To be eligible to apply for the assistance dog program, the young person must meet EITHER 1 (one) criteria from the eligibility pathway A, OR 3 (three) criteria from the eligibility pathway B. As an organisation we are committed to providing support as quickly as possible.

For the assistance dog program full membership:

• Clients applying under pathway A are currently guaranteed a position on our pre-application course within maximum 12 weeks. 
• Clients applying under pathway B are currently guaranteed a position on our pre-application course within maximum 26 weeks of application. 

For the assistance dog program task based membership:

• Whether a client is eligible under pathway A or B, we currently guarantee to respond to their application (accept or reject) within 8 weeks. 

If the young person meets 1 (one) of any of the following, they are eligible to apply for our assistance dog program:

• Be over 5 years old and have less than 50 words verbally.
• Be in receipt of high-rate care & high-rate mobility DLA with at least 6 months left on your award.
• Be in receipt of PIP daily living enhanced rate AND PIP enhanced rate mobility with at least 6 months left on your award.
• Live in an assisted living facility or have at least 12 hours of funded care outside of education per week.
• Have an NHS continuing care package (child) or NHS continuing health care package (adult)
• Require 2:1 care in the community (outside the home)
• Be a full-time wheelchair user.
• Require long term ventilation.
• Have any condition which is likely to be fatal before or during early adulthood.
• Have a diagnosis of epilepsy that has not been controlled with adequate trials of at least three anti-epileptic drugs.
• Have a condition which causes potentially life-threatening medical events which has not responded to OR is not effectively controlled with standard medical treatments.
• Have an allergy which causes anaphylaxis when touching the allergen, without consuming it.

If the young person is not eligible under pathway A, they may be eligible under pathway B.

• Need to use AAC to support communication (e.g., Makaton, switches, PECS)

• Regularly experience severe emotional or sensory overwhelm resulting loss of self-control over behaviour (aged 9+)
• Be unable to retain the focus/ attention required to keep safe in public environment e.g., regularly running or wandering off or regularly falling due to lack of focus (for aged 9+)
• Be unable to cross the road without reliably stopping at the curb and being able to assess whether it is safe to cross the road or not (for aged 10+).
• Have received hospital inpatient care for mental health difficulties within the last 5 years.
• Have a school attendance of below 75% OR be on a long term reduced timetable OR be home educated due to lack of suitable SEND provision OR have an EOTAS package provided by your local authority OR attend a specialist provision OR be unable to access education without 1-2-1 support for at least 10 hours per week in full time education in a mainstream setting OR receive 1-2-1 support for at least 3 hours per week in 6^th form, college or university.
• Have an upper limb difference
• Have a diagnosis of moderate, severe, or profound learning disabilities.
• Require regular complex medical care provided by a specially trained adult or registered nurse (includes – providing oxygen at varying rates (excluding set rate given at night-time and set rate during the day), dialysis (home or hospital-based), parenteral or enteral nutrition or stoma care).
• Experience severe fatigue, weakness, involuntary movements, or tremor which significantly impacts on their ability to meet their own needs compared to non-disabled peers.
• Be physically unable to walk more than 200 meters OR experience severe pain or fatigue when walking over 200 meters.
• Be physically unable to pick up dropped items or reach items on low shelves. 
• Be unable to go shopping & attend vital medical appointments without practical support from a parent/carer (for aged 16+)
• Have been unable to maintain a previous job due to disability (for aged 18+)