Hedy Cleaver is a Professorial Research Fellow in the Department of Health and Social Care at Royal Holloway, University London. She is both a qualified social worker and psychologist, and worked as a practitioner before embarking on a career in social work research. Steve Walker has over twenty years' experience as a practitioner, manager and trainer in children and family social work. He is currently a Research Fellow at Royal Holloway College, University of London. Pamela Meadows is an economist with strong social policy interests and both academic and policy evaluation experience.

As the study focuses on social services authorities it is likely to be of most interest to them, but it is a good tool for anyone with responsibility for outcomes for children where initial assessment has to underpin subsequent action. With each chapter summarised at some length and a commendably clear layout, this publication is hefty but straightforward to use. It has a full and intelligible account of the research base and process to assist the reader with evaluation of the author's findings.

• Foreword, Al Aynsley-Green. 1. Introducing the Study. 2. Implementation. 3. Involving Families in the Assessment Process. 4. The Experiences of Social Service Managers and Practitioners. 5. Inter-Agency and Inter-Professional Collaboration in Assessment of Children in Need. 6. Referrals: Findings from the Audit. 7. Initial Assessments: Findings from the Audit. 8. Core Assessment: Findings from the Audit. 9. The Cost of Undertaking Core Assessments, Pamela Meadows. 10. Conclusions and Implications for Policy and Practice. Appendix I. Aims and Methods. Appendix II. Tables. Appendix III. Time-sheet for social workers to record time spent in undertaking a core assessment. References

Hedy Cleaver is a Professorial Research Fellow in the Department of Health and Social Care at Royal Holloway, University London. She is both a qualified social worker and psychologist, and worked as a practitioner before embarking on a career in social work research. Steve Walker has over twenty years' experience as a practitioner, manager and trainer in children and family social work. He is currently a Research Fellow at Royal Holloway College, University of London. Pamela Meadows is an economist with strong social policy interests and both academic and policy evaluation experience.

As the study focuses on social services authorities it is likely to be of most interest to them, but it is a good tool for anyone with responsibility for outcomes for children where initial assessment has to underpin subsequent action. With each chapter summarised at some length and a commendably clear layout, this publication is hefty but straightforward to use. It has a full and intelligible account of the research base and process to assist the reader with evaluation of the author's findings.

• Foreword, Al Aynsley-Green. 1. Introducing the Study. 2. Implementation. 3. Involving Families in the Assessment Process. 4. The Experiences of Social Service Managers and Practitioners. 5. Inter-Agency and Inter-Professional Collaboration in Assessment of Children in Need. 6. Referrals: Findings from the Audit. 7. Initial Assessments: Findings from the Audit. 8. Core Assessment: Findings from the Audit. 9. The Cost of Undertaking Core Assessments, Pamela Meadows. 10. Conclusions and Implications for Policy and Practice. Appendix I. Aims and Methods. Appendix II. Tables. Appendix III. Time-sheet for social workers to record time spent in undertaking a core assessment. References

Hedy Cleaver is a Professorial Research Fellow in the Department of Health and Social Care at Royal Holloway, University London. She is both a qualified social worker and psychologist, and worked as a practitioner before embarking on a career in social work research. Steve Walker has over twenty years' experience as a practitioner, manager and trainer in children and family social work. He is currently a Research Fellow at Royal Holloway College, University of London. Pamela Meadows is an economist with strong social policy interests and both academic and policy evaluation experience.

As the study focuses on social services authorities it is likely to be of most interest to them, but it is a good tool for anyone with responsibility for outcomes for children where initial assessment has to underpin subsequent action. With each chapter summarised at some length and a commendably clear layout, this publication is hefty but straightforward to use. It has a full and intelligible account of the research base and process to assist the reader with evaluation of the author's findings.

• Foreword, Al Aynsley-Green. 1. Introducing the Study. 2. Implementation. 3. Involving Families in the Assessment Process. 4. The Experiences of Social Service Managers and Practitioners. 5. Inter-Agency and Inter-Professional Collaboration in Assessment of Children in Need. 6. Referrals: Findings from the Audit. 7. Initial Assessments: Findings from the Audit. 8. Core Assessment: Findings from the Audit. 9. The Cost of Undertaking Core Assessments, Pamela Meadows. 10. Conclusions and Implications for Policy and Practice. Appendix I. Aims and Methods. Appendix II. Tables. Appendix III. Time-sheet for social workers to record time spent in undertaking a core assessment. References