How to make an age assessment: interview tips

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Leadership

The comprehensive guide focuses on the responsibilities of social workers carrying out age assessments and the practical steps you need to take before, during and after a young person’s age assessment. It relies on Guidelines for age estimation published by the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS), a key document for social workers in England.

Social workers in Wales must use the Welsh Government Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children: Age assessment toolkit (Welsh Government, 2021).

Evaluative role of a social worker

If a young person of a conflicting age comes to or is referred to a local authority, managers must nominate two qualified and registered social workers to carry out an assessment.

Both social workers should have experience working with children and young people, as well as carrying out assessments of children in need. At least one social worker should have experience working with young asylum seekers and conducting age assessments. If this proves difficult, the local authority may wish to bring in an independent social worker with relevant experience or make arrangements with other local authorities.

The two social workers and the manager should discuss and agree roles in planning the assessment and conducting the interview, and schedule time for different aspects of the work to ensure the assessment is completed quickly.

The skills and experience of the employees involved should be considered when planning the evaluation. Tasks will include:

• collection and review of any existing information;
• practical arrangements such as booking a place, an interpreter and an appropriate adult;
• planning assessment interviews (possibly including formulating some discussion topics or questions);
• drawing up an evaluation report.

One social worker may “conduct” the interview (interview), while another mainly or exclusively takes notes. Check if local regulations apply. The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Age Assessment Guidelines. advises that if both workers are taking notes, it may be difficult for the lead social worker to notice changes in the young person’s facial expression or body posture.

Planning and preparation

Before estimating age, consider:

1. Has the young person been informed that an age assessment will be carried out and are there arrangements in place to ensure that they are given the information they need about the process and the support available?
2. Were appropriate adults and interpreters arranged to assist during the interview(s)?
3. Is a suitable venue arranged?
4. Have relevant country of origin and background information been collected and read by both social workers?
5. Have steps been taken to collect any relevant information available from other sources, including any documentation?
6. Does each social worker clearly define their role during the interview(s)?

Conducting interviews

During the interview(s), look out for signs of the young person’s potential vulnerability that have not yet been identified, such as human trafficking, mental health issues and any other protection concerns. Maintain a friendly and empathetic approach to the child, including checking for understanding and offering breaks.

Below are the basic requirements for starting an age assessment interview:

1. Mandatory presence of two registered social workers. The same social workers must be present at all interviews.
2. Make sure the young person is fit to be interviewed (ie check their wellbeing and wellbeing).
3. The young person needs to be explained the purpose(s) of the interview(s), the possible outcomes, the roles of professionals and how information can be shared.
4. The explanation should include that the role of the relevant adult is to support the young person and the role of the interpreter is to translate the communication, not to give advice or represent the child.
5. Make sure the young person understands the interpreter (eg do they speak the same dialect?) and feels comfortable with the interpreter.
6. Record whether and how the young person indicated that they understood the purpose of the assessment, the interpreter and the role of the relevant adult.

Survey of a young person

In general, simple open-ended questions should be used and you should ensure that the questions are not confusing, repetitive or overwhelming. Questions should address issues related to the young person’s social history, family background and development. The goal is to create a picture of a young person’s life and experiences, and not to catch them in a “lie”.

The young person should be asked about their age and date of birth and given the opportunity to explain how they know their age and date of birth.

British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Guidelines. (2023) suggests asking:

• “Tell me about your family.”
• “Tell me about your time at school.”
• “Tell me about your trip to the UK. Did you get sick on the road? Were you hurt or injured in any way?’
• “How long was your trip? When did you leave?”

Questions like these allow the young person to provide a detailed narrative, facilitate the initial gathering of information about their needs (eg education and health) and allow for more targeted age assessment questions to be explored.

Analyzing information

The following ADCS guidance describes what to consider when analyzing information (2015):

• Statements of a child or teenager.
• Information about the country of origin.
• The individual history and experiences of the child or young person, including any traumatic events.
• Child or young person’s cultural background, level of education, gender, maturity, stage of development and behaviour.
• Views and opinions of other specialists (for example, key workers or foster carers, teachers, medical professionals);
• Any medical evidence (eg psychologists’ reports).
• Documentation provided: Can you check documents through channels that do not pose a risk to the child or young person? It should be noted that if a child or teenager’s document is found to be fake, it does not necessarily mean that they are lying about their age.
• The weight of each piece of information collected. Not all information should be given equal weight, and evidence should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Avoid placing too much importance on appearance and behavior.

Clarifying information/meetings “in advance”.

Before making a final decision, social workers should meet with the young person to discuss the factors that have led to their opinion. Again, an appropriate adult and interpreter must be present.

If it is concluded that they are not a child, the young person should be given the opportunity to answer all the points that led to that conclusion.

The meeting should also be used to check whether any information has been misunderstood, misinterpreted or omitted. If the young person offers any additional information or explanation, this should be considered before a final decision is made.

The BASW manual refers to these encounters as “attuned”. As well as demonstrating an openness to new information, this is important from a legal point of view, “as age assessment lawsuits have been won simply because the social worker failed to conduct an ‘opinion’ meeting” (BASW, 2023).

It is important to document every part of the process and the rationale for decisions and conclusions, including the views of others and any differences of opinion.

A final decision can be made after an “on demand” meeting and consideration of any additional information.

If you have a Community Care Inform Children licence, log in to get the full guide and learn more about conducting an age assessment.

Reference list

Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) (2015)
Guidance on age assessment: A guide to help social workers and their managers carry out age assessment in England

British Association of Social Workers (BASW) (2023)
Age estimation: a practical guide