety, well-being, and professional judgement.
- Misconception: Safeguarding is only about reporting abuse. Correction: It also involves prevention, promoting well-being, and creating a culture of openness where individuals feel safe to raise concerns.
- Misconception: Communication is just talking to the individual. Correction: It includes observing body language, using appropriate aids (e.g., Makaton, picture cards), and ensuring the environment supports effective interaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Pass / Merit / Distinction Evidence Checklist
How your portfolio evidence is graded for PROQUAL AWARDING BODY Assessment and planning with children and young people
Demonstrate baseline knowledge, accurate terminology, and core practical application.
Provide detailed analysis, structured explanations, and clear workplace reasoning.
Deliver thorough evaluation, original problem solving, and fully justified recommendations.
Before You Start
Prior knowledge that will help with this topic
- •Basic understanding of health and social care values, such as dignity, respect, and confidentiality.
- •Familiarity with the roles and responsibilities of care workers and the importance of teamwork.
- •Awareness of common conditions like dementia, learning disabilities, or physical impairments, though not essential.
Coursework AI Review
Self-check your coursework evidence against P/M/D criteria
Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- Child-centred practice
- Collaborative planning
- Outcome-focused assessment
- Active participation
- Reviewing and adapting plans
- Child-centred assessment and planning
- Participation and co-production
- Positive outcomes and goal setting
- Review and adaptation of care plans
- Safeguarding and ethical practice
- Child-centred practice
- Partnership working with families
- Multi-agency collaboration
- Outcome-focused planning
- Safeguarding in assessment
- Review and adaptation of plans
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