Social workers' decision-making following initial assessments of children in need in the UK

This paper presents research results from a UK study of social workers' initial assessments of children in need, in the context of the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. The data are used to deconstruct the processes of decision-making following initial assessment. Key factors, or practical reasoning devices, are described, using the headings specificity, severity and risk, parental accountability, corroboration, and parental co-operation. Application of these devices is illustrated using case material from the research. The value of making explicit social workers' intuitive reasoning strategies is explored, and a method of doing so is proposed.