Section 17 Children Act 1989 – assessments – guidance – procedure
Assessments of children in need under Children Act 1989 s17 must accord substantially with guidance issued by the Secretary of State under Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 s7(1), for example, the Policy Guidance and the Children Act 1989 Guidance. The intended procedure is that local authorities:
i) assess the needs of the disabled child and, where appropriate, the carers and other members of the family;
ii) produce a care plan;
iii) provide the identified services.