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Assessment Instruments

An assessment instrument is a scored question set, such as a risk or needs assessment, whose total score falls into named bands like "Low", "Standard" or "Enhanced". You build and publish the instrument once, attach it to a datastore, and each record then shows the assessments recorded against it with the band each one reached.

Where to find it

Architect Panel → Forms:

  • Assessment Instruments — scored question sets, their versions, and the bands a score falls into

The console belongs to the Casework & Records platform module. If that module is switched off the console shows an amber notice instead; see Platform Modules.

Before you start: what works today

The console lets you build, version and publish instruments, and records show an Assessments tab listing assessments with their band. There is not yet a built-in screen for staff to fill an assessment in: responses are recorded through the platform's assessment interface, which needs a custom page or integration built by a developer. Plan for that before promising an assessment to users.

Creating an instrument

  1. Open Assessment Instruments. In the New instrument card enter a Name and a Key, and optionally a Description.
  2. Choose the Datastore whose records it applies to. Choose a specific datastore rather than "any".
  3. Tick Enabled (it starts unticked) and click Save.
  4. Click New version to create draft version 1.

Adding questions

In Add a question, enter the Question, a Key, the Answer type ("a choice", "yes or no", "a number" or "free text"), a Weight (1 unless one question should count more), an optional Score key for a sub-score, and whether it is Required. Click Add question.

For "a choice", type the options in Options as a list, each with a value, a label and the score it contributes, for example [{"value":"0","label":"Never","score":0},{"value":"3","label":"Often","score":3}]. Include "value" on every option: the placeholder in the box leaves it out, but an option without one cannot be chosen.

Questions cannot be edited. To change one, Remove it and add it again with a new key.

Adding bands

In Add a band, enter a Name (what people see, such as "Enhanced"), a Key, and the From and To scores. A band runs from its start up to but not including its end, except the highest band, which includes its end. Leave Score key blank for bands on the total.

The console checks the bands as you go and shows red warnings for overlaps, gaps, bands that run backwards, and a top band that stops below the highest possible score. The Questions heading shows the highest possible score, which is the ceiling the bands must reach.

Publishing

When the questions and bands are right, click Publish this version. Publishing is refused while a red warning remains or if there are no questions. Once published, the version's questions and bands are fixed for good. See Versions and Scoring.

What records show

Records in the chosen datastore gain an Assessments tab listing each assessment's name, version ("v2"), state (draft or complete), band and completion date. It is read-only, and shows bands rather than numeric scores.

What goes wrong and how to tell

  • Nothing happens when you click a button: the console reloads without showing error messages. The action was refused; check required fields, and for a choice question check the Options list.
  • A question will not add with a reused key: a removed question's key cannot be reused in the same version.
  • Clicks act immediately: Remove, Publish and Retire have no confirmation.
  • Bands with a score key are not listed on the console; keep bands on the total unless a developer is managing sub-scores.

Worked example

A housing team builds "Tenancy support needs" on its Tenancies datastore: eight choice questions scored 0 to 3, so the heading shows a highest possible score of 24. It adds three bands: Standard 0 to 8, Enhanced 8 to 16 and Intensive 16 to 24, with no gaps and no warnings, and publishes version 1. Its developer adds a short assessment page for officers; completed assessments then appear on each tenancy's Assessments tab with their band.

Recommendations

  • Agree the scoring on paper first; published versions cannot be changed.
  • Clear every red warning before publishing.
  • Always include a value on each option.
  • Plan how assessments will be filled in before rolling out an instrument.