Different levels of children’s needs require different responses from the Children and Families Group.

The needs are categorised into four preventative levels:

Level 4: Urgent/Acute Crisis and High Priority Needs

Urgent/Acute Crisis Needs

This covers children/young people at risk of significant harm

High Priority Needs

This covers children/young people:

• Looked after by the local authority (including those facing custodial sentences)
• At risk of family breakdown

Service Response

Children and Families responds straight away to children/young people in need of safeguarding or where there is a risk of immediate family breakdown. Their needs are assessed and plans made to ensure their safety and promote their development.

Level 3: Medium Priority - Children with Complex and Long-standing Needs

This covers children/young people who:

• Are unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health and development without the intervention of Children and Families.

• Face significant impairment of their health or development as a result of their needs not being met.

Risk is high for these children due to the chronic nature of their difficulties.

This category includes disabled children.

Service Response

A decision is made by Children and Families within 24 hours of referral about whether an initial assessment of the child’s/young person's needs is appropriate. If it is, then it is completed within seven working days (including the day of referral).

The initial assessment may identify needs that can be met by specialist services and complex packages of support.

If an initial assessment is not appropriate, other agencies can undertake a common assessment that can then be taken to the Local Preventative Group for discussion.

Level 2: Low Priority Needs - Early Identification

This covers children/young people denied access to opportunities available to their peers, where problems are beginning to be identified and action is needed to prevent them from becoming serious.

The needs of these children/young people are best met by agencies other than Children and Families, such as voluntary services, or the health or education services.

Service Response

Children and Families will not offer an assessment.

Advice and information will be given about other local resources. Other professionals will be advised that a common assessment may be required and, if needs cannot be met by a sole agency, a referral to the Local Preventative Group should be made.

Level 1: Universal Needs

This covers universal services for all children/young people with open access.

Services focus on universal early years provision, education and health services, as well as community development work.

Services are not provided by Children and Families at this level.