Supported Assessment Questionnaire

When looking at your needs the social worker will look with you at the whole range of support available, including informal networks such as friends and family and what is generally available in the local community for all children.

Where an assessment indicates that there is a still a need for additional support on top of this, the social worker will complete a Supported Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) as part of your child and family assessment. This is a series of questions to help determine the level of support and the budget that may be available for your child.

The SAQ score will give an indicative budget. The indicative budget gives an indication of the possible budget required to meet the needs without having considered the specific circumstances of the family, for example their support network.  Sometimes families do not need all the funding to meet the young person’s needs. Therefore funding may change when final plan is completed.

The Personalisation Service will help you to create a plan (sometimes called a Child in Need Plan) which will meet the needs and outcomes identified in your child’s assessment. They can also help you to personalise your child’s support so that it will deliver the outcomes in the best way for you and your family.

The plan and the budget have to be agreed by the Education, Health and Care Needs Management Board. The board consists of education, health and social care commissioners and meets fortnightly.

There is an appeals process if you are not happy with the Board’s decision.

Where the Education Health and Care Needs Management Board make a decision that a family does not agree with, they can ask for the board to review that decision and submit any other evidence which they think Board members should have considered or which was not available at the time. The family at this stage can make their own written submission to say why it is that they do not agree with the proposed plan or the decision by the Board and they can ask the person who produced their plan or the SEND Community Support Service to assist in formulating a written response if they need help to do so.

If parents or carers remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the Education Health and Care Needs Management Board decision after they have reviewed it, they can consider making a complaint under the Children Act Complaints Procedure within 20 working days.

The person who helped to develop their plan can advise them about how to do so or they can contact our Customer Care and Complaints Manager.

Plans are reviewed annually by the Disabled Children's Family Support Team (DCFST).

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