BEGIN:VCALENDAR
METHOD:PUBLISH
VERSION:2.0
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
PRODID:-//NONSGML WPForms//NONSGML Sugar Calendar Feeds v3.11.0//EN
X-WR-CALNAME:Brief Enquiry Training
X-WR-CALDESC:ISWS
X-WR-TIMEZONE:UTC
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:UTC
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
DTSTART:20260401T213000
TZNAME:UTC
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:UTC
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
DTSTART:20260401T213000
TZNAME:UTC
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Brief Enquiry Training
DESCRIPTION:Introduction\n\n\n\nA Brief Enquiry\, sometimes described as
  a short-form age assessment\, may be undertaken where there is doubt ab
 out a young person’s claimed age but a full age assessment may not be 
 necessary or proportionate.\n\n\n\nAlthough shorter than a full age asse
 ssment\, a Brief Enquiry must still be fair\, evidence-based and legally
  compliant. Practitioners need to understand when this route is appropri
 ate\, how to conduct the enquiry in a child-centred way\, and how to rea
 ch and record a clear\, defensible decision.\n\n\n\nThis enhanced traini
 ng session brings together social work and legal expertise in Brief Enqu
 iries. It will be jointly delivered by an experienced social work traine
 r and solicitor\, offering participants an integrated understanding of b
 oth the practical and legal requirements of the process.\n\n\n\nThe sess
 ion is designed for social workers\, personal advisers\, team managers a
 nd local authority legal services. We are initially trialling this enhan
 ced format to understand whether there is appetite for further combined 
 practice and legal training.\n\n\n\nWhat the training will cover?\n\n\n\
 nThis full-day interactive webinar brings together specialist legal expe
 rtise and social work practice to guide participants through the Brief E
 nquiry process from initial screening to the recording and communication
  of the outcome.\n\n\n\nThe legal framework\n\n\n\nLed by Elizabeth Okin
 da Consult\, the first half of the day will examine the legal framework 
 governing Brief Enquiries\, including the principles arising from Merton
 \, BF (Eritrea)\, AM v Solihull and HAM v Brent.\n\n\n\nParticipants wil
 l explore:\n\n\n\n\nThe legal basis and purpose of a Brief Enquiry\n\n\n
 \nHow a Brief Enquiry differs from a full age assessment\n\n\n\nThe thre
 shold for undertaking a Brief Enquiry\n\n\n\nThe procedural fairness and
  evidential standards that apply\n\n\n\nWhat makes a Brief Enquiry legal
 ly defensible\n\n\n\nThe legal role of the Information Sharing Proforma\
 n\n\n\nWhat the Home Office needs to see when an outcome is shared\n\n\n
 \n\nApplying the framework in practice\n\n\n\nLed by Immigration Social 
 Work Services Ltd\, the second half of the day will translate the legal 
 principles into confident\, child-centred social work practice.\n\n\n\nP
 articipants will explore:\n\n\n\n\nHow to plan and structure a Brief Enq
 uiry\n\n\n\nCreating an appropriate environment for the young person\n\n
 \n\nAsking purposeful and proportionate questions\n\n\n\nGathering and r
 ecording relevant information\n\n\n\nDistinguishing evidence\, observati
 on\, interpretation and assumption\n\n\n\nConsidering inconsistencies an
 d alternative explanations\n\n\n\nApplying professional curiosity withou
 t approaching the enquiry from a position of disbelief\n\n\n\nAnalysing 
 and weighing the available evidence\n\n\n\nReaching and communicating a 
 balanced\, reasoned decision\n\n\n\nCommon practice pitfalls and how the
 y can be avoided\n\n\n\n\nThe day will use practical examples\, discussi
 on and activities to help participants connect the legal requirements wi
 th the realities of day-to-day social work practice.\n\n\n\nLearning Obj
 ectivce\n\n\n\nBy the end of the training\, participants will be able to
 :\n\n\n\n\nUnderstand the law — explain the legal principles governing
  Brief Enquiries and how a Brief Enquiry differs from a full age assessm
 ent.\n\n\n\nIdentify when the process is appropriate — recognise when 
 a Brief Enquiry may be a lawful and proportionate response and when a fu
 ll age assessment or another course of action is required.\n\n\n\nPlan a
 nd conduct a fair enquiry — structure the process\, create an appropri
 ate environment and engage the young person in a child-centred and proce
 durally fair way.\n\n\n\nGather information effectively — use purposef
 ul questioning and professional curiosity to obtain and record informati
 on relevant to the person’s age.\n\n\n\nAnalyse the evidence — disti
 nguish observation from interpretation\, consider contextual factors and
  alternative explanations\, and give appropriate weight to the available
  information.\n\n\n\nReach and record a defensible decision — produce 
 a clear account of the evidence considered\, the analysis undertaken and
  the reasons for the conclusion reached.\n\n\n\nComplete the Information
  Sharing Proforma correctly — understand its legal function and provid
 e the information required when communicating the outcome to the Home Of
 fice.\n\n\n\nRecognise and avoid common pitfalls — identify practice a
 nd procedural weaknesses that could undermine the fairness or defensibil
 ity of the enquiry.\n\n\n\n\nWhat participants will receive\n\n\n\nParti
 cipants will receive a comprehensive set of resources supporting the Bri
 ef Enquiry process from initial screening through to recording and shari
 ng the outcome.\n\n\n\nThis will include:\n\n\n\n\nAge Screening Intervi
 ew Record — for recording the initial screening and the decision about
  the appropriate process\n\n\n\nAssessors’ Notes: Brief Enquiry — a 
 contemporaneous question-and-answer working record\n\n\n\nBrief Enquiry 
 Working Record — a plain-language template to support the conduct and 
 write-up of the enquiry\n\n\n\nBrief Enquiry Legal Review Criteria — t
 o support legal review before the outcome is communicated\n\n\n\nInforma
 tion Sharing Proforma — for sharing the outcome with the Home Office\n
 \n\n\nISP Compliance Checklist — a pre-drafting check to ensure the pr
 oforma is completed correctly and can be properly relied upon\n\n\n\nPre
 sentation materials and practical resources from the social work practic
 e session\n\n\n\n\nParticipants will leave with an understanding of both
  the legal requirements and their practical application\, together with 
 tools that can be adapted for use within their own local authority.\n\n\
 n\nDate: 01.10.2026\n\n\n\nTime: 09:30 – 16:30\n\n\n\nCost: £150 per 
 person (+VAT)
URL;VALUE=URI:https://isws-ltd.co.uk/events/brief_enquiry_training_open_
 access/
UID:urn:uuid:c33d3361-19fc-4ec8-a5cb-f4262841b117
STATUS:CONFIRMED
ORGANIZER:
DTSTAMP:20260908T064623Z
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20261001T093000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20261001T163000
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR