Case assessment

In the reception of unaccompanied children, state authorities and service providers carry out an individual case assessment for each child. The assessment aims at gathering and verifying data and information on the child’s situation, backgrounds, needs and perspectives for the future.

A case assessment comprises the following steps: 
• hearing the child;
• assessment of the child’s identity, situation, background and needs;
• social inquiry and family assessment, including family tracing where necessary;
• gathering evidence, for instance through forensic examinations and interview;
• needs assessment with regard to care and wellbeing, protection and safety, health and education;
• risk and security assessment;
• mapping sources of support, skills and resources for empowerment.  

Case assessments inform the care planning process, the development of a life project, and the best interests determination procedure for the identification and implementation of a durable solution. To ensure a multi-disciplinary and child-centred approach, all relevant state authorities and service providers should collaborate in the assessment and reduce thereby the number of interviews and hearings of the child.

The guardian represents the child during the case assessment phase and ensure respect for the rights and best interests of the child throughout. In particular, the guardian ensures that the child is informed in a child-friendly language that the child understands about the steps, purpose and possible outcomes of the case assessment and facilitates the child’s participation. The guardian monitors the performance of state authorities and service providers during the case assessment and ensures that the outcomes of the assessment inform their actions and decisions, in accordance with the best interests of the child. See also: Level 1: Child rights principles Level 5: Mandate and tasks of the guardian

References:

EU training and learning platform for guardians of unaccompanied children
Chapter 1: Session 1.1. The human rights of the child  
Chapter 1: Session 1.2. Understanding vulnerability 
Chapter 3: Supporting the child from arrival to durable solution

Handout 20: Best interests determination procedure

Literature:

Council of the Baltic Sea States (2015), Guidelines on the HumanRights and Best Interests of the Child in Transnational Situations, Council of the Baltic Sea States Children’s Unit and Expert Group for Cooperation on Children at Risk, Stockholm, 2015.   

Council of the Baltic Sea States (2015), Transnational child protection: practical guide for caseworkers and case officers, Council of the Baltic Sea States Children’s Unit and Expert Group for Cooperation on Children at Risk, Stockholm, 2015.     

FRA (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights) (2014), Guardianship for children deprived of parental care, A handbook to reinforce guardianship systems to cater for the specific needs of child victims of trafficking, Luxembourg, Publications Office of the European Union (Publications Office).

United Nations (UN), Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment No. 14 (2013) on the right of the child to have his or her best interests taken as a primary consideration (art.3, para. 1), CRC/C/GC/14, 2013.

United Nations (UN), Committee on the Rights of the Child (2005), General Comment No.  6, Treatment of unaccompanied and separated children outside their country of origin, CRC/GC/2005/6, 1 September 2005.

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