Recommendation

A working definition of recommendation

The immediate purpose of analysis is to lead to statements about which specific actions should be taken in order to support vulnerable children and adults, based on the evidence provided. Making recommendations involves a clear statement about what the specific actions should be: for example, that particular services be provided for an elderly person at home; that a child be recommended to remain with or be moved away from their immediate family; and that a young adult with mental health problems be offered support for managing everyday living. Recommendations may relate to smaller or larger issues, and include specific actions that the social worker will carry out, as well as actions that involve other people such as family members and other professionals. A longer-term purpose of all analysis is of course to provide a detailed and fair account of a particular person’s situation, experience and circumstance that they may wish to read at some point in the future.

The requirement to provide a recommendation is often written into templated documents with words such as: Recommendation/Next steps/Action. Making a recommendation may seem straightforward, but of course, many people’s lives are complex as are their needs and requirements. So while much of the evidence will have already been collated – in the description and evaluation you have provided in multiple texts – careful analysis of all the evidence is part of reaching a particular recommendation. Any recommendation made must be presented as a logical consequence of the evidence provided. It is also the case that a specific recommendation may seem obvious to you even before collating all the relevant evidence in your detailed descriptions, but you will still need to ensure that any recommendation is warranted by information provided. Making a recommendation will also involve consulting with others – the service users, your manager, supervisor and is part of the analytic process (explore process). In official documents such as court reports, the recommendation may be literally in the voice of the local authority, rather than the individual social worker, e.g. the local authority recommends that xxx.

Thinking about the language of recommendation

The language used to make recommendations for action includes:

• Straightforward categorical recommendations for action: my recommendation is that; I recommend; based on the evidence, it is clear that x needs; the local authority recommends that… It is recommended that Andrew is placed into the care of (PC) under a kinship fostering arrangement.
• Recommendations for further exploration before any action can be agreed: I suggested that we have another meeting including me, Jane and her son to discuss further.
• Recommendations relating to further social worker action: I confirmed that I will request the purchase order.
• Recommendations for actions by other professionals or carers: Ahmed needs to be registered with the GP and enrolled in an appropriate educational establishment.
• Clear statement that recommendations cannot be made: as assessments are ongoing recommendations cannot be made at this time

Practical exercise: Recommendation

Re-read a recent record (a case note, an assessment report) and identify any parts of the text where you are explicitly recommending a particular action.

• Is the recommendation clearly stated?
• Is there any room for a reader misunderstanding your recommendation?
• Have you provided sufficient evidence to justify any recommendations you have made?