The central aim of the work is to present a way of understanding how social situations concerning individual people and groups can be understood. It is geared to the needs of a number of differing professions that have to make assessments of people within legal, health, social care and educational contexts. In order to achieve an adequate multi-disciplinary, multi-professional and ethical basis for making an assessment, there needs to be framework applicable across the range of organizations and capable of encompassing the great variety of social circumstances. This book attempts to provide that on the basis of contemporary social science and values.