Writing the assessment report

Upcoming changes for this guidance

This content will be strengthened so it more completely reflects our commitment to practice framed by te Tiriti o Waitangi, based on a mana-enhancing paradigm for practice, and drawing from ​Te Ao Māori principles of oranga to support mana tamaiti, whakapapa and whanaungatanga. We each need to consider how we can apply these principles to our practice when reading this guidance. The following resources provide support:
Practice for working effectively with Māori
Our practice approach

What's the assessment report

The assessment report brings together all the information you've gathered so you can analyse it and decide whether to accept or decline the application.

You should analyse:

• suitability checks
• interviews or assessment hui
• self-assessments
• feedback from attendance at courses
• your own observations, professional analysis, research and case discussion. 

Seek supervision and appropriate consultation, including cultural, during the report writing process to ensure a balanced and strengths-based assessment report.

You can use the assessment report template that's in CYRAS. There's also some guidance in the CYRAS handbook about how to create the assessment report using the template.

What to include

The assessment report template structures the information in relation to the core attributes.

You can also add other headings or sections if you need to.

Some characteristics of the applicants can appear in more than 1 core attribute. For example, relationships are relevant in both ‘attachment’ and ‘support’.

Within each core attribute in the report clearly identify and evaluate the evidence that leads you to the conclusion that this core attribute has been met or not.

Be clear about the number and age range of tamariki and the types of care being considered for approval.

Types of care

When you've finished the report, look at the information again and balance your reasons for making a final decision to recommend accepting or declining the application. 

Letting applicants know your recommendation

Talk with applicants throughout the application process. Let them know when you have any concerns, so application results are not a surprise.

Let applicants know if they've been approved or not once you've made your recommendation. If you've declined them and they think assessment information is wrong, they have 10 working days to dispute it.

Policy: Caregiver and adoptive applicant assessment and approval