Needs Assessment Service Coordination agencies (NASCs) operate the needs assessment and service coordination process on behalf of the relevant district health board (DHB).

Every person who wishes to receive disability support services funded by a DHB must be needs assessed by the NASC. The information from the assessment is then used to determine the level of need the person has – very low, low, medium, high or very high.

The criteria for residential care entry is that the person has been assessed as having high or very high needs which are indefinite and cannot be safely met with a package of care in the community. More information can be found on the Ministry of Health website here.