Welfare Reform on the Web (October 2007): Services for the disabled - UK

The costs of key worker support for disabled children and their families

J. Beecham and others

Child: Care, Health and Development, vol.33, 2007, p. 611-618

Key workers provide a single point of contact for disabled children and their families. They also appear to generate good outcomes for families and their provision is supported by current government policy. However, there is very little information on the costs of these services. As part of a broader investigation to identify which features of key worker services contribute to improved family outcomes, this paper aims to estimate the costs of key worker services in seven sites, the costs of contact with families they serve, and to explore why these costs may vary.