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What Is the Continuum of Need?
The Continuum of Need is the national threshold framework used across England to describe the level of need of a child or young person, and to identify which services should respond. It was first set out in Every Child Matters (2003) and has been refined through successive editions of Working Together — most recently Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026, published on 18 March 2026 by the Department for Education.
The framework runs from Level 1 (universal services available to all children) through to Level 4 (statutory child protection under the Children Act 1989). It is a tool for professional judgement — not a rigid scoring system. A child's level can change over time, and multiple levels of support can operate simultaneously.
The core principle from Working Together 2026:
"Identifying children and families who would benefit from early help is a key part of taking a whole-family approach. Local organisations and agencies should work together to... provide the right help and support at the right time."
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026, Chapter 2
The Four-Level Continuum
The arrows indicate movement between levels — a child can move up and down the continuum as circumstances change.
Statutory Basis
Key Legislation
- Children Act 1989, s.17: Duty to safeguard and promote welfare of "children in need" — those whose health or development would be significantly impaired without services
- Children Act 1989, s.47: Duty to investigate where a child is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm
- Children Act 2004, s.10–11: Duty to co-operate and promote wellbeing; statutory safeguarding duty on specified agencies
- Education Act 2002, s.175: Schools must make arrangements to protect and promote children's welfare
Statutory Guidance
- Working Together 2026: Sets out the multi-agency framework and defines the four levels of need and response
- KCSIE 2025: Requires DSLs to understand threshold criteria and when to refer to children's social care
- Local threshold documents: Every LSCP (Local Safeguarding Children Partnership) must publish a local threshold document aligned to the national framework
- Child and Family Assessment: The statutory assessment tool used at Level 3–4 to understand a child's developmental needs
Level 1 — Universal
Who this level is for:
Children whose needs can be met through universal services available to all — typically with no additional support needs identified beyond what a healthy family environment and mainstream services already provide.
Child Indicators at Level 1
- ✓ Healthy physical and emotional development on track
- ✓ Attending school regularly; achieving age-appropriate progress
- ✓ Positive attachments to parent/carer; strong family network
- ✓ No significant health, developmental or behavioural concerns
- ✓ Safe, stable home environment with adequate housing and income
- ✓ Age-appropriate social relationships and activities
Services at Level 1
- GP, dentist, school nurse
- Mainstream school / early years provision
- Health visitor (0–5)
- Community leisure / youth activities
- Universal benefit entitlements
- Universal targeted parenting support (e.g. Sure Start legacy provision)
Level 2 — Universal Plus / Early Help
Who this level is for:
Children with additional needs that can be met through early intervention — without statutory involvement — if support is provided promptly. Working Together 2026 emphasises early help as a statutory duty across all agencies, not an optional add-on.
WT2026 definition of Early Help: "Early help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges, at any point in a child's life, from the foundation years through to the teenage years. Providing early help is more effective in promoting the welfare of children than reacting later."
Working Together 2026, Chapter 2
Child / Family Indicators at Level 2
- ● Mild to moderate developmental delay or learning difficulty
- ● Speech, language or communication needs
- ● Low-level emotional or behavioural difficulties
- ● Parent/carer with mild mental health or substance use concerns
- ● Family under financial or housing stress
- ● Irregular school attendance (below 90%)
- ● Social isolation or limited family network
- ● Young carer responsibilities affecting development
Services & Response at Level 2
- Early Help Assessment (EHA) / Common Assessment Framework (CAF)
- Lead professional / Team Around the Child (TAC)
- School-based SEND support / EHCP pathway
- Family support worker / family hub
- CAMHS Tier 2 (community mental health)
- Parenting programmes (e.g. Triple P, Incredible Years)
- Drug and alcohol support services
- Young carers assessment
Level 3 — Targeted / Children in Need (s.17)
Who this level is for:
Children whose needs are complex, persistent or multiple, and who need a co-ordinated multi-agency response led by children's social care. This is the Children in Need tier under s.17 of the Children Act 1989. It does not necessarily mean abuse — it means the child's welfare requires statutory oversight.
Statutory definition (Children Act 1989, s.17(10)): A child is in need if: (a) they are unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development without provision of services; (b) their health or development is likely to be significantly impaired without such services; or (c) they are disabled.
Indicators at Level 3
- ● Disability significantly affecting daily life and development
- ● Serious or chronic physical illness
- ● Moderate to severe learning difficulties with complex support needs
- ● Parent/carer with significant mental health disorder, substance dependency or domestic abuse
- ● Child at risk of exploitation (county lines, CSE) but not yet in immediate danger
- ● Persistent absence from school (below 50%) with welfare concerns
- ● Homelessness or highly unsuitable housing
- ● Child in need of care and accommodation (s.20)
The s.17 Process
- Referral: Any agency or individual can make a referral to children's social care
- Initial assessment: Social worker must acknowledge within 1 working day and decide on response
- Child and Family Assessment: Completed within 45 working days of referral
- Child in Need plan: Sets out services, support and agreed outcomes
- Review: Child in Need plan reviewed at least every 6 months
- Consent: Preferred but not always required — professionals can share information without consent where there is risk of harm
Level 4 — Statutory Child Protection (s.47)
Who this level is for:
Children who are suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm. This triggers the local authority's duty to investigate under s.47 of the Children Act 1989 and may result in a child protection plan, emergency protection order, police protection, or care proceedings.
Definition of significant harm (Children Act 1989, s.31(10)): "The ill-treatment or impairment of health or development beyond what would be reasonable to expect of a similar child." Harm includes physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and neglect. There is no minimum threshold for a single act — cumulative harm (particularly neglect) can also meet the significant harm test.
Indicators Requiring s.47 Enquiry
- ⚠ Unexplained or suspicious injuries
- ⚠ Disclosure of physical, sexual or emotional abuse
- ⚠ Neglect causing significant impairment of health or development
- ⚠ Child in immediate danger in the home (e.g. domestic violence in progress)
- ⚠ Child at risk of or subject to exploitation (confirmed)
- ⚠ Child at immediate risk of FGM or honour-based abuse
- ⚠ Fabricated or induced illness
- ⚠ Suicidal intent with plan and means
The Child Protection Process
- Immediate: Call 999 if child is in immediate danger
- Referral: Refer to children's social care; if urgent, contact police
- Strategy discussion: CSC, police and other agencies agree enquiry approach (within 1 working day for urgent cases)
- s.47 enquiry: Led by social worker, often jointly with police
- ICPC: Initial Child Protection Conference within 15 working days of strategy discussion
- CP plan: Register child under one of four categories; core group meets within 10 days
Four Categories of Child Protection
Hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm
Persistent emotional maltreatment causing severe adverse effects on emotional development — includes witnessing domestic abuse
Forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities — including online sexual abuse and exploitation
Persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and/or psychological needs — the most common category in England
Using the Framework in Practice
The Continuum of Need is a tool for professional judgement — not a checklist. In practice, the following principles apply across England:
1. Children can be at more than one level simultaneously
A disabled child (Level 3 — CIN) may also have experienced physical abuse (Level 4 — CP). A child receiving early help (Level 2) may have a parent on a CP plan. Support at one level does not prevent action at another.
2. Step up and step down promptly
Practitioners are expected to step up to a higher level when concerns escalate, and step down to a lower level (with appropriate handover) when statutory or targeted support is no longer needed. Delays stepping up are a common finding in serious case reviews.
3. Information sharing across levels is expected
WT2026 and the UK GDPR allow (and expect) proportionate information sharing between agencies at all levels of the continuum, without consent where there is a welfare or safety concern. "If in doubt, share" is the WT2026 principle when a child's safety is at stake.
4. Consider the family as a whole
WT2026 introduces a stronger whole-family approach. A child's level of need must be considered alongside parental capacity and environmental factors. A child at Level 1 may step up if the family's circumstances change suddenly — redundancy, bereavement, domestic abuse.
5. The "similar child" test for significant harm
When assessing whether harm is "significant" at Level 4, compare the child's health or development to what could reasonably be expected of a similar child — accounting for their age, disability, and background. Don't normalise harm because a community has different norms: the test is what a reasonable professional would expect.
Your Local Threshold Document
Every Local Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP) in England publishes a threshold document that applies this national framework to local services, pathways and criteria. These are freely available on your local authority or safeguarding partnership website.
Your threshold document will tell you: the specific referral criteria in your area, which Early Help services are available locally, and the contact details for your local MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub).
Referral Process & What Happens Next
Identify and record concern
Document the specific concern in chronological notes — what was observed, heard, or disclosed; by whom; date and time. Do not investigate or interrogate the child — your role is to record and refer.
Consider the threshold
Is this an Early Help need (Level 2), a Children in Need referral (Level 3), or a Child Protection referral (Level 4)? If in doubt, consult your DSL or call the MASH for a no-names consultation.
Refer to your local MASH
For Level 3 or 4 concerns, contact your local Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub. Referrals should be in writing (within 24 hours of a verbal referral). The MASH will triage and allocate. For emergency situations, call 999 first.
Await and support the assessment
Continue to co-operate with the allocated social worker. Provide information promptly when requested. Continue to monitor and record any further concerns. Do not share information about the referral with parents if doing so could place the child at risk.
If your referral is not acted upon — escalate
If you believe children's social care have not responded appropriately, you have a professional duty to escalate. Use your organisation's escalation policy. KCSIE 2025 and WT2026 both explicitly support professionals challenging threshold decisions they consider unsafe.
The DSL's Role at Each Level
| Level | DSL Action | Record / Refer? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Universal | Standard pastoral monitoring; ensure universal services are in place | Record concerns on school system; review periodically |
| 2 — Early Help | Consider Early Help Assessment (EHA); engage family; connect to local early help services; lead professional or attend TAC meeting | Record EHA; review progress every 6–12 weeks; step up if not improving |
| 3 — CIN (s.17) | Refer to children's social care; contribute to Child and Family Assessment; attend Child in Need meetings; share school-based information | Written referral within 24 hrs of verbal; contribute to CIN plan; review attendance, attainment, welfare |
| 4 — CP (s.47) | Refer immediately to MASH / police; attend ICPC and core group; implement school's contribution to CP plan; ensure no unsupervised access to perpetrator on school premises | Urgent referral; detailed records; attend all statutory meetings; report any further concerns immediately |
Who to Contact
Related Resources
Key Statutory References