Assessment of Needs Form

What is a needs assessment in supported living?

A needs assessment finds out what a person can do, what support they need and how they want it given. By law you must assess needs and preferences together with the person, so you fill it in with them, not about them. This form is written for supported living, before support starts and at major reviews.

What the form covers

Parts A to N record:

• Assessment details, referrer and funding

• What matters most to the person, their history and their hopes for supported living

• How they communicate, including how they show yes, no, pain and happiness

• Decision-making: who has legal power to decide for the person, any advance decision to refuse treatment, and whether an advocate is involved

• Strengths and support needs across daily life, from personal care to tenancy, bills, money, work and relationships

• Health, medicines and the signs the person is becoming unwell

• Distress, risks, safeguarding and the outcomes the person wants, in their own words

Restrictions and deprivation of liberty

Part H records each restriction in place now, from restraint to locked doors, constant supervision and limits on going out, visitors, food or money. Include blanket rules such as set bedtimes or stopping people using the kitchen. That list becomes the baseline you work to reduce.

Part I helps you check whether those restrictions add up to a deprivation of liberty, which the law forbids for care or treatment without lawful authority. No single factor decides it. The form weighs the type and length of the restrictions, their effect, how they are carried out and whether the person objects. In supported living the court process applies instead of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). If in doubt, refer to the local authority, which can consider a Court of Protection application.

Deciding whether you can meet the needs

Part M asks for a yes, a yes with conditions, or a no, with reasons, and sets out the staffing, training, equipment and start date needed. Staff must have the skills to give care safely and training on learning disability and autism at the right level for their role.

Before you use the form, add your referral sources, assessor roles and review timescales. Remove any section that never applies to the people you support. DHSC says it will publish interim guidance on deprivation of liberty, so check for it first.

Use the answers to write the Care Plan Template (Supported Living). If the person lacks capacity for a specific decision, record it on a Best Interests Decision Record and follow the Mental Capacity Act & DoLS Policy (Supported Living).