What is a child in need assessment under Section 17?

The definition

A child in need assessment is a voluntary social-care assessment under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 that decides what support a council should provide for a child's welfare, including any disabled child. Section 17(1) gives every council a general duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their area who are "in need", and, so far as it fits that duty, to support their being brought up by their own families. The assessment identifies what the child and family need and what services the council should put in place (Children Act 1989, s.17).

A child counts as "in need" if they are unlikely to reach or keep a reasonable standard of health or development without council services, if their health or development is likely to be significantly harmed without them, or if they are disabled (s.17(10)). The Act defines "disabled" broadly, so a disabled child automatically meets the threshold (s.17(11)). Services can include practical help, support to the whole family, and, in some cases, accommodation or help in cash (s.17(6)).

How it is different from a Section 47 enquiry

This is the distinction that matters most for a practitioner weighing a referral. A Section 17 assessment is supportive and voluntary. It carries no suggestion that a parent has caused harm, and it normally needs the family's consent. A Section 47 child protection enquiry is different: it is the duty to investigate where there is reasonable cause to suspect a child is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm. The two are not interchangeable.

• Section 17 (child in need): voluntary, family-led support. Threshold is unmet or at-risk welfare, not harm. Usually needs parental consent. Often results in a Child in Need (CIN) plan.
• Section 47 (child protection): a duty to enquire when significant harm is suspected. Consent is not a precondition. Can lead to a child protection plan.
• The link between them: one referral can move from Section 17 to Section 47 if information gathered raises a concern of significant harm. The route is not fixed at the point of referral.

The framework and timescale

A child in need assessment is triggered by a referral to children's social care. Under Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023, the assessment should conclude no longer than 45 working days from the point of referral, completed against a locally agreed protocol and based on the individual child's needs. This is a maximum, not a fixed national deadline, and a proportionate assessment may take less. Within that window the lead practitioner agrees with the family whether to put a CIN plan or a child protection plan in place. Where a CIN plan is made, the first review is normally held within three months, then at least every six months (Child Law Advice).

Why the distinction matters in practice

For a disabled child, the threshold question is already answered: they meet the definition automatically, so the assessment is about what support to provide, not whether the child qualifies. Framing the conversation that way, supportive, voluntary, and rooted in the council's duty, keeps a family engaged and avoids the alarm that comes from confusing a child in need route with a child protection one. Where significant harm is suspected, the Section 47 duty takes over and the consent-led approach no longer applies.

This page is general information, not legal advice. If you are concerned a child is at immediate risk, follow your local safeguarding procedures without delay; if a child is in immediate danger, call 999.

Related: how LAs assess social care needs within an EHCP, the parent carer needs assessment, and short breaks for disabled children.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.