Name of UASC

DOB claimed

Nationality

Age claimed

Name of Interpreter

Language

Our Ref:

Port or HO Ref

Date(s)of Assessment

An initial hypothesis of the age range is based on height, facial features (facial hair, skin line, folds etc), voice tone and general impression. It is important to consider racial differences, e.g. it is normal in some cultures for boys to have facial hair at an early age and for girls to develop at different ages. Life experiences may impact on the ageing process.

Demeanour; it is essential to take into account of how the person presents, style, attitude and authority and relate this to the culture of the country of origin and events preceding the interview, journey and experiences etc. It is useful to establish the length of time that the person has taken to arrive in the UK from the time they left their country of origin and to include this in the age calculation.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND PRESENTATION

all assessments begin with initial impressions, made from visual presentation.

It is important to note both the verbal and non verbal behaviour of the person. The practitioner conducting the assessment should observe factors such as the manner, does he or she appear to take a “one down” position or not. Take account of differing cultural terms, e.g. some people may believe it impolite to make direct eye contact. But remember to be aware of cultural variations in attitudes to elders. Does the person appear to be uncomfortable when speaking to an adult? Keep in mind that your position will be seen as one of power, which may influence the way the person interacts with you, your role needs to be clarified and the differences in the roles of the Social Services and Home Office.

INTERACTION OF PERSON DURING ASSESSMENT

The manner in which the person interacts with the assessing worker conducting the assessment will provide an indication of whether or not the person is responding in an age appropriate manner.

Indicate to the young person that you are aware that talking about their family may be painful and difficult for them. This must be understood. It is important to clarify the nature of their parent and sibling relationships. Additionally ask if either parent has had more than one husband/wife.

SOCIAL HISTORY AND FAMILY COMPOSITION

Establishing as detailed as possible a family tree will help the assessing worker to identify the likely age of the person compared to the stated age. Ages of parents, siblings and extended family should be established. In the case of deceased family members, the year and age at the time of death should be established. Drawing a graphic family tree is useful where names and ages of family members can be included and allows the person to feel involved. The information gained may indicate discrepancies or impossibilities which need to be clarified.

Questions about health history can be quite informative in assessing age, both from the information given and the reactions to specific questions. The Royal College of Paediatricians advised in November 1999 that there can be a five year error in age assessment, invasive methods and medically unnecessary examinations should not be used, however, opinions on age from a paediatrician, GP, dentist and/or optician can be helpful in assisting the process.

HEALTH AND MEDICAL ASSESSMENT

A medical opinion and view on age will always be helpful.

Listed are important facts that need to be gained:

Age at which school started. Number of completed years spent at school.

Establish if there were any gaps in education and if so, how long and why.

Adding the number of years of school attendance to the age school was started at, including possible disruptions in schooling would equate to the stated age. Names and addresses of school attended. Subjects studied. Gaining knowledge of consulting with experts educated in different countries is useful to validate the authenticity of the information provided. It may be possible to contact schools in some countries of origin. It may be of use to know that it is normal to have 6 years of junior school and 6 years of senior school in some countries.

EDUCATION

Obtaining a detailed account of educational history is a valuable source in the age assessment process

INFORMATION FROM DOCUMENTATION AND OTHER SOURCES

Documentation when available should be carefully checked; authenticating documents however is a specialist task. If the assessment is an on going process, it is important to obtain the view of other significant figures involved with the young person.

Has the person lived at home or on his or her own in an independent setting? Is there a clear impression that the person has never lived away from home and has been cared for by adults? Does the person have any experience of managing money, paying bills, arranging appointments, buying food and other supplies etc? Is the person able to cook more than just a basic meal? It is essential to take account of the local situation from which the person has come from; war, famine. Has the person stated a preference during the assessment of how they wish to live in the UK? Would this person be at risk living independently? Give the reasons for this. The assessing officer may wish to pose a scenario to the person at this point or at the end of the assessment that if the person is believed to be under 16 he/she will be placed in foster care/residential where certain rules will have to be followed and be expected to be home at a certain time etc. The reaction to this may provide valuable information.

INDEPENDENT/SELF CARE SKILLS

Understanding the level of ability, experience and confidence that a person has in being able to care for themselves can be an indictor of age. The assessing worker may wish to ask the person directly how they feel about living in an independent setting and observe their reaction.

Use open ended questions as this will allow the person to disclose information. Cultural considerations need to be taken into account as in some cultures it could be normal for a young teenager to be working full time. Remember to relate answers to what would be appropriate in the person's country of origin. Some religions do not allow alcohol. Ask about peer relationships at school/work/neighbourhood. Questions about age related rituals should be asked including forced marriage and any sexual relationships. Does what the person is describing seem age appropriate? Remember that some young people may have been involved in armed conflict, have been child soldiers, involved in sexual exploitation and may have experienced a number of traumatic situations. Arranging for the person to be involved in social situations with other young people of the age stated and observing may be helpful.

DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERTAION

Questions about the types of activities and roles that the person was involved in prior to arriving in the UK can give an indication of age.

This may be useful in obtaining a full picture of the person's life in the UK and method of entry in trying to establish if the person was subject to trafficking.

REASONS FOR COMING TO UK/JOURNEY/HISTORY FROM ARRIVAL IN UK

ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION GAINED

Please remember this process is not an exact science and the conclusion should always be given the benefit of the doubt

The assessing worker should draw together the information obtained and present his/her views and judgement on the age of the person being assessed giving reasons for the conclusion. If this differs from the stated age, reasons for this disagreement should be given.

CONCLUSION OF ASSESSMENT

Based on the assessment, the client age is:

Date of birth is estimated to be:

DECISION TO APPLICANT

NAME

NATIONALITY

HO REF NO

OUR REF

Stated age

Stated DOB