SSRG Newsletter - September 2004

Children in Need User Experience Survey

The 2004-05 User Experience Survey (UES) will focus on Children in Need (CiN). It will take place at the same time as the 2005 CiN Census. A summary of what needs to be done appears below.

The survey includes nine questions, all of which are compulsory. Two of the questions will form the basis of PAF performance indicators and Councils will be advised further in January 2005. Survey forms should be sent out in January/February 2005.

The survey will cover a sample of users who are:

• children in need, but who do not have a learning disability with a comprehension level of less than 10 years.
• aged between 10 and 17; and
• in receipt of services excluding those who are only in receipt of equipment.

The definition of a child in need should be the same as the definition used for the Children in Need census. That is both children looked after and those supported in their families or independently whose cases are current.

‘Current’ means that the council is proposing to take some sort of action either immediately or at some time in the future. These are cases for which the council is committed to taking an initiative. Taking an initiative means any of the following:

• active case work
• making regular payments
• where funding for ongoing services such as respite care have been agreed
• maintaining a child with care and accommodation
• a commitment to review the case at a predetermined date
• maintaining the child's name on a register that ensures the child and family receives information or special consideration.

Children who enter care within one month of the start of the survey should be excluded. The same exclusion principle should be applied to children involved in child protection proceedings.

The survey process

The key stages in the survey are:

• selecting a sample of eligible service users;
• checking the accuracy of the information about the people in the sample;
• entering details about sample members on a specially created survey database that can be used to manage response to the surveyand to issue reminders to respondents who do not return completed questionnaires;
• sending questionnaires that have been developed and tested on service users to the people in the sample, along with a leaflet prepared by DfES that explains the aims of the survey.
• sending reminders to people who don’t return completed questionnaires by a specified deadline;
• keeping a record of returned questionnaires;
• entering details of respondents’ answers to key questions in the questionnaires into a special survey database;

The Questions

1. Social Services gives me most of the care or support that I need from them
2. The care or support that Social Services gives me is usually good
3. My social worker listens to me when making decisions about my care or support
4. In the last year, has Social Services asked you how you feel about the care and support you get from them?
5. Are you offered choices about the type of care and support you receive?
6. Do you know how to make a complaint about Social Services?
7. Do you think the care and support you receive from Social Services could be improved?
8. Overall, how satisfied are you with the care and support that you receive from Social Services?
9. Did you fill in this questionnaire by yourself or did you have help from someone else?
10. Are you male or female?
11. How old are you?
12. To which of these groups do you consider you belong?

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has published comprehensive guidance that considers issues such as the relationship between the UES and Best Value; Research Governance, and sampling.

DfES has also published a letter for carers and a leaflet for children that explains the purpose of the survey.

For further information, please visit: www.dfes.gov.uk/childrenandfamilies/ socialservicestatistics