Self-Directed Support (SDS)

A child may be eligible for specialist disability services if they have a physical or mental impairment that significantly and permanently affects their ability to carry out everyday activities.

Critical need or risk

Children with a critical need or risk are children with:

• a high level of special needs or disability requiring constant supervision, which results in a high risk of family breakdown
• parents or carers who are no longer able to manage the child's behaviours and who require to be accommodated
• severe challenging behaviour, which results in serious risk to the child or others, that parents are unable to manage, and results in a high risk of family breakdown

Substantial need or risk

There is a significant risk of the child suffering ill health or impaired development.

There is a significant risk of family breakdown and of the child requiring to be accommodated.

The child and family may be in need of intensive support, and this might include respite care or daytime care.

There is a need for urgent assessment, but it may not require a same-day response.

Moderate need or risk

There is some risk of impairment to health and development.

Without support, considerable deterioration is likely.

There will be a risk of family breakdown or of harm befalling the child.

The child may move to the substantial category without the provision of services.

Low need or risk

There is not an immediate or foreseeable risk of the child suffering harm or impaired health and development, but the provision of additional services would significantly improve the child's and family's life chances and quality of life.

The child's needs may not be consistently met.

Improvements are desirable, but there are no acute risks present.

Social work help is not essential to the monitoring or maintenance of the child's well-being, but this requires additional support from universal services.