List of pages
The Dynamic Needs Assessment tool for the Special Educational Population (DNAT-SEN)
What is the tool?
The Dynamic Needs Assessment (DNAT-SEN) tool is to be used at universal services level for children or young people not known to services, or for referral to a single point of entry to a multi-agency service (Wee et al., 2021). It would be used to identify children who may not be receiving a service but may have unrecognised needs requiring one or more different services – including a combination of unidentified neurodevelopmental needs, mental health, special education needs or community/social care needs.
It has been designed to be completed using objective information known from educational records and to be used with children of school or college age primary or secondary or 6th form).
The DNAT-SEN tool contains questions relating to factors related to needs in four areas.
• Neurodiversity needs
• Mental health needs*
• Other special educational needs
• Community needs **
* Mental health needs come under special educational needs according to the code of practice of the Children’s and Families Act 2014.
** Community support including social care support, commissioned local authority services such as short breaks, or the Early Help Offer.
Neurodiversity needs refer to either; a profile of cognitive, sensory or communication needs requiring reasonable adjustments, that are consistent with an inclusive approach to neurodiversity or the presence of possibly one or more neurodevelopmental conditions that require diagnostic assessment. These are separate from mental health conditions but may co-occur with them.
Mental health needs indicates that support or referral for local mental health / emotional wellbeing support is required, either within the educational setting, or the local Thrive offer including the Voluntary Community Faith Sector (VCFS) or formally commissioned by the NHS.
Special educational needs refer to other special educational needs apart from mental health needs as defined by the code of practice of the Children’s and Families Act 2014.
Community support needs includes support required by the family in order to access the community, or function on a daily basis, including social care support, commissioned local authority services such as short breaks, or the Early Help Offer.
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Factor |
Notes |
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The child has hearing or visual impairment |
The child is recorded in school records as having a hearing or visual impairment |
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The child has learning needs: |
The child has learning needs recorded in school records as:
Concerns: Initial concerns have been raised by the parent/s with the school.
SEN support: The child is on the SEN support register or recorded as requiring SEN support on their records or has a recorded learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
EHCP: The Child has an Education, Health and Care Plan.
None: The child is not recorded as having any specific learning needs or learning difficulties. |
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Intellectual disability/ Global Developmental Delay |
The child is recorded as having a formal diagnosis of Intellectual disability, also known as Global Developmental Delay, this may also be recorded as mild moderate, severe or profound learning disability. |
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More than two fixed term exclusions in the last two years |
The child is recorded as having more than 2 fixed term exclusions within the last 2 years |
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Recorded issues with school attendance |
School records note : Repeated patterns: The child is noted to have a repeating predictable pattern of absence related to a day or subject or circumstance
On site/not learning: The child is on the site of the educational setting but not accessing the curriculum or learning.
Poor overall attendance: There are concerns about the child s overall level of attendance. |
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Persistent difficulties managing change or transitions |
The child is recorded as requiring support or structure in place to manage change, unpredictability or transitions. |
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The child is recorded as having hypo/hyper sensory sensitivity |
No: None recorded
Reported/screening: These have been reported to the school or found on using a screening tool, but no intervention or adaptation of the environment has been needed so far
Requires support: The chils sensory processing differences have required adaptation or support in the school environment. |
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Close degree relative with NDD* |
Yes: A close (e.g first degree) relative is recorded as having a diagnosis or suspected neurodevelopmental condition such as autism or ADHD.
The relative must be a biological relative. |
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Persistent issues with concentration that are not recent and have lasted more than six months (and are not obviously due to another issue) |
No: There are no persistent issues with concentration.
Yes: there are persistent issues with concentration, that are not a recent occurrence and have lasted more than six months. |
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There are problems in peer/intimate relationships on/or offline. |
No: There are no significant problems in peer or intimate relationships - on/offline.
Yes: There are problems in peer or intimate relationships - on/offline, that are noted and records and have required intervention or support. |
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Neurodevelopmental condition (or awaiting assessment) |
yes: The child has a diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental condition, such as Autism, ADHD, tics or Tourette’s, or Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or they are on a waiting list for assessment or is currently being referred for assessment.
No: The child does not have a diagnosis and is not being referred or on an assessment waiting list. |
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Concerns abut food and drink recorded |
Long term fussy eating
Concerns about overeating impacting on health
Restricting food and drink |
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The child is receiving/has received mental health support. |
Yes: The child is currently open to child and young person mental health services (CYPMHS) , or has had past contact/received mental health support including any referral for mental health support including CYPMHS.
No: There has been no such contact |
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Concerns about risk to self due to suicidal thoughts/self harm/ self injurious behaviour |
Are there current concerns? |
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Has the child previously presented with a mental health crisis ? |
Has the child presented to accident and emergency or another service/agency due to a mental health emergency ? |
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Separation from care giver |
Has there been a separation from the main care giver in the past or present, due to any of the following?
The care giver leaving the family
Divorce
Bereavement
Other traumatic circumstances. |
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Risk of harm to others |
Has there been a risk of harm to others?
Has it been occasional/rare?
If occurring more frequently – is it non- intentional or intentional? |
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Missing from home or absconding |
Are there significant concerns about repeatedly being missing from home or absconding from educational settings. |
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Inappropriate sexualised behaviours |
Are there concerns about Inappropriate sexualised behaviours? |
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Current recorded safeguarding concerns |
Are there concerns about Inappropriate sexualised behaviours? |
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Contact with social care |
This includes
Receiving support from early help services
Being a child in need (CIN) or receiving support from the team around a family (TAF) process
Being on the Child protection register / or a Looked after child. |
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Concerns about risk to self due to risk taking behaviours or vulnerability |
Currently engaging in risk taking behaviours. |
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Presented in crisis to social care in last month |
There are concerns about a childs’ risk to themselves due to risk taking behaviours or vulnerability to being taken advantage of by from others. |
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The young person is open to Youth Justice Services* |
The child is known to youth justice services or in contact with the criminal justice system |
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Family has more than one child with Neurodevelopmental condition or disability or moderate to severe mental health need in the same household |
Parent-carers are providing care for more than one child with a Neurodevelopmental condition or a disability, or moderate to severe mental health need in the same household.
Moderate / severe mental health needs meet threshold for CAMHS tier 3 or 4 or requires support from the Thrive Getting More Help, or Risk Management offer.
Neurodevelopmental condition – means a diagnosed or suspected (awaiting assessment).
Disability is defined by the Equality Act as” a physical or mental impairment that has a 'substantial' and 'long-term' negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities”. |
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Parent/Carers' disability or health needs means that family requires support. |
This may be based on parent carers’ feelings or noted by professionals. |
The tool can be completed by any professional that knows the child. The items are scored based on objective knowledge, based on what is in the child s’ records or known to the professional. It can also be completed by professionals and parent carers together.
Completion of the tool will produce a visual profile – in the pilot version , this shows the proportion of each area , that the child scores as having needs in. In the final version it will show low , moderate and high levels of need for each area.
How can the tool help?
The tool provides a profile of needs across the 4 areas for each child, encouraging a more holistic approach, earlier identification of needs and intervention.
The tool includes guidance on what support should be considered for low, moderate, and high needs in each of the four areas.
A validation pilot is being carried out to determine the cut off scores for low, moderate, and high needs in each of the four areas.
To take part in the pilot or find out more please email: jasmine.
