Casework Skills Test Question 43 – Responding when a colleague suggests copying decision reasons
On this page
Practice focus: Individual assessment, efficient templates and defensible reasoning
Difficulty: Easy
Scenario
A colleague shows you a completed case that appears similar to the one you are assessing and suggests copying the decision reasons to save time. The cases share the same general issue, but your case includes an exception that was not present in the earlier file. Team guidance permits standard wording where it accurately reflects the individual evidence and decision.
Rate the actions
For each action, choose Counterproductive, Ineffective, Fairly Effective or Effective.
Action A
Use any relevant standard wording only as a structure, assess the exception independently and write reasons that explain how the evidence in this case was treated.
Rate this action:
Counterproductive Ineffective Fairly Effective Effective
Action B
Copy the earlier reasons, change the names and references, and rely on the fact that both cases concern the same general issue.
Rate this action:
Counterproductive Ineffective Fairly Effective Effective
Action C
Write the entire decision from a blank page and refuse to use any standard wording, even for points that are identical.
Rate this action:
Counterproductive Ineffective Fairly Effective Effective
Action D
Copy most of the earlier reasons and add one sentence stating that the circumstances in this case are different.
Rate this action:
Counterproductive Ineffective Fairly Effective Effective
Click to reveal the answer
| Action | Correct rating |
|---|---|
| Action A | Effective |
| Action B | Counterproductive |
| Action C | Fairly Effective |
| Action D | Ineffective |
Members can unlock the full explanation for all four actions, including how evidence, fairness, confidentiality, customer impact and authority affect each rating.
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