Social care
Some disabled children and young people with Special Education Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) are supported by Social Care.
Social Care provides support, personal care and other practical assistance for children, young people and adults which can help them live more independently.
The York SEND Local Offer has useful information about Social Care services and other support available for parent carers and their families.
See further advice and information about help if you have a disabled child on GOV.UK, read Mencap's Social Care information.
See more information about social care:
- Moving from child to adult services
- Your child’s right to an assessment
- Types of social care assessments
- Early Help
- Statutory Assessments for children with a disability
- Young People with SEN or disabilities without an EHC plan
- Social Care and EHC needs assessments
- Education Health and Care plans
- Short breaks
Moving from child to adult services
In education law (Children and Families Act 2014) children become young people on the last Friday in June when they're 16 years old (usually in Year 11 at school).
In social care law (Children Act 1989 and Care Act 2014) children become young people when they turn 18 years old. This means that anyone under 18 years old can access children's social care services but anyone 18 years old or over would access adult's social care services.
Your child’s right to an assessment
If you think your child needs some help and support from social care, you can speak to their school or setting about Early Help.
If you think your child needs more support, you can ask City of York Council for an assessment of your child’s social care needs. You can do this by contacting City of York Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH); use the York MASH online form, telephone: 01904 551900, or email: mash@york.gov.uk.
Find on more about arranging an assessment on the Contact website including:
- how to ask for an assessment
- what to expect during the assessment
- next steps for you, and child or young person under 18
- template letters for you to use to request a needs assessment
Types of social care assessments
There may be times when you or your children may need some extra support.
Different assessments are available which can identify the types help you require:
- Early Help Assessments, which are not statutory
- Statutory Assessments, such as:
- a ‘child in need’ assessment under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, providing support for more complex needs
- action under section 47 of the Children Act 1989, if there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm
Social care assessments collect important information about your child and family together, to form a plan to improve things.
Early Help
Early Help is all about providing the right support to children and families at the earliest possible time; it brings together agencies who can support the whole family to try and improve things for everyone.
Early help can avoid the needs of the child or family escalating to the point where intervention is needed via a statutory assessment.
More information on the Early Help approach can be found here (Raise York) or you may prefer to speak about an Early Help Assessment with professionals who may already be supporting your family such as:
- a member of staff within school
- a health professional
- any worker who is actively supporting a family
As part of the assessment process, you'll be asked what’s working well, what isn’t and what might need to change. Your child’s views, wishes and feelings are put at the centre of the process.
Statutory Assessments for children with a disability
Under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 local authorities have a duty to assess ‘children in need’ to see if they require support from Social Care.
A ‘child in need’ is:
- a child who is unlikely to achieve or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development
- a child whose health and development will be significantly impaired, without the provision of services
- a child who is disabled
The Children Act considers a child disabled if the child is:
- blind
- deaf
- non-verbal
- suffering from a mental disorder of any kind
- substantially and permanently handicapped by illness, injury or congenital deformity or such other disability as may be prescribed
This means that if your child is disabled, the local authority must carry out an assessment of their care needs.
Between the ages of 16 and 18, plans will start to be made with the young person to prepare them to move to adult social care services; this is known as a transition.
This should involve all the services that support areas such as:
- health and social care
- mental health
- education
- financial benefits for the young person and their family
- work
- housing
A social Care Transition Assessment with the young person and their family will help to see what support a young person will need as they approach adulthood and help them to make plans for their future.
Young People with SEN or disabilities without an EHC plan
Even if they didn't get support from Children's Social Care services, young people with SEN or disabilities turning 18 may become eligible for Adult Social Care services.
Section 58 of The Care Act 2014 places a duty on local authorities to carry out an assessment of a child’s needs where this would be of ‘significant benefit’ to the child, and if it is likely they will have care and support needs when they turn 18.
To ask for an assessment, contact the Adult Social Care Team in York, telephone: 01904 555111, or on email: adult.socialsupport@york.gov.uk.
Read about how to ask for a needs assessment for a person over 18.
Social Care and EHC needs assessments
The SEND Code of Practice says:
Where there is an EHC needs assessment, it should be a holistic assessment of the child or young person’s education, health and social care needs. EHC needs assessments should be combined with social care assessments under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 where appropriate.
In seeking advice and information, the local authority should consider with professionals what advice they can contribute to ensure the assessment covers all the relevant education, health and care needs of the child or young person.
This means that as part of an EHC needs assessment, the Special Education Needs (SEN) team will ask Social Care about your child.
Education Health and Care plans
Section H1 within an EHC plan includes:
Any social care provision which must be made for a child or young person under 18 resulting from section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970, such as:
- practical assistance in the home
- clubs and activities outside the home
- assistance in travelling or helping your child to take part in activities
- equipment or adaptations to the home
- holidays
- non-residential short breaks
- any identified provision for parent carers of disabled children
Section H2 of an EHC plan includes:
Any other provision related to your child or young person’s SEN that isn’t covered within section H1, for example:
- residential short breaks
- support with finding employment
- support with finding housing
According to the SEND Code of Practice 2015, for children and young people in or beyond Year 9 with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan), local authorities have a legal duty to include provision to assist in preparing for adulthood in the EHC Plan review.
This means that from year 9 onwards Annual Reviews of an EHC plan need to consider wider support needs, such as preparation for employment and independent living.
The SEND Code of Practice 2015 says:
Where young people have EHC plans, local authorities should consider the need to provide a full package of provision and support across education, health and care that covers five days a week, where that is appropriate to meet the young person’s needs.
It can also include health and care related activities such as physiotherapy. Full-time packages of provision and support set out in the EHC plan should include any time young people need to access support for their health and social care needs.
Early Help Short Break Grants
Some children and young people with disabilities will need support for their social care needs to be met through short breaks services.
Short break services give children and young people time away from their family to enjoy fun activities and new experiences, as well as make new friendships. Short breaks also give children and young people an opportunity to learn new skills and increase their independence.
Short breaks can also give parents and full-time carers of disabled children and young people a break from their caring role. This time can also enable siblings to get to spend quality time with their parents or carers either at home or by doing an activity they enjoy.
Referrals for an Early Help Short Break Grant are accepted twice a year in April and October.
See further information on short breaks services, or email: earlyhelpshortbreaks@york.gov.uk.
Alternatives to specialist short break provision
Not all families need specialist short-break provision and may find that universal or targeted services, such as after-school clubs, holiday schemes and youth clubs are able to meet their needs.
See more information on activities and things to do in York (Raise York).
You and your family may also benefit from having access to a MAX Card which gets you and your family a discount or free access to a range of local and national attractions. Anyone can request a MAX Card if they have a child with a registered disability.
Apply online for a Max Card or visit the 'My Max Card' website.