Core Offer and national indicator
Alongside the substantial funding for the Aiming High for Disabled Children programme the Government has introduced measures to make the system work better for disabled children, young people and their families. Key to the system transformation is the Core Offer and the disabled children's national indicator.
Core Offer
The Core Offer sets out in one place a national statement of expectations for how disabled children and their families will be informed and involved as their needs are assessed and the necessary services are delivered. The Core Offer covers:
- Information and Transparency
- Assessment
- Participation and Feedback
The standards in the Core Offer provide clarity on what entitlements and services disabled children, young people and their families can expect in every area.
Information, advice and guidance
Core
Offer
This set of documents includes: national Core Offer standards and Core
Offer implementation materials to help Local Authorities and PCTs develop their
local Core Offer.
Disabled children's national indicator
The disabled children's services national indicator (NI 54) will look at parental experiences of services for disabled children and young people aged 0 to 19 and the extent to which these services are delivered according to core offer standards. The new indicator will be a core part of performance management arrangements aimed at improving the quality of services for disabled children. This is a key priority of the Child Health and Well-being Public Service Agreement (PSA12). This indicator is included in the National Indicator Set (NIS) and the NHS Operating Framework Vital Signs indicator set.
DCSF commissioned the National Centre for Social Research to help develop the methodology of the survey to underpin the indicator. NatCen's scoping report made recommendations on how the survey can most effectively be carried out.
The DCSF have now awarded the contract to carry out the survey. Subject to successful contract negotiations, the survey research company BMRB will be carrying out the work. BMRB will base their methodology on the recommendations from the NatCen report. However, they will also take into account feedback from parents and local authorities on the NatCen recommendations. They may also make changes to the methodology based on their extensive professional experience of what has worked well with similar surveys in the past.
The indicator will be measured for the first time at local level in 2009/10. A briefing on the indicator (updated 19 November 2008) explains the current position further.
Parents forums
Parents forums will provide more opportunities for parents to shape the
services their families receive in every area. Over the period 2008 to 2010
£3 million is available through a programme of grants and support from Together
for Disabled Children, a coalition between Serco and Contact a Family,
to help groups develop parent participation activities in each local authority
area across England. Grants will be allocated over 2 phases.
For more information visit the Together
for Disabled Children website.
This page was last updated on 21 November 2008
