If you are a parent of a disabled child aged under 18, your child can be assessed by social services under law relating to the needs of children in the Children Act.
You will also be assessed as part of that process because social services will look at the needs of the family as a whole. This is often referred to as a 'holistic' assessment.
The assessment should take into account detailed information about your family, including:
- the family’s background and culture,
- your own views and preferences, and
- the needs of any other children you have.
The assessment is not a test of your parenting skills but should be a sensitive look at any difficulties the family has as a whole, with a view to considering what support or services are needed.
A care plan should be drawn up that would include services to benefit both you and your disabled child. For example, there could be adaptations to the home, help with bathing or regular respite breaks to ensure that you get the rest you need.
You could also choose to have a direct payment so that you can buy in your own services for your child.
The carer’s needs in the assessment
You may find that the type of holistic assessment described above meets all your needs as a carer. If that is not the case, it is important to remember that you can still ask for a separate assessment of your own if you are providing care on a regular and substantial basis.
Government guidance tells social services that when they assess disabled children they should accept that their parents provide regular and substantial care.
Even if your child is living away from home, as long as you have regular contact you should still be eligible for a separate assessment.
Common questions
Is it true that I can't have a separate assessment?
If social services have failed to fully address your needs as a carer, you may need to insist upon having a separate carer’s assessment under the Carers (Recognition and Service) Act 1995 and the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000.
Put your request in writing to social services. In your letter, you should point out which areas or issues to do with your own needs as a carer have not been dealt with during any assessment under the Children Acts. If they still refuse to carry out a separate assessment, you may want to consider making a complaint.
Will social services be sympathetic if I want a job?
Social services must take account of your wishes as far as paid work is concerned. There is no difference here just because you are a parent carer. They should not give you the impression that you have to stay home with your child if that is not what you want to do or are able to do.
Example
Angie and her husband care for their daughter Alice, who has cerebral palsy. Angie has been at home looking after her daughter on a full-time basis while her husband works, but now feels that she would like to get back to paid work.
The assessment that looked at Alice’s needs and the needs of the family as a whole did not give Angie a chance to discuss her particular wishes as far as paid employment is concerned. She asked for a separate carer’s assessment so that she could have this conversation and discuss in detail how she felt about her role as a carer and the practical consequences of her going back to paid work.