The Children's Legal Centre: age determination

Provides information on assessment plus useful links.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 10:39]

Dept of Health: Assessing children in need and their families: Practice guidance and frameworks

The framework aims to provide a systematic way of analysing, understanding and recording what is happening to children and young people within their families and the wider community.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 10:38]

The Health of Refugee Children - Guidelines for Paediatricians

This comprehensive publication sets out guidelines and best practice examples relating to issues including consent to treatment, the age of assessment, mental health, HIV and female genital mutilation.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 10:38]

Advice on Assessment of the Age of Refugee Children

Statement by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health urging caution when making assessments on the age of refugee children.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 10:38]

Good practice guide for the assessment of and interviews for traumatised children and adolescence

The European council on refugees and exiles is an umbrella organisation of 74 refugee-assisting agencies in 31 countries working towards fair and humane policies for the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees. They have developed this good practice guide, it includes the theoretical and practical elements of assessment, plus case studies (slow to download as it is a PDF but worth it).

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 10:39]

DfES: Integrated Children's System

The Dept of Health and the Welsh Assembly Government have developed a system to help social services managers and practitioners improve the outcomes of their work with children and families. The conceptual framework is known as the Integrated Children's System (ICS). It builds upon previous developments such as the Assessment Framework and the Looking After Children materials offering a single approach to undertaking the key processes of assessment, planning, intervention and review based on an understanding of children's developmental needs in the context of their families and communities. This site has been set up primarily for staff in social services, health and education departments, the voluntary sector and the youth justice system, who work with vulnerable children and families in the community and with children in public care.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 10:39]

Working Together to Safeguard Children

"Good practice calls for effective co-operation between different agencies and professionals; sensitive work with parents and carers in the best interest of the child". It reflects the principles contained within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by the UK Government in 1991. It also takes account the European Convention of Human Rights, in particular, Articles 6 and 8.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 10:40]

Convention on the Rights of the Child

"Article 2:1. State Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the present Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her parent's or legal guardian's race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status."

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 10:41]

"Every Child Matters"

Every Child Matters: cross-Government working with local partners to achieve better outcomes for children and young people. The site offers information and links for parents and professionals. Plus there is a version available for young people which includes their own comments.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 10:41]

Children Rights Alliance 2003

Includes relevant articles on the assessment of children. Click on the selected article to download.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 10:42]

Research with unaccompanied children seeking asylum. Thomas, S & Byford, S. BMJ 2003: 327: 1400-1402

The article concludes that "unaccompanied children who are seeking asylum are particularly vulnerable because of past experiences of trauma, hostility and poor support in the new environment, and feelings of isolation. Although the need for good research in this area is clear, ethically sensitive research strategies must be followed. Ethical safeguards need not be viewed as barriers to the advancement of science, but as a way of ensuring good quality results while maintaining the safety and wellbeing of young people."

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 10:42]

Working with Refugee Children: Rutter, J. (2003)

This is a review of service provision for asylum-seeking and refugee children in the UK published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. It identifies gaps in present knowledge and presents a research strategy to meet some of these gaps. It is estimated that there are over 120,000 asylum-seeking and refugee children in the UK from many different countries of origin.
The report is free in PDF format at:

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 10:43]

Working with children and young people subject to immigration control: guidelines for best practice

From Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association. Excellent guidelines includes chapters on: Definitions and roles; Child first, migrant second; Initial contact with children; Interviewing children and young people; Evidence and supporting information; Interpreting the child’s experiences; Hearings and court appearances; Disputes over the age of the child; Consequences of turning 18; Detention; Trafficked children and young people; The decision and its consequences; Training, implementation and monitoring.

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 10:43]

Physical and Mental Health of Refugee Children: Sonal Singh (June 2004)

An article in BMJ , 26 Jun 2004. Scroll down page to locate article.

Link [Last update: 2005-07-12; 11:31]

Age assessments of unaccompanied asylum seeking children

Published by the Home Office (2nd ed., Jan 2005)

Link [Last update: 2006-01-13; 10:41]