You spend your days managing appointments, fighting the school, filling in forms, researching legislation, and caring for your child. You’re exhausted. You haven’t had a proper break in months, maybe years. And nobody has asked how you’re doing.
Here’s something most SEND parents don’t know: you have a legal right to an assessment of your own needs as a carer. It’s called a parent carer assessment, and if the local authority thinks you might have needs for support, they must carry one out.
What is a parent carer assessment?
A parent carer assessment looks at the impact of caring on your own wellbeing. It’s not about your child’s needs (that’s what the EHC needs assessment is for). It’s about you.
Under section 97 of the Children and Families Act 2014, a local authority must assess a parent carer if it appears that they may have needs for support. The word “must” is important. This isn’t optional.
The assessment considers:
- The care you provide and its impact on your physical and mental health
- Whether your caring role is sustainable
- What you’d like to achieve in your own life (work, education, leisure)
- What support would help you continue caring
Who can request one?
Any parent or carer of a disabled child under 18 can request a parent carer assessment. You don’t need to be the child’s biological parent. You could be a step-parent, grandparent, foster carer, or anyone with caring responsibility.
You don’t need to be caring for a specific number of hours. You don’t need your child to have a diagnosis. If you’re providing care for a child who has a disability or special educational needs, and that caring is affecting your life, you can ask for an assessment.
A parent carer assessment is separate from a Carer’s Allowance claim and separate from your child’s EHC needs assessment. They can all happen at the same time, and they should all be considered independently.
How to request one
Write to your local authority’s children’s services team. You can send an email or a letter. You don’t need a specific form. Simply state that you’re a parent carer of a disabled child and you’re requesting a parent carer assessment under section 97 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
The Local Authority (LA) should arrange the assessment within a reasonable time. There’s no specific legal deadline, but if you don’t hear back within 4-6 weeks, chase it.
Write a simple letter that puts your request in writing (so there’s a record), names the legislation (section 97, Children and Families Act 2014), briefly explains your situation, and addresses it to children’s services, not adult social care. Keep a copy of everything you send. One simple letter is all it takes to trigger the LA’s legal duty.
If the LA says they don’t do parent carer assessments, or that there’s a waiting list, remind them of their legal duty. SENDIASS can help you push back.
What happens during the assessment
The assessment is usually a conversation with a social worker or family support worker. It can happen at your home, at the council offices, or by phone. It should cover:
- What care you provide on a typical day
- How caring affects your health (physical and mental)
- Whether you’re able to work, study, or have time to yourself
- What support you currently have (family, friends, services)
- What support would help you
Be honest. This isn’t the time to downplay how hard things are. The assessment is designed to identify what you need. If you make it sound like everything is fine, you’ll get nothing. Remember: the assessment is about you, not your child. If the assessor keeps asking about your child’s needs instead of yours, redirect them and say, “I want to talk about the impact on me.”
What support can result
If the assessment identifies needs, the LA should provide support. This might include:
- Short breaks (overnight respite, after-school clubs, holiday schemes)
- Direct payments so you can arrange your own support (e.g., a personal assistant)
- Practical help (cleaning, laundry, transport)
- Emotional support (counselling, peer support groups)
- Help to access education or training for yourself
- Equipment or adaptations to make caring easier at home
The specific support depends on what’s available in your area and what the assessment identifies. Some LAs are more generous than others. But the duty to assess and the duty to consider providing support are both legal obligations.
Why most parents miss out
Most SEND parents have never heard of a parent carer assessment. The LA rarely offers them proactively. If you don’t ask, you won’t get one.
Even when parents do ask, some LAs try to avoid carrying out the assessment. They might say:
- “We only do those for parents of adults” (wrong, section 97 covers parents of children)
- “Your child isn’t severe enough” (there’s no severity threshold)
- “We don’t have the budget” (the duty to assess is not dependent on budget)
If the LA refuses to carry out a parent carer assessment after you’ve requested one, put your complaint in writing. Cite section 97 of the Children and Families Act 2014. If they still refuse, complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.
The link to short breaks
A parent carer assessment is one of the routes to accessing short breaks (respite care). The LA has a separate duty to provide short breaks under the Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations 2011, but the parent carer assessment can identify this as a specific need and make it harder for the LA to refuse.
If short breaks are what you need, say so during the assessment. Be specific: “I need regular overnight respite so I can sleep” or “I need after-school provision two days a week so I can work.”
Getting help
Your local SENDIASS can help you request a parent carer assessment and support you through the process.
Contact has guides on parent carer assessments and can help you understand what to expect.
Carers UK offers advice on carer rights, including assessments and support (helpline: 0808 808 7777).
How our free tool can help
The AI assistant at SEND Parents Help can help you understand your right to a parent carer assessment, what to include in your request, and what support you should be asking for based on your situation.
You matter too
Caring for a disabled child is relentless. You deserve support, and you have a legal right to ask for it. A parent carer assessment is the mechanism that makes that happen.
Request one. Be honest about the impact. And don’t accept a refusal. The law is clear, and it’s on your side.
Sources and further reading
Legislation and official guidance
- Children and Families Act 2014, section 97 (parent carer assessments)
- Children Act 1989, section 17 (general duty to children in need and their families)
- SEND Code of Practice, Chapter 3 (working with families)
- Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations 2011 (short breaks duty)