Asset Training: Rationale, Design and Use Centre for Youth and - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Asset Training: Rationale, Design and Use

Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice (CYCJ)

Aims of f the day

• To introduce practitioners to the ASSET Risk of Re-
• ffending assessment tool.
• To outline the history of ASSET’s use and

development in Scotland.

• To examine some of the theory which underpins

risk, risk assessment and the ASSET tool.

• To enable practitioners to develop skills in the use
• f ASSET in a robust and defensible fashion in

their work with young people involved in

• ffending behaviour.

Why bother?

“The way in which Asset is presented to practitioners has a significant impact on the way in which it is used. Where practitioners are confused or misinformed about its purpose they tend to be suspicious of its relevance” (Roberts et. al, 2001)

ASSET His istory ry I

• Commissioned by the Youth Justice Board

(YJB) for England and Wales in 1998.

• Devised and piloted by University of Oxford

in 1999.

• Used by all Youth Offending Teams in

England & Wales from April 2000.

ASSET History ry II II

• Agreement reached between the Youth Justice Board (YJB)

for England and Wales and the former Criminal Justice Social Work Development Centre (CJSWDC).

• Asset Users’ Group formed and the Scottish version of

ASSET was developed by the group and introduced in 2001.

• The Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice (CYCJ) is now the

license holder.

• Training of trainers previously delivered by Dr. Kerry Baker

(University of Oxford), one of the original developers of the ASSET tool.

ASSET design: key is issues

• ASSET was designed as a practical tool for

use in working with young people who

• ffend.
• Youth justice practitioners have been

consulted and involved throughout the design and development process.

• ASSET is based on theory and research

evidence (Baker et. al, 2002; YJB, 2003).

• It can be used for research and management

purposes but this is not its primary focus.

Design Objectives

• Appropriate for young people involved in offending

behaviour aged 10-17.

• For use at different stages in YJ system.
• Provide a “score” to forecast reconviction.
• Identify key offending related factors.
• Measure change in a young person over time.
• Assess risk of serious harm to self and others.
• Highlight issues for further assessment.
• Take account of positive factors.
• Incorporate young people’s views into the assessment

process.

Design Process

• Review of research literature.
• Advisory Panel.
• Piloting.
• Revisions and completions of guidance

notes.

Rationale for ASS SSET: : In Individual Practice

• Comprehensive coverage of risk factors.
• Quality of assessments.
• Tracking change over time.
• ‘Defensible decisions’.

Rationale for Asset: : Aggregate Benefits

• Greater consistency.
• Openness and accountability.
• Resource allocation.
• Develop evidence base.

ASSET+

• Work is currently underway to introduce an

updated ASSET risk assessment tool named ASSET+

• Underpinned by principles of Structured

Professional Judgement (SPJ).

• Seeks to incorporate some of the new

developments in the risk literature over the last 15 years.

RATED

• RATED is the Risk Assessment Tools

Evaluation Directory (RATED), a resource produced by the Risk Management Authority (RMA, 2013a).

• Browse RATED online to review the different

risk assessment tools available and used in Scotland and elsewhere.

• ASSET is identified in RATED as a validated

tool for assessing risk of re-offending in young people.

www.cycj.org.uk developing, supporting & understanding youth justice

Where CARM fi fits

Bala lancing Ris isks and Needs: The assessor’s challenge

Public Protection “Best Interests” Proportionality

ASSET and SHANARRI

Wellbeing Indicators ASSET Core Profile Safe Living arrangements Healthy Substance use Physical Health Emotional Mental Health Achieving Education, training and employment Nurtured Family and personal relationships Neighbourhood Active Education, training and employment Lifestyle

ASSET and SHANARRI

Wellbeing Indicators ASSET Core Profile Responsible Thinking and behaviour Attitudes to offending Motivation to change Respected Perception of self and others Included Lifestyle

Theoretical Perspectives

• Life course or developmental perspectives
• Interactional theory
• “Criminal career”

The criminal career

Onset Understanding the Origins Desistance Tackling Social Inclusion Persistence An active focus for intervention

What is risk?

‘Risk is the potential for an adverse event to lead to a negative outcome, and by assessing risk we seek to estimate how likely the event is to occur and the nature and seriousness of its

• impact. In this context the ‘adverse event’ is
• ffending behaviour and the negative
• utcome is the degree and nature of harm

that it causes.’ (RMA, 2011)

What is risk assessment?

• Assessments of children and young people need to recognise that
• ffending behaviour is a response to unmet need and should take place

within the context of a detailed assessment of social, developmental and psychological needs as set out in the GIRFEC approach and Child and Adult Protection contexts (SG, 2014a: 6 & 7).

• Risk assessment in the youth justice context is a process that

encompasses three steps:

• Identification – Identify the key risk and protective factors that are

present in the case.

• Analysis – Move beyond merely describing facts towards an

understanding of a young person’s situation and the reasons for his/her behaviour.

• Evaluation – Inform decision-making and planning in a tangible and

measurable fashion.

Unstructured Clinical Judgement

Actuarial (Prediction) Structured Clinical Judgement

Process of f Assessment and Pla lanning

Asses ssessment Pl Planning Acti ction Review

Clo Closure

Research literature

• Individual factors
• Psychosocial factors
• Population wide factors
• Resilience/protective factors

Scepticism about value of f Asset

• We cover all these issues anyway – so what’s

the point of doing an ASSET?

• Workload – we haven’t got the time to do

ASSET properly?

• It’s unhelpful because it labels young people

e.g. “high risk”.

• Young people have complex lives – this can’t

be reduced to a number.

Contributing Risk Factors

• What are the key factors which contribute to
• ffending behaviour by children and young

people?

• Emphasis on CONTRIBUTE as opposed to

CAUSE

• What about protective factors?

Offending & Care History Living Arrange- ments Neigh- bourhood Family & personal Education Employ- ment Motivation Attitudes to

• ffending

Thinking Behaviour Perception self /

• thers

Emotional /Mental Health Physical health Lifestyle Substance Use Persistent Offending Behaviour

Offending Career Living Arrange- ments Neigh- bourhood Family & personal Education Employ- ment Motivation Attitudes to

• ffending

Thinking Behaviour Perception self /

• thers

Emotional /Mental Health Physical health Lifestyle Substance Use Persistent Offending behaviour

Stage 1- Obtaining & Recording information

Im Important factors to remember

Family and Personal

• Bereavement and Loss

Substance Use

• New Psychoactive Substances (NPS)

Physical Health

• Speech, Language and Communication

Needs Emotional and Mental Health

• Trauma
• Attachment

Offending Career Living Arrange- ments Neigh- bourhood Family & personal Education Employ- ment Motivation Attitudes to

• ffending

Thinking Behaviour Perception self /

• thers

Emotional /Mental Health Physical health Lifestyle Substance Use Persistent Offending behaviour

Evidence

• f link to
• ffending

Linked areas

• f need

Stage 2 – Analysing the information

Offending Career Living Arrange- ments Neigh- bourhood Family & personal Education Employ- ment Motivation Attitudes to

• ffending

Thinking Behaviour Perception self /

• thers

Emotional /Mental Health Physical health Lifestyle Substance Use Persistent Offending behaviour

T A R G E T s

P R I O R I T I E S

Evidence

• f link to
• ffending

Statistical data Indicators of level of risk Linked areas

• f need

Stage 3 – Planning

Appropriate use of f ASSET

• Asset needs to be used carefully with good

inter personal skills as relationships with young people and their carers can be damaged if Asset is used as a pro-forma.

• Asset should not be used as an interview

schedule.

ASSET – The tool

• Takes into account static (unchangeable)

factors and dynamic factors which help identify targets for intervention.

• Includes offending related and welfare factors.
• Identifies problems and positive factors.
• Combines numeric element with emphasis on

evidence for decisions.

• Is a tool to use NOT a substitute for

professional judgement.

Kemshall’s caution

• There are potential dangers to workers

“inferring greater certainty about reoffending calculations than actually exists” but also the opposite situation in which they respond “to uncertainty of prediction by becoming more cautious” (Kemshall, 1996).

Not associated at all Slight, occasional, limited, indirect Moderate but definite Quite strongly associated, normally a direct link, relevant to most types /

• ccasions of offending

Very strongly associated. Clear direct link, dominant factor

Ratin ings: Key y consi siderations

• Were these factors linked to past offending -

are they more or less relevant now?

• Direct or indirect link?
• Always relevant to offending or only on certain
• ccasions?
• Is the effect on offending behaviour immediate
• r over a longer period?
• Will it lead to offending by itself or only in

association?

Further assessment tools

• Mini ASSET
• What do you think?
• ASSET Risk of Serious Harm
• The Mental Health Screening Questionnaire
• The Mental Health Comprehensive

Assessment

Vali lidity and Reliability

• Predictive accuracy as good as – or better

than – other similar tools.

• Predictive accuracy maintained for female,

ethnic minority and younger offenders.

• Reasonably good inter-rater reliability.

Accuracy across the score range

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 0-2 3-4 5-7 8-9 10-12 13-16 17-19 20-24 25-30 31 plus

% reconvicted

ASSET score decile

Score Bands

Score e band Per ercen ent Rec econvicted ed Lo Low (0 (0-4) 4) 26.6 .6% Lo Low- Mediu ium (5 (5-9) 9) 33.8 .8% Mediu ium (1 (10-16) 49.2 .2% Med ediu ium-high (1 (17-24) 24) 64.6 .6% Hig High (2 (25-48) 75.8 .8%

Some Key Points

• The “evidence boxes” are crucial.
• The assessment is only as good as the

information and analysis at a point in time.

• Asset has continued to develop – influenced

by practitioners.

• Use the guidance material whether

experienced or new to the tool.

• Implement appropriate local protocols and

procedures (e.g. Care and Risk Management procedures) to complement ASSET use.

Theory ry to practice

• Review case study and chronology.
• Work individually (or in pairs/small groups if

you prefer) on completion of an ASSET assessment relating to the case example.

• Refer to ASSET Guidance throughout.
• Case study is inexhaustive so ASK if you need

more information/clarification.

• Group plenary – Working through the

exercise together to review understanding and learning.

References

• Baker, K., Jones, S., Roberts, C. and Merrington, S. (2002) Validity and Reliability of Asset: Findings from the Frist Two

Years of Its Use, London: YJB

• Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice (CYCJ) (2014) National Youth Justice Practice Guidance,

http://www.cycj.org.uk/resources/national-youth-justice-practice-guidance-2

• Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice (CYCJ) (2015) Info Sheet 33 Legal doesn’t mean safe: new drugs, new challenges,

http://www.cycj.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Info-sheet-33.pdf

• Green, J. (2014) Speech, Language and Communication Needs in Youth Justice Glasgow: CYCJ
• Kemshall H (1996) Reviewing risk: a review of research on the assessment and management of risk and dangerousness,

implications for policy and practice in the Probation Service, London: Home Office

• McAra, L. and McVie, S. (2010) “Youth Crime and Justice: Key Messages from the Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions

and Crime”, Criminology and Criminal Justice, 10: 211-230

• RMA (2011) Framework for Risk Assessment, Management and Evaluation, Paisley: RMA
• RMA (2013a) Risk Assessment Tools Evaluation Directory (RATED), http://rated.rmascotland.gov.uk
• Roberts, C., Baker, K., Merrington, S and Jones, S (2001) The validity and reliability of ASSET: interim report to the Youth

Justice Board, Oxford: University of Oxford

• Scottish Government (SG) (2014a) Framework for Risk Assessment, Management and Evaluation for Local Authorities

and partners: For Children and Young People under 18, Edinburgh: SG

• Vaswani, N. (2014) “The Ripples of Death: Exploring the Bereavement Experiences and Mental Health of Young Men in

Custody”, The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, 53(4), 341-359

• Wright, S. and Liddle, M. (2014) Young Offenders and Trauma: Experience and Impact a Practitioners Guide,

http://www.beyondyouthcustody.net/resources/publications/young-offenders-trauma-experience-impact-practitioners- guide/

• YJB (2003) Asset: Research Summary, London: YJB