This page explains disabled children’s social care support, how eligibility is decided, and what help may be provided for the child and family – including parent carers and sometimes siblings – based on assessed needs, not diagnosis.
You don’t need to read everything in one go, you can dip in and out, or use the section links on the right to jump to what’s most relevant for you.
Being a parent carer is about more than being a parent. You care for a child or young person who has additional needs, and that care often goes beyond what most parents have to do.
You might help your child with everyday things, speak up for them, explain their needs, or spend time working out how to get the right support. For many families, this just feels like “what parents do” and you might not think of yourself as a carer at all.
But when the support you give is extra, ongoing, or demanding, you are also a carer. That matters, because it means you’re entitled to support too. Needing help or a break doesn’t mean you’re not coping – it means you’re human.
Many parents tell us they’re unsure what “social care” actually means, or what support it can offer. The word ‘social’ can sound worrying, but social care support is about helping families manage day-to-day life, not judging their parenting.
Getting the right support can help you keep doing the amazing job you already do, especially when care needs are high or ongoing.
Brothers and sisters can be affected too and may need their own support. Your child with additional needs might also need help to do the same things as other children – like joining clubs, activities, or spending time out in the community.
Support can help your whole family manage day to day life, spend time together, and take a break when things feel hard.
Social care support is based on your family’s needs, not on a diagnosis or a label.
When you contact the Disabled Children’s Social Care team, they will usually start by talking with you about what life is like at home, what’s working well, and what feels hard right now.
Together, you look at, what support your child needs, how caring is affecting you or members of your family, and what help could make everyday life easier
Not every family will need the same level of support. Some families get advice or short-term help, while others need more ongoing support. This can change over time as needs change.
Local Authorities must support families with disabled children, both at home and in the community.
In Bristol, this support is provided by the Disabled Children’s Social Care team. Support is based on your family’s needs and can include help for your child, for you as a parent carer, and for brothers and sisters.
Support in Bristol is organised into three main areas:
Early support is help that can be offered before things become overwhelming.
You do not need a diagnosis to access early support. Many families use this support when they first notice their child needs extra help, or when everyday life starts to feel harder.
Early support can include:
Will there be an assessment? Early support is usually based on conversations and advice, and there is often no formal assessment at this stage.
If your child’s needs are ongoing or affecting everyday life, advice on its own may not be enough. In these situations, more support may be needed. The section below explains what this can look like and how to ask for it.
Some children need more ongoing support because of their disability or additional needs.
This support is about helping your child be safe, well, and included in everyday life – at home and in the community.
Support can help with things like:
Will there be an assessment? If your child’s needs are ongoing, social care should consider whether an assessment is needed to look at what support could help.
An assessment helps the social care team understand what everyday life looks like for your family and what you’re struggling with, so the right support can be worked out.
Without an assessment, social care may not have enough information to know what help would actually make a difference.
A Section 17 (Child in Need) assessment is used to decide whether a child and family need extra support from social care.
It looks at your child’s needs related to disability, how those needs affect daily life and what support could help
A full assessment usually involves more than a short phone call, includes a proper conversation with you nd leads to a clear outcome, usually in writing
If you’ve only been given advice or signposting, this is unlikely to count as a full assessment.
What usually happens during an assessment?
A professional, such as a social worker or occupational therapist, will talk with you about your child and family life. You should be listened to, kept informed, and involved in decisions. You can ask questions at any point.
Sometimes families are told that an assessment won’t be carried out, or are offered advice or signposting instead. This can feel confusing or upsetting. It also doesn’t always mean that an assessment isn’t needed.
If your child has ongoing needs, it’s okay to ask for a clearer explanation.
You can ask: which assessment has been considered and why it isn’t being offered at this time. It’s often helpful to ask for this in writing, so you can understand the decision more clearly.
What you could say: “Please can you explain which assessment has been considered, and why it isn’t being offered at this time? Our needs are ongoing and we’d like to understand this better.”
If you’re still not happy: If the response doesn’t feel right, you can ask for the decision to be looked at again, use the local authority’s complaints process and let us know about your experience by getting in touch with us.
Asking questions or challenging a decision is okay. It’s about making sure your family’s needs are properly understood.
Caring for a disabled child often means doing more than most parents have to do. You may be managing appointments, paperwork, daily care, and worries about the future — often alongside work, other children, and everyday life.
Support for parent carers is there to help you keep going, not to judge how you parent. It recognises that caring can affect your health, wellbeing, time, and ability to do the things you need or want to do.
Support can include: short breaks from caring, practical help at home, advice, guidance, or emotional support
What support looks like will depend on your situation and may change over time.
If caring is affecting your wellbeing or daily life, social care should consider a carer’s assessment.
A carer’s assessment is about you, not your child. It looks at:
You do not need: a diagnosis for your child, for your child to have an EHCP or to be “at breaking point”
An assessment should involve a proper conversation and lead to a clear outcome. Being given advice or signposting on its own does not usually mean a carer’s assessment has taken place.
If no assessment happens, social care may not fully understand what support would make the biggest difference for you.
What you can ask: “Caring is affecting my wellbeing. Please can you tell me whether I have had a carer’s assessment, or whether one should be offered?”
Sometimes parent carers are told they don’t qualify for support, are given information instead of help, or feel their situation hasn’t been fully understood.
If this happens, it’s okay to:
Brothers and sisters of disabled children can be affected in many ways. They may worry about their sibling, take on extra responsibilities, miss out on attention, or feel unsure where they fit.
Support for siblings is about making sure their needs are noticed and taken seriously, not just assumed to be “coping”.
Support can help siblings by:
If a sibling appears to be affected by caring, or is taking on caring responsibilities, social care should consider a young carer’s assessment.
This assessment looks at:
A young person does not need to ask for this themselves. An assessment should be considered whenever a family is assessed, even if a separate assessment isn’t completed.
If siblings are only mentioned briefly in any assessment, or not at all, this may mean their needs haven’t been properly considered.
What you can ask: “My child’s siblings may be affected by caring. Please can you explain whether their needs have been considered, and whether a young carer’s assessment should be offered?”
Sometimes siblings’ needs are overlooked, especially when the focus is on the disabled child.
If this happens, it’s okay to:
If you’re still unhappy, you can use the local authority’s complaints process to raise concerns or ask for a review. You can also let us know about your experience by getting in touch with us.
You can also:
Asking questions or raising concerns helps make sure siblings are supported and not overlooked.
When a young person turns 18, support does not automatically continue in the same way. Services change from children’s to adult social care, and this can feel uncertain or worrying for families.
Adult social care focuses on the young person as an adult, but families often continue to provide significant support. It’s important that this is recognised and planned for, rather than assumed.
Support after 18 is about making sure the young person’s needs, wellbeing, and independence are properly considered as they move into adulthood.
Support may help by:
Support should be considered as part of a planned transition, not only after support has already reduced or stopped.
If a young person is likely to need support as an adult, adult social care should consider a Care Act assessment around the time they turn 18.
This assessment looks at:
A Care Act assessment should be offered where there is likely to be a need for adult social care support. It should not rely on families “proving” a crisis.
If a parent or carer continues to provide support, a carer’s assessment may also be appropriate.
If support changes suddenly at 18, or no assessment has been offered, this may mean needs have not been fully considered.
What you can ask:
“My child is approaching or has turned 18 and may need ongoing support. Please can you explain whether a Care Act assessment has been considered, and what support might be available?”
Sometimes adult support is refused, reduced, or delayed, particularly if needs are seen as “not eligible”.
If this happens, it’s okay to:
If you’re still unhappy, you can use the local authority’s complaints process to raise concerns or ask for a review. You can also let us know about your experience by getting in touch with us.
You can also:
Raising questions early can help avoid gaps in support and make sure young people are not left without help as they move into adulthood.
You don’t need to understand everything on this page, or decide what to do straight away.
Many families read this information over time, come back to it, or only focus on the parts that feel relevant right now. Needs change, and so does support.
You don’t need a diagnosis, you don’t have to be at crisis point, and you don’t have to know exactly what you’re asking for. It’s okay to start with questions.
Support should be about listening, understanding your family’s day-to-day life, and working out what could help.
What you do next is up to you.
You might choose to:
There is no single “right” next step. If you decide to get in touch with social care, you can ask questions, take someone with you, and ask for information in writing.
If you’re unsure where to start, or if something doesn’t feel right, you can also contact us or come along to our next event. We can help you think through your options and understand what should happen next.
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