Living Assessment

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Child with a teddy

Participants

Call for participants 2022-24 - Do you have experience of children health & social care assessments as a parent/carer, or for yourself or as a professional?

Do you have experience of children health & social care assessments? Or experience of NOT obtaining an assessment despite your efforts? Or do you have professional experience of such assessments, maybe for example as social worker or an educational psychologist? 

What assessments? Well, we are exploring most children assessments such as SEN/EHCP, CAMHS, CAFCASS – if unsure, please contact us at livingassessment@kent.ac.uk

Can you spare a couple of hours over Zoom to share your experience and thoughts with one of our researchers in total confidence and anonymity? 

Following the interview, participants receive access codes to £50s worth of vouchers of their choice.

Please email livingassessment@kent.ac.uk for more info and to organise your interview. Feel free to forward to your contacts with relevant experience.

We are interviewing:

·         Parents whose children have undergone assessments – for SEN and/or other health and social care support. The children who were assessed can be adults or children now so people can reflect on the present or the past – we are interested in seeing if people’s experiences have changed over time.

·         People who are over 18 and who have experienced assessments for SEN and/or other health and social care needs when they were children.

·         Parents who are/were unable to get an assessment for SEN and/or other health and social care needs – although they might have wanted one. How did that affect their child and their family?

·         Professionals involved in children health & social care assessments.

Researchers at the University of Kent are trying to understand more about what it is really like to be assessed in order to receive support from children’s services. Decisions made during assessments are really important, so we would like to interview parents, carers and adults (over 18) who experienced assessments, and individuals who have assessed families so we can learn about their experiences and offer evidence to policymakers that can influence changes that will improve people’s lives.

This is part of a major 5-year Wellcome Trust funded Collaborative Award called Living Assessments which brings the University of Kent, the University of Cambridge and the National Children’s Bureau together to build a full picture of what the assessment process is like, what works and how it can be improved.

If you would like to participate in the Living Assessments Project or would like to get more information, get in touch livingassessment@kent.ac.uk

Winners of our Disability History Month competition - ages 12 to 22 - 1st/2nd prizes

Disabled children in Surrey 1935

A Thousand Thoughts

First prize: Our winner, a poem A Thousand Thoughts by Carys, was written in response to the group of boys from the 1930s. Her moving poem created a vivid feeling of togetherness and community and what a difference support from others makes. Carys ends her poem with a hopeful and determined message that goals can be achieved in spite of challenges.

Disabled children in Surrey 1935

Left, right, left right...

Joint 2nd prize: Bethan’s poem takes resilience and strength as its focus, and links battles fought by soldiers to the challenges young people feel. Like a group of soldiers, these young people face their fears with determination and bravery – and the fear that links them, and maybe all of us, is the unknown.
Children playing, Surrey 1935

My Rocking Horse Chester

Joint 2nd prize: Fatimah was inspired by the image of a group of children on a rocking horse. Her prose reflection gives the reader a real sense of the horse she names Chester, what he looks like and how it feels to ride him. Fatimah paints a vivid image of the power of imagination, and the places it takes us.

Winners of our Disability History Month competition - ages 12 to 22 - 3rd prizes

Visually impaired girl, 1785

Little Rex

Joint 3rd prize: Kaci wrote a lovely story about a little girl named Mary and a dog named Rex, inspired by our image of a visually impaired girl. Mary saves Rex as he is abandoned, and Rex becomes her protector, so Mary and Rex can help others. Kaci shows us the power of giving and how important it is to help people, and that being kind can make all of our lives better.
Children playing, Surrey 1935

Inclusion

Joint 3rd prize: Ella was inspired by the group of children on a rocking horse. She creatively divided the image into themes, and explored the emotions and activities that the image made her feel. Ella’s design work concentrated on feeling included, and people working together to help each other have fun and enjoy activities, which is important for all of us.