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Advice

The comprehensive guide focuses on the tasks of social workers carrying out an age assessment and the practical steps you need to take before, during and after a young person’s age assessment. It is based on the Age Assessment Guide published by the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS), the key document for social workers in England.

Social workers in Wales should use Welsh Government advice Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children: age assessment toolkit (Welsh Government, 2021).

The role of the social worker assessor

If a young person in an age dispute presents or is referred to a local authority, managers should assign two qualified, registered social workers to undertake the assessment.

Both social workers must have experience of working with children and young people and carrying out assessments with children in need. At least one social worker must have experience of working with young asylum seekers and carrying out age assessments. Where this proves difficult, local authorities may consider engaging an independent social worker with relevant experience or making arrangements with other local authorities.

The two social workers and the manager should discuss and agree roles in planning the assessment and conducting interviews and allow time for different aspects of the work, to ensure that the assessment can be completed quickly.

Planning for the assessment should take into account the skills and experience of the workers involved. Tasks will include:

• gather and review any information already available;
• practical arrangements, such as booking a venue, interpreter and suitable adult;
• plan the assessment interviews (perhaps including formulating certain areas of discussion or questions);
• drafting the evaluation report.

One social worker may “lead” the interview(s), with the other taking primarily or only notes. Check to see if local policies are in place. THE British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Age Assessment Guide indicates that if both workers take notes, it may be difficult for the primary social worker to observe changes in the young person’s expression or posture.

Planning and preparation

Before age assessment, consider:

1. Has the young person been informed that an age assessment is going to be carried out and are arrangements in place to ensure they receive the information they need about the process and the support available to them?
2. Have arrangements been made for an appropriate adult and interpreter to be present during the interviews?
3. Has a suitable location been found?
4. Has relevant country of origin and background information been collected and read by the two social worker assessors?
5. Have arrangements been made to collate any relevant information available from other sources, including any documentation?
6. Is each social worker clear about their role in the interview(s)?

Conduct interviews

Throughout the interviews, pay attention to indicators of potential vulnerabilities in the young person that have not yet been revealed, such as human trafficking, mental health issues and any other protection concerns.. Adopt a child-friendly and sensitive approach, including checking that questions have been understood and offering breaks.

The following conditions are essential for starting an age assessment interview:

1. Two registered social workers must be present. The same social workers must be present for all interviews.
2. Ensure the young person is fit to be interviewed (i.e. check on their welfare and well-being).
3. The purpose of the interview(s), possible outcomes, the roles of professionals and how information can be shared should be explained to the young person.
4. The explanation should include that the role of the appropriate adult is to support the young person and that the role of the interpreter is to translate the communication, not to provide advice or represent the child.
5. Make sure the young person understands the interpreter (for example, do they speak the same dialect?) and is comfortable with them.
6. Note if and how the youth has indicated that they understand the purpose of the assessment, the interpreter, and the role of the appropriate adult.

Question the young person

Simple, open-ended questions should generally be used, and you should ensure that the questions are not confusing, repetitive or overwhelming. Questions should address issues related to the young person’s social history, family background, and development. The goal is to paint a picture of the young person’s life and experiences, not to catch them “lying.”

The young person should be asked their age and date of birth and given the opportunity to explain how they know their age and date of birth.

Advice from the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) (2023) suggests asking:

• “Tell me about your family.”
• “Tell me about your time at school.”
• “Tell me about your trip to the UK. Were you sick during the trip? Have you been harmed or harmed in any way? »
• “How long was your trip?” When did you leave?

Questions like these allow the young person to provide a detailed narrative, support an initial collection of information about their needs (e.g. education and health) and allow you to explore life assessment questions. more targeted age.

Analyze the information

The following ADCS guidelines describe what you should consider when analyzing information (2015):

• Statements from the child or young person.
• Country of origin information.
• The child or young person’s individual history and experiences, particularly any traumatic events.
• The cultural origin, educational level, gender, maturity, stage of development and behaviors of the child or young person.
• The views and opinions of other professionals (e.g. key workers or foster carers, educators, healthcare professionals);
• Any medical evidence (e.g. psychological reports).
• Documentation presented: are you able to verify documents through channels that do not put the child or young person at risk? It should be noted that if a child or young person’s document is found to be false, this does not necessarily mean that they are lying about their age.
• The weight given to each piece of information collected. It is not necessary to give equal weight to all information and evidence will need to be considered on a case-by-case basis. You should avoid placing too much importance on physical appearance and behavior.

Clarification of information/meetings “in view”

Before the final decision, social workers should meet with the young person to discuss the factors that led to their opinion. Again, the appropriate adult and interpreter must be present.

If it is concluded that he or she is not a child, the young person should be given the opportunity to respond to all points that led to that conclusion.

The meeting should also be used to check whether any information has been misunderstood, misinterpreted or missed. If the young person offers additional information or explanations, these should be considered before the final decision is made.

The BASW Guide calls these “aimed at” meetings. In addition to demonstrating an openness to new information, this information is legally significant, “to the extent that applications for judicial review regarding age assessment have been won simply because the social worker did not failed to organize a meeting of intent” (BASW, 2023).

It is important to document each part of the process and the reasoning behind decisions and conclusions, including the views of others and any differences of opinion.

After a brainstorming meeting and review of any additional information, a final decision can be made.

If you have a Community Care Inform Children license, Log in to access the full guide and learn more about conducting age assessments.

References

Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) (2015)
Guide to age assessment: advice to help social workers and their managers undertake age assessments in England

British Association of Social Workers (BASW) (2023)
Age assessment: a practical guide