Abstract

MLOTSHWA, Thenjiwe  and  MTHEMBU, Maud. The use and value of a child assessment tool (CAT) in social work child assessments. Social work (Stellenbosch. Online) [online]. 2021, vol.57, n.4, pp.443-454. ISSN 2312-7198.  http://dx.doi.org/10.15270/52-2-968_903.

The integration of child-friendly tools during child counselling facilitates effective communication and child participation. However, the use of child-friendly tools in generalist child counselling remains sparse. This paper presents social work students' perceptions of using a child assessment tool (CAT). While the study adopted a mixed-method approach, this paper reports the findings drawn from the study's qualitative findings. Data collection included individual semi-structured interviews with purposively sampled fourth-level student social workers. The results indicated that using the CAT created a child-friendly environment that facilitated effective child communication and participation during assessments. Using the CAT addresses barriers to child participation during child assessment.

Keywords : child assessment tool (CAT); child-centred; child friendly; communication; participation; social workers.

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