Trafford Resource Allocation System

Trafford

Complex and Additional Needs

Resource Allocation Questionnaire

………………………………………

Dated:

1 Trafford Resource Allocation System

This document has a dual purpose:

a) To gather the views of the parents/carers/young person about the level of support required to ensure that the family enjoys a meaningful lifestyle

b) To evaluate an indicative level of support should the family be eligible for a Personal Budget

Guidance:

 The document should be filled in with the child, young person and those closest to them.

 The language used has been written to be open to older children and young people, or an appropriate adult on their behalf.

 Each question starts with a positive outcome as a statement of what support should focus on. The intention is to indicate how much support is needed to enable this positive statement to be as ‘true’ as possible for the child or young person.

 Where there is some overlap and you feel that it could be one or another, it is acceptable to choose a score somewhere between the two scores shown on the chart.

 Where it is clear that a statement does not relate to the individual in any way simply score ‘0’.

 Although this document can be used with any individual within the 0 to 25 age range, the words “child” and “children” are used throughout. Users should feel confident to adapt the language of the document according to circumstances.

 Where a child needs 2:1 support for personal care tasks then score as if 1:1. During Support Planning, where 2:1 personal care is identified then additional funding should be sought from Resource Panel to supplement the personal budget.

Four levels of support are given for each statement:

 Exceptional support  Lots of support  Some support  No support

2 The table on below provides a general description of each level.

Exceptional Support … indicates that the child regularly needs more than 1.1 support due to complex behaviour.

Lots of Support … indicates that the child needs specialist support and / or 1:1 support

Some Support … indicates that the child or young person needs some additional support.

No Support … indicates that the child or young person needs no additional support or that this statement is not appropriate for the individual child or young person

3 1. Stay Safe

A. To be safe and enjoy familiar places and people. Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – The child has an age appropriate ability to keep themselves safe.

Some Support – The child has the skills and the abilities to learn and retain some skills about keeping themselves safe. They are comfortable in familiar places but may need some support above that required by children their age in new situations / environments.

Lots of Support – The child’s requires supervision or 1:1 support in all situations to be safe in either in the physical environment and / or in the company of other children.

Exceptional support – The child can not be safely left alone at any time. More than 1:1 support is required during the day and adaptations / supervision is required to ensure the child sleeps safely.

B: To be safe and enjoy new places and people Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the child has an age appropriate understanding of risky situations. They enjoy going to new places with an age appropriate level of support.

Some support – the child needs some support, above that required by their age related peers, to identify potential risks. This may require the supervision of an adult for a limited period of time.

4 Lots of Support – the child needs 1:1 support in new situations in order to ensure their safety and / or the safety of others. The child has a very limited understanding of risky situations

Exceptional support – the child requires 2:1 support when they access new places or people.

C: To be safe from being bullied Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the child is mostly supervised and is not exposed to bullying.

The child has the ability to manage the situation and respond appropriately to occasional bullying. If they need some support to resolve an issue they know who to approach for assistance.

Some support – the child would benefit from opportunities to raise their awareness of what is bullying, understanding the implications of their actions and appreciating the feelings of others. The child may need support to know who to approach for assistance if there are issues to resolve.

Lots of support – the child currently requires individual support to understand and moderate their own behaviour and actions. The child currently requires individual support to ensure safety and freedom from bullying. The issue of bullying is part of the Child in Need plan.

Exceptional support – the child currently requires constant supervision across the day and sometimes at night to ensure the safety of others or to ensure their own safety.

5 D: To be safe from violence or aggression in the community Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the child is mostly supervised and is not exposed to violence or aggression in the community

Or the child has age appropriate abilities to keep themselves safe from occasional difficult or risky situations.

Some support – the child may be exposed to risky situations but are able to communicate some of their concerns and seek the appropriate support.

Lots of support – the child is exposed to violence or aggression in the community and they lack the skills to seek appropriate support. The child is on a Child in Need plan where exposure to violence is an issue.

Exceptional support – the child is clearly identified as being either the victim or perpetrator of violence and aggression. As a result of this they are subject to a child protection plan.

6 E: To be safe with the people who I live with and who and care for me Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the child is happy and safe in their home.

Some support – the child is generally safe in their home with their care and support needs being met by occasional support across the week. The child may be on a CAF or Child in Need

Lots of support – some of the child’s basic needs are being met but they are approaching the thresholds of Child Protection.

Exceptional support –the child is subject to a child protection plan.

7 2. Be Healthy

A: To be as healthy as I can be Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No Support - The child has no particular health issues. They may get the common illnesses but they make an appropriate recovery.

Some Support – The child may need some support for a particular health condition (e.g: epilepsy, sleep disorder, continence) but it is managed through treatment. The child may receive some therapy and / or use specialist equipment.

Lots of Support – The child may need 1:1 support from people who have had specific training to meet their health care needs in order to stay healthy. The child will need support for the majority of their daily living and self care needs.

Exceptional Support – The child requires 2:1 support at all times from specialist health care staff. The child will be using equipment that is essential to their well being and require intense therapy programmes. There will be daily use of specialist equipment that requires operational assistance.

B: To be a relaxed and happy person Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No Support – The child is generally happy and relaxed in most everyday situations and can adapt to different situations in line with any child of a similar age.

8 Some support – The child is generally happy and relaxed in most familiar situations, but would need more support to cope with changes to routine, new environments and situations than most children of a similar age.

Lots of Support –The child for whom stress and anxiety affects their mental wellbeing or whose needs can be challenging and may need 1:1 support at times. They may become extremely distressed following small changes to daily routines or exposure to new situations.

Exceptional support –The child sense of anxiety and stress is so high that they have challenging behaviour that requires 1::1 support across all of their day or higher at times to keep themselves or others safe.

C: To understand my sexuality, relationships and safe sex Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support –the child is too young to understand sexual relationships or, if old enough has the skills and knowledge to understand such relationships.

Some support – the child has partial understanding of relationships and sexuality and they are at a stage where this knowledge is important. There may be gaps in their knowledge and may need support to understand sexuality and relationships.

Lots of support –. the child has a complete lack of age appropriate knowledge about relationships and they are at a stage where this knowledge is important. This lack of knowledge makes them vulnerable and there are active concerns and planning around managing the risk involved in some of their sexual activity.

The child is unable to articulate their concerns over exposure to abuse.

Exceptional support – the child is subject to a child protection plan under the category of sexual abuse or their sexual safety is the key concern of the family and / or professionals working with the child.

9 D: To be active and take part in activities Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the child is an active child who gets opportunities and enjoys being involved in activities that are right for their age group.

Some Support – the child will need supervision and some adjustments might need to be made to support their inclusion in an activity.

Lots of support – the child needs 1:1 support to be included in an activity and / or many adaptations are needed to support their inclusion in the activity.

Exceptional support – The child needs 2:1 support to be included in activities due to their challenging behaviour.

E: To know about the effects illegal drugs and alcohol can have on my health Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the child’s needs mean they are mostly supported in the community and are unlikely to face exposure to illegal drugs or alcohol.

The child is aware of the potential harm and risks of using drugs and alcohol and has the knowledge and skills to manage these challenges.

Some support – the child may require help to access appropriate sources of information. They may need some confidence building, communication skills and support to make use of the services where they could get advice, information and

10 guidance. The child may be at early stage experimenting and there are few signs that occasional use has affected their behaviour.

Lots of Support – the child is experimenting with drugs or using alcohol in a way that is causing them to be at risk.

Drugs are used by members of the family and this is reflected in the Child in Need plan.

Exceptional support – the chid is regularly using drugs or alcohol and it is impacting on their daily life.

11 3. Achieve Economic Well being

A: To be able to go to new places and meet new people Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the child has an age appropriate ability to go to new places and meet new people.

Some Support – the child needs supervision for a time limited period to settle into a new environment. This is above that required by their age related peers. They may require support for some of their physical needs.

Lots of support – the child needs 1:1 support to meet their emotional / behavioural or personal care needs when they go to new places. The child may have personal care or mobility needs that necessitate 2:1 for moving and handling..

Exceptional support – the child needs 2:1 support to meet their emotional and behavioural needs when they go to new places.

B: To go school / college / early years setting and learn new things I need Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No Support – the child is engaged in education and meeting their expected standards

Some support – the child is attending education and learning new skills however some support is required across the day to help with task completion, comprehension or communication.

12 Lots of support – the child needs constant 1:1 support in the classroom to manage behaviour, aid communication or support comprehension. They may have current periods of exclusion.

Exceptional support - the child needs 2:1 support in the classroom to manage behaviour, aid communication or support comprehension. They may be currently facing exclusion or being educated away from the main body of pupils due to concerns for their own and others safety.

C: To live in a house that is safe for me Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the child has a sense of safety around the home and is able to undertake age appropriate routines of family life.

Some support – the child is generally independent in their mobility around the home and / or may require some support with daily living tasks. They may require supervision when in the community above that required by their age related peers.

Lots of Support – the child has adaptations to the home to aid mobility. They may require 1:1 support to complete their daily living tasks (bathing, dressing etc).

Exceptional support – the child has or is waiting for extensive adaptations to the home (e.g.: ceiling track hoists or specialist bathing equipment).

The child has 2:1 support at home

13 D: To be able to use transport to access the community Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – The child and their family or carers have the use of a motability car.

The child is able to access public or private transport similar to their age related peers

Some support – the child needs some support to access transport as they are unable to adequately assess risk. A physical disability may mean that access to public transport is difficult.

Lots of support – the child needs individual support to access transport. Public transport may not be the ideal transport solution. The child may only be able to travel at certain times of the day.

Exceptional Support – the child is unable to use public transport because it is either not accessible or the experience of using it would be to stressful to the child.

E: I don’t think we have too many money problems at home, at least no more than anybody else Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the economic resources available for the child means they need no support to achieve this outcome.

14 Some support – the economic resources the family have at their disposal is maximised to the benefit of their children. There is little money left after covering for the family’s basic needs and the family need some support to make sure their children can have some opportunity to get involved in activities.

Lots of support – the child’s family face debts. The family receive professional support with day to day budgeting and managing the debts is a constant source of stress.

Exceptional support – the child is at risk of homelessness due to multiple debt issues.

15 4. Making a Positive Contribution

A: To undertake activities with other children Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the child, in line with their age, is able to access clubs and activities.

Some support – the child needs supervision in a club to help them join in with their peers or to ensure their care needs are met. The child may need 1:1 support to help the child settle into a new activity.

Lots of Support – the child needs 1:1 support at all times to support their inclusion in an activity or to meet personal care or health needs. Major adaptations may need to be made to the premises. There may be an occasional need for 2:1 for personal care tasks.

Exceptional support – the child needs 2:1 support to meet their behavioural / emotional needs. The child may need 2:1 support due to concerns for their own or others safety.

B: To know how to behave appropriately. Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support - The child behaves in a manner consistent with their age group.

Some support - The child needs occasional support because of their behaviour.

16 Lots of support - The child needs 1:1 support around their behaviour in order to keep them or other people safe. The child’s behaviour can sometimes be a moderate risk to themselves (including self harm) and others. The child requires supervision during the day and sometimes at night.

Exceptional support - The child requires 2:1 support due to finding their day to day life and environment difficult to understand; resulting in behaviour that is very complex and challenging. The behaviour poses a serious risk to the child and others and requires a structured behaviour management programme.

C: To make and keep friends in my community/early years setting/school/college. Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the child can learn through experience the difference between positive and damaging relationships, usually mixes well with their peers and forms friendships which they enjoy.

Some support - the child usually manages relationships well although this can be disrupted by the child’s behaviour, emotional state or medical condition. The child often needs support to re-establish relationships. Without guidance they may continue with a poor one sided relationship long after most of their peers would have ended it.

Lots of support – the child is socially isolated and finds it difficult to form relationships. The child may find it hard to make sense of many of the social situations they face in day to day life, making it difficult to relate to their peers in a way that will sustain a friendship. Typically the child will need 1:1 support to help relate to others.

Exceptional support - The child has no sense of social boundaries, has severe challenging behaviour or may be enmeshed in criminal activities. This will have a severe impact on his/her ability to maintain lasting friendships of a positive nature.

17 D: To enjoy new challenges and to be confident that I can achieve to the best of my abilities. Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – Children who have few fears or worries about getting involved in activities

Some support – The child needs adult support to join in a new activity. This may be for a time limited period.

Lots of Support – Where a child can only participate successfully in a new activity if they have 1:1 to help support relationships, communication, behaviour or meet personal care needs. The child may require occasional 2:1 for personal care.

Exceptional support – Exceptional support is when a child needs 2:1 support. This support is from people who have specific skills, for example in knowing how the child communicates and/or how to manage behaviour

E: To be able to tell people what I want. Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – The child is a strong communicator and can make their needs, wants and wishes known.

Some support – The child can explain some of their needs and wants, but it may be necessary to check that you have understood.

18 Lots of Support – It is difficult to understand the child or to understand their chosen method of communication consistently. He/she needs specialist support to communicate.

Exceptional support – The child is unable to communicate their wants/needs/views in any effective manner, even with support.

19 5. Enjoy and Achieve

A: To make choices and take part in community life Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support –The child has few fears or worries about going out and getting involved in community activities. The child is able to make well considered choices about the activities they attend.

Some support – The child needs to know that there is an adult that they can turn to for assistance and support. There may be a need for 1 to 1 support for an initial period of time so that the activity organisers can get to know the child’s needs and support their involvement; the child can then be supervised within the group setting.

Lots of Support – The child can only participate successfully in an activity if they have 1:1 support to take part. They may require occasional 2:1 for personal care.

Exceptional support – The child requires 2:1 support to become involved in activities to manage challenging behaviour.

20 B: For primary school children to enjoy taking part in new activities and learning new skills. Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the child can cope well in new environments and can learn new skills.

Some support – the child needs some support and supervision to encourage them to become involved in new activities. The child requires assistance to learn, practice and reinforce the skills they have.

Lots of support – the child finds new challenges difficult and need 1:1 support in the classroom to model, teach and reinforce skills.

Exceptional support – the child needs exceptional amounts of preparation and 2:1 support to learn new skills

C: For secondary school children to be able to spend time away from home Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the child can spend age appropriate periods away from home without any additional support from parents / carers.

Some support – the child needs supervision from adults who know their routines and support needs.

Lots of support – the child can only go away with identified adults. The child requires care or behaviour planning and a 1:1 support from a person to keep them safe and well.

21 Exceptional support – the child has few opportunities to go away from home due to the high care needs and / or behavioural needs. Adults tasked with their support will have specialist training or homes fitted with specialist equipment.

D: To have a circle of friends and people who care about me Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the child enjoys other children’s company and finds it easy and enjoyable to meet and make friends.

Some support - the child has some close relationships, he/she needs the support of their family or carers in order to make and maintain friendships.

Lots of support – the child who needs lots of support with their friendships will need 1:1 support to keep friendships going and to get out and about with their family. Opportunities for making friends are limited.

Exceptional support – the child finds friendships very hard to keep and maintain and there is potential for harmful conflict and/or significant difficulties with relationships with peers.

22 E: To visit different places and participate in a variety of activities. Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the child faces few barriers to accessing age appropriate activities with their family

Some support – the child needs supervision and support to attend and be included in activities.

Lots of support – the child needs 1:1 support to be included. There may be major adaptations beyond what is required by the Disability Discrimination legislation (eg changing rooms with hoists). The child may require occasional 2:1 to help with personal care.

Exceptional Support – the child requires 2:1 support as the child poses a risk to themselves or others due to their behavioural or emotional needs.

23 6. The Family

A: Staying safe in everyday life. Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No Support – the family cope well and are resilient in supporting the child’s needs. They have the parenting capacity to meet these needs and to keep them safe.

Some Support – The family are required to provide support or supervision when the child is in the community above that required by their age related peers.

Lots of support - the family is required to spend a lot of time undertaking supervision or care tasks

There are concerns over the child’s care and the family are subject to higher level 3 Child in Need procedures

The parents and carers experience exhaustion and severe stress that is affecting their mental or physical health.

The child’s challenging needs have a significant impact on the family and there are concerns for their safety.

Exceptional Support – the family have their own support needs which seriously impact on their ability to meet the needs of the child

There are concerns over the child’s care and they are subject to a child protection plan

The parents and carers experience exhaustion and extreme stress that is affecting their mental or physical health to the degree where family is in crisis and professional support is required to sustain the family.

There are concerns the child may need to come into full time residential care due to the level of challenging behaviour.

B: To be healthy. Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the family are able to meet the child’s health needs. The child’s health needs are no greater than any other child of a similar age.

Some support – the family are, on most occasions, able to meet the child’s specific health needs that are well controlled by treatment or medication.

Siblings play a key caring role which is impacting on their own opportunities or health

Lots of support – the family are living with a child whose health needs are uncontrolled by treatment or has challenging behaviour that requires some intervention through the week.

The parent has a health need that impacts on their ability to respond consistently to the child through the week

Exceptional support – the family provide constant care and support to a child who has multiple health care conditions that need constant supervision, care or support.

The child’s challenging behaviour impacts heavily on the family health and wellbeing.

The family have their own health needs which have an exceptional impact on their ability to support their child

25 C: Achieve economic well being Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the family’s economic well being is good and they have the resources available to support the child’s learning and development.

Some support – the family have the economic resources available to meet their basic needs but there is little left over.

Lots of Support – the family economic life is difficult and day to day budgeting support is required.

Exceptional support – the family face multiple issues of debt that place them and the child at risk of homelessness.

D: Make a positive contribution – being an active member of the family, the local community. Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the family support their child to get involved in activities in their community.

Some support – the family try hard to get their child involved in activities and provide the necessary support and supervision.

Lots of support – the family provides 1:1 support for the child to undertake activities.

26 The child has limited opportunities to undertake activities because of their needs.

Exceptional Support – the family are unable to take part in activities because of the child’s challenging behaviour or the care needs are high and 2:1 support is required.

E: Enjoy and achieve – attending school, supporting learning and friendships outside school Exceptional No Support Some Support Lots of Support Support Notes:

No support – the family ensure the child attends school

Some support – the family work hard to ensure the child attends school although the child’s needs may mean they cant always attend

The family are quite isolated and have few opportunities to make or meet with their friends outside of school.

Lots of support – the family struggle to ensure the child attends school (attendance below 70%) due to the child’s needs or family dynamics.

Exceptional Support – the family has no school placement for the child

The family are unable to work to care for their child

The child requires 2:1 support within school.

The family are not supporting the child’s attendance at school and they are at immediate risk of prosecution because of poor attendance.