Assessment Puzzle

When undertaking an assessment and looking at the behaviour, events or incidents of an individual which form part of the evidence before the court, it is instructive to see their behaviour or that piece of information as part of a puzzle that contributes to a wider picture of who they are and how they present.

If you learn to see a person’s actions and demeanour as part of a puzzle, and are consistent at collating these different bits of evidence over a period of time. Although you may not see the whole picture, you may be able to piece together enough information with which to make sound conclusions and recommendations.

It is not always possible to see the whole picture for a number of reasons:

Firstly, you’re not with the individual you are assessing all of the time. Instead you are with them for only a small fraction of their time and if you have only known them for a short while your window of opportunity and time with which to base your arguments and assessment is small.

Secondly, the evidence before the court is made up of events or incidents that have come to your attention often, most likely, by chance. This information probably represents a snippet of what’s been going on.

Thirdly, it is wise to bear in mind that sometimes some of the evidence before the court is not there by default, it is there instead by design and so may be there to confuse you or ‘muddy the waters.’

Fourthly, often people being assessed seek to show themselves in a favourable light and so will tend to avoid bringing to your attention matters that depict them unfavourably.

Fifthly, some of the evidence you are presented with will come from others, whose interpretation of events may be either innocuous or malicious.

The points noted above provide hopefully some insight into the complex task involved in undertaking assessments.

There are frequently a great many issues to be considered such as deciding upon the weight you choose to place on various pieces of evidence. Some useful things to consider when looking at any piece of evidence are as follows: Where does this ‘fit in’ to the overall picture?

Or how does this piece of information link with the rest of the evidence?

Is there an observable pattern of behaviour being displayed that occurs on multiple occasions?

Where has the information come from and how impartial is it?

Alternatively, it is useful to ask yourself whether the events that have come to your attention are, from the knowledge you have of the individual, out of character from what you consider to be their normal way of behaving.

Your ability to make or form certain conclusions will depend on how long and or how well you consider you know them.

However, by focusing your attention on the end results of the experiences a child has faced; or in a case involving domestic abuse – the survivor has suffered, you can generally gain a clear enough picture to be able to argue your case effectively within your assessment. I have always found it very useful to address the issue of responsibility they accept for any harm suffered.

In addition, by objectively focusing your attention on how the person being assessed cooperates, or fails to do with you.?Together with to what extent they follow through consistently, with what they say they are going to do, provides you with very useful information about their character, willingness to work openly with you and to what degree you can trust what they say.?