Welfare Reform on the Web (March 2008): Services for the disabled - UK

Aiming High for Disabled Children: draft core offer standards paper

Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families

2008

The government has produced draft standards for services for disabled children and their families against which councils and primary care trusts will be judged. The draft guidance sets out how councils and primary care trusts will have to meet five standards in the so-called 'core offer': information, transparency, participation, assessment and feedback on services from users and their families. It says that assessments should be prompt and multi-agency, that children and families should participate in designing their care packages, and that advocacy services should be available for children to give their feedback on services.