Project Description

The aim of the project was to create new and more streamlined assessment processes for DYCP and their families that embeds co-production. The project also aimed to improve family experience by removing barriers that DYCP face in accessing aspects of universal services and creating an equity in relationships between professionals, parent carers and DYCP.

The project developed and tested new approaches to assess the needs of disabled children and young people (DYCP) and their families.

CDC’s Learning Model comprised four sequential phases: discover, define, co-design and test. New approaches that were tested related to: enquiry, referral and assessment processes, information for parent carers, volunteer support service, upskilling and resources for professionals and information and tools for DYCP.

As a result of the project, the local authorities committed to sustaining the CDC Learning Model approach. Some approaches relating to new enquiry, referral and assessment approaches were found to be easily transferable to other local authorities.

Evaluation

The DfE-funded independent evaluation published in 2017 found that:

• The programme resulted in new approaches that showed promising signs of reducing cost, while maintaining a good parent carer experience.
• The programme successfully created new solutions through co-design, while producing equity in relationships between professionals and parent carers.