The use of observation in court & assessment work

Over the last decade, across the UK, there has been a change in Legislation in relation to children. The Children Act 1989 came into effect in 1991 in England & Wales. The Children (Scotland) Act followed and the Children Order in Northern Ireland. These are consolidating pieces of legislation bringing together previous Acts in relation to children, but they also introduced a profound shift in society's view of children. The best interests of the child was to be taken as paramount, parents were seen as responsible, rather than having rights, and the whole child was to be considered. Hence, a change in the way children were to be seen and their needs assessed. Children were seen as having physical, emotional and educational needs (Part 1 (1) Children Act 1989) and harm was defined as ill-treatment or impairment of health or development. Development meant physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development and health meant physical or mental health (Children Act 1989 Part IV(9)). The changes inevitably demanded increased and more sophisticated skills and would be required from those professionals undertaking assessment and giving evidence in Court. In this paper, one method of developing and enhancing die skills of these professionals is considered, its use explored and illustrated and preliminary comments on the outcome of this method presented.