Child in need

A child assessed as needing local authority services to achieve a reasonable standard of health or development.

What it is

Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 defines a child in need as one who is unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development without services from the local authority, or whose health or development would be significantly impaired without them — or who is disabled.

Every disabled child is a child in need by definition, which many families never learn.

Where it applies

Children under 18 in the local authority's area.

How it works

Social care carries out a child and family assessment, expected to be completed within 45 working days. If the child is assessed as in need, a child in need plan sets out the services and is reviewed.

This is support, not child protection. A child in need plan is not a child protection plan and does not mean anyone thinks a child is at risk of harm from their family — a distinction that is not always made clearly at the point it matters most.

Disabled children can be assessed under section 17 for services including short breaks and direct payments, and a parent carer is entitled to a separate parent carer's needs assessment.

What you can ask for

Ask for an assessment in writing, and specifically say if your child is disabled — that alone establishes the status.

Ask for the assessment and the plan in writing, and for a copy of what has been recorded about your family.

Ask about a parent carer's needs assessment. It is a separate right under the Children and Families Act 2014 and it is rarely offered.

Where to get help

The council's children's social care front door. Family Rights Group and Contact both advise, and Cerebra publishes excellent free guides on section 17 for disabled children.