Chronologies are a core component of social work. They are a key way of recording and understanding the sequence of a person’s life, their support and the decisions they have taken (and the decisions others have taken about them). Improving chronology practice is important across all areas of social work and therefore, the resources in this section might have wider relevance than Adult Support and Protection alone.
This guidance sets out the definition and importance of a chronology. It highlights the information that should be included, and how it might be organised (including a RAG rating for risk). A template is included.
This presentation was delivered in April 2024 to a joint child protection / Adult Support and Protection meeting. It gives an overview of the Iriss work on chronologies. This includes some major challenges in creating effective chronologies, suggestions for improvement, and tools to help.
A chronology is a record of significant events, recorded in the order they occur. Events may be either positive or negative, but they reveal patterns of behaviour, and their impact on an individual’s life. This suite of resources, developed by the Pan Lothian Partnership, offers templates and guides to creating effective chronologies.
Resources:
Chronologies quick guide
Chronologies guidance
Key messages on chronologies
Template (single agency)
Template (multi-agency)
The Pan Lothian chronologies working group was established by NHS Lothian in collaboration with NHS National Services Scotland in 2018. This evaluation report covers their work in developing, testing, and implementing a chronologies tool. Key findings on improving work in chronologies include: the importance of a collaborative and multi-agency approach; realism about timescales; a shared commitment to improving consistency; and a willingness to embrace new ways of working. The report also covers challenges and recommendations for future chronologies work.
This form is used in Angus for recording initial inquiries and investigations. It makes clear the delineation between initial adult protection inquiries and full adult protection investigations. It is used by all council officers in Angus. Includes a template to record chronologies of significant events. Use of this form has contributed to positive inspection results in Angus.
