How to assess client needs
Common assessment provides the basis for the help provided to individuals by the range of employability and specialist providers they need to help them work through their issues and progress towards employment. It is based on a common format for assessing individuals’ needs and the creation of a shared record of appropriate information and progress. Thorough assessment of each individual’s current situation, priority needs and next steps has a number of core features and benefits. It:
- Reduces (or avoids altogether) the need to duplicate information collection by different services
- Involves individuals in the planning of responses that best meet their need
- Supports the delivery of seamless, co-ordinated services for individuals bringing together a wide range of employability and specialist service providers
- Ensures individuals are more likely to be referred to appropriate services at the appropriate time
Partners need to agree the format for common assessment and ensure the staff within each organisation have the skills, information and systems they need to undertake the assessment role. There also needs to be agreement about the range of information that will be collected and shared, as well as obtaining individual approval for this. You will need to explain that they will more than likely need the support of different people in different organisations and you will, therefore, need to share information about them with the range of agencies involved.
The benefits to individuals include:
- Providing them with a thorough assessment of their needs, agreeing with them what they need to help them make progress to work, identify where they can get this help, when and introduce them to the people who will provide this help
- Reviewing their progress in a way that enables them to see the progress they are making towards work
The process can also result in the creation of individual action plans to help clients meet their employability aspirations. These plans should capture individual goals, address personal needs and barriers (including, for example, childcare, financial issues, etc), identify providers and provide relevant information for the range of agencies who will provide support and services to individuals.
Please see the A Common Approach to Assessment page within the Toolkit section for further information and training materials in relation to common assessment.