WIREDGOV

New support available for Commissioners of children's services

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH News Release (2007/0088) issued by The Government News Network on 16 April 2007

Care Services Minister, Ivan Lewis, presented a new self-assessment tool for commissioners of children's and young people's health services, today. The new CD-Rom will allow commissioners, such as Primary Care Trusts, to asses their capability to deliver high quality, accessible, children and family focused services.

The tool will allow commissioners and their partners to:
- Assess their current capacity and capability to effectively commission children's and young people's services;
- Develop, where necessary, plans for increasing capacity and capability;
- Assess information to support best commissioning practice.

This supports the commitments made in the Children's National Service Framework to design services that use available resources effectively to promote health, reduce health inequalities, and deliver the best and safest healthcare. For children's and young people's services, this means providing high quality, accessible services that are focused on the needs of the child or young person and are family centred

Ivan Lewis MP, Care Services Minister, said:
"I am committed to improving the quality and outcomes of services for children and young people. This tool will play a play an important role in ensuring that all commissioners are equipped and able to deliver this."

[ENDS]