Children in Need Assessment: Section 17 Guide UK

Understanding Section 17

Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 places a general duty on local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need, and to promote the upbringing of such children by their families by providing a range of services appropriate to those children's needs.

Children in Need (CIN) is an important category—it represents children who require additional support beyond universal services but who are not at the threshold requiring child protection intervention.

The Legal Definition

Under Section 17(10) of the Children Act 1989, a child is "in need" if:

1. They are unlikely to achieve or maintain, or have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision of services by a local authority; or
2. Their health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or further impaired, without the provision of such services; or
3. They are disabled

"Development" means physical, intellectual, emotional, social, or behavioural development. "Health" means physical or mental health.

Categories of Children in Need

Disabled Children

Children with disabilities are automatically considered children in need. The local authority has a duty to provide services designed to minimise the effect of their disability and give them the opportunity to lead lives which are as normal as possible.

Children with Complex Health Needs

Children whose health needs are such that they require additional support and coordination of services.

Children Experiencing Family Difficulties

This may include children affected by:

• Parental mental health difficulties
• Parental substance misuse
• Domestic abuse (where not reaching CP threshold)
• Family breakdown
• Bereavement
• Financial hardship affecting care

Children with Behavioural or Emotional Difficulties

Children whose behaviour or emotional needs are impacting their development and require multi-agency support.

Young Carers

Children who have caring responsibilities for family members that impact their own development or wellbeing.

The CIN Assessment

A CIN assessment follows the same framework as any child and family assessment, using the Assessment Framework triangle to examine:

• The child's developmental needs
• The parents' capacity to meet those needs
• Family and environmental factors

What the Assessment Should Establish

• What are the child's unmet needs?
• What is preventing these needs from being met?
• What are the family's strengths and resources?
• What services would enable the family to meet the child's needs?
• What outcomes should be achieved?
• What is the family's view of what would help?

CIN Plans

Where a child is assessed as being in need, a CIN plan should be developed. The plan should:

• Set out the identified needs
• Describe the services to be provided
• Specify desired outcomes with measurable indicators
• Identify who will do what and by when
• Set a review date
• Be developed with the family wherever possible

SMART Outcomes

CIN plan outcomes should be:

• Specific: Clear about what will change
• Measurable: How will we know when achieved?
• Achievable: Realistic given circumstances
• Relevant: Linked to the child's identified needs
• Time-bound: When should this be achieved by?

CIN Reviews

CIN plans should be reviewed regularly to assess progress and determine whether:

• The plan is achieving its outcomes
• The child's needs have changed
• Services need to be adjusted
• The child still meets CIN threshold
• Concerns have escalated (requiring CP or other response)
• The case can be stepped down or closed

Review Timescales

Good practice suggests:

• First review within 4-6 weeks of plan
• Subsequent reviews at least every 3 months
• More frequent reviews where risks or needs are higher

Services Under Section 17

Local authorities have broad powers under Section 17 to provide services. These may include:

• Family support services
• Parenting programmes
• Counselling and therapeutic services
• Short breaks for disabled children
• Practical support (equipment, adaptations)
• Financial assistance in exceptional circumstances
• Accommodation (Section 20)
• Day care and nursery places
• Youth work and mentoring

The Relationship Between CIN and Other Categories

CIN and Early Help

Early Help is provided to children who do not meet the CIN threshold but would benefit from coordinated support. The key differences:

• Early Help is typically led by universal or targeted services (schools, health visitors)
• CIN involves statutory children's social care
• CIN has higher thresholds and more formal processes

CIN and Child Protection

Child Protection is required when a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Key differences:

• CIN focuses on unmet needs; CP focuses on significant harm
• CP involves Section 47 enquiries and child protection conferences
• CP plans have more formal structure and multi-agency oversight
• A case may step up from CIN to CP if risks increase

CIN and Looked After Children

Some children in need may become looked after under Section 20 (voluntary accommodation) or via care proceedings. CIN support may prevent the need for care entry or support reunification.

Common Challenges

Drift

CIN cases can drift without clear progress. Prevent this by:

• Setting clear, measurable outcomes
• Regular reviews with honest evaluation of progress
• Willingness to escalate if not improving
• Not keeping cases open indefinitely "just in case"

Threshold Decisions

Deciding whether a child is in need can be challenging. Consider:

• Would the child achieve reasonable development without services?
• Is the family able to access support without social care involvement?
• Is multi-agency coordination needed?
• Have early help approaches been tried and proven insufficient?

Engagement

CIN work is based on partnership with families. When families don't engage:

• Explore reasons for non-engagement
• Consider whether the plan addresses what matters to them
• Be clear about expectations and consequences
• Assess whether non-engagement raises safeguarding concerns

Working with Families

Effective CIN work requires genuine partnership:

• Be honest about concerns and why CIN involvement is needed
• Involve families in assessment and planning
• Focus on family strengths, not just deficits
• Respect cultural differences in parenting
• Provide services that are accessible and acceptable to the family
• Review together whether things are improving

Closing CIN Cases

A CIN case should be closed when:

• The child's needs are being met and outcomes achieved
• The family can maintain improvements without ongoing support
• The child no longer meets the CIN threshold
• The family has moved to another area (transfer)
• The child has reached adulthood (transition to adult services if needed)

Closure should be planned, with agreement about any ongoing support from other services and clear information for the family about how to access help in future if needed.

Conclusion

Children in Need assessment and support is a vital part of children's services, providing help to families before problems escalate to requiring child protection intervention. Effective CIN work requires thorough assessment, clear planning with measurable outcomes, regular review, and genuine partnership with families.

When done well, CIN support strengthens families' capacity to meet their children's needs, preventing harm and reducing the need for more intensive interventions. It represents social work's preventive, supportive function at its best.