Welfare Reform on the Web (April 2005): Services for the Disabled - UK

CARERS AND DISABLED CHILDREN ACT 2000 & CARERS (EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES) ACT 2004: CARERS AND PEOPLE WITH PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR DISABLED CHILDREN: COMBINED POLICY GUIDANCE

Department of Health [and] Department for Education and Skills

London: DoH, 2005

Guidance for local authorities on their obligations with regard to direct payments, short term break voucher schemes, and complaints.

DISABILITY AND SOCIAL POLICY IN BRITAIN SINCE 1750: A HISTORY OF EXCLUSION

A. Borsay

Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2005

This book chronicles the formulation of contemporary social policy in Britain from the late eighteenth century through to the present day. The author shows how the ideologies of economic rationality, liberal utilitarianism and scientific medicine, have impacted on, and continue to shape, disability policy in the UK. This helps us to understand how and why people with impairments continue to be excluded from the mainstream of economic and social activity, and provides insight into the various and complex social forces that have and continue to influence the creation of conventional individual and collective, or dependent, identities.

IMPROVING SERVICES FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS AND CARERS: GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE: LEARNING FROM WHEELCHAIR SERVICES COLLABORATIVE

NHS Modernisation Agency

London: Department of Health, 2005

Using a wide range of illustrative examples, this guide shows how dramatic improvements in services for wheelchair users can be achieved, including reduced waiting times for chairs and better quality of care.

MULTI-AGENCY WORKING IN SERVICES FOR DISABLED CHILDREN: WHAT IMPACT DOES IT HAVE ON PROFESSIONALS?

D. Abbott, R. Townsley and D. Watson

Health and Social Care in the Community, vol.13, 2005, p.155-163

In England, the New Labour government has promoted partnership working across health and social care as an alternative ethos to competition and the internal market. Paper focuses on multi-agency working with disabled children with complex health care needs. Drawing on findings from a three year qualitative research study, it examines the impact of working in a multi-agency service on professionals. Interviews with 115 professionals showed that staff were very positive about working as part of a multi-agency service. They reported improvements to their working lives in areas such as professional development, communication, collaboration with colleagues and relationships with families of disabled children.