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British Journal of Social Work (2003) 33, 1063-1080
© BASW Trading Ltd 2003 all rights reserved
Quality Indicators: Disabled Children's and Parents' Prioritizations and Experiences of Quality Criteria when Using Different Types of Support Services
Wendy Mitchell is a Research Fellow at the Social Policy Research Unit, University of York
Patricia Sloper is Professor of Children's Healthcare at the Social Policy Research Unit, University of York
Correspondence to Dr Wendy Mitchell, Social Policy Research Unit, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK. E-mail: wam1{at}york.ac.uk
Summary
Current health and social care policy seeks to develop and refine standards of service quality. However, policies have so far largely focused upon statistically based service output indicators. Recognizing the importance and yet limitations of this, especially in services for disabled children and their families, this paper draws upon qualitative and quantitative data to explore indicators that are meaningful and relevant to disabled children and their families. Results demonstrate the need to look beyond a generic family-based perception of service quality, as children and parents value different aspects of service quality and prioritize different indicators when using different types of services. Although some indicators are regarded as core quality indicators, irrespective of service type, others are only prioritized for specific types of services.