AQW 35648/22-27

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 17/11/2025
Answered On Date: 02/12/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) how his Department ensures that families who may require social work support are assessed consistently and communicated with sensitively; and (ii) any guidance in place to ensure parents are not discouraged from seeking support for a child with additional needs.

Answer:

Families in Northern Ireland who may require Social Work support are assessed consistently through the Understanding the Needs of Children in Northern Ireland (UNOCINI) Assessment Framework. Social Workers and other professionals contributing to the assessment must comply with the UNOCINI Standards and guidance which ensures regional consistency. Social workers are governed by the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) codes of conduct which includes how Services users are communicated with sensitively.

The Children (NI) Order 1995 provides the key legislative framework for supporting children with additional needs. The Order places a general duty on authorities to provide a range of social care services for children in need, including those with additional needs. At the point of initial assessment Health and Social Care Trusts signpost parents to appropriate services or develop a child in need plan or family support plan which includes services to meet the assessed needs of families seeking support for a child with additional needs.