Benefits of key worker system with children with special needs.
1. The main function of key worker systems is to enable professionals to respond flexibly to parents and children’s needs, rather than focusing on the needs of services.
2. If a key worker system is in place, the overall quality of life of families with disabled children is improved.
3. Specific outcomes are better relationships with services, better and quicker access to statutory and discretionary benefits (both financial and environmental) and reduced levels of stress.
4. Families with disabled children identify a lack of money as their greatest overall concern. They believe that key worker systems can have an impact on this and there is some supporting evidence.
5. Good personal relationships between key workers and parents are reported as an important factor by parents, and of value in itself.
6. There is no evidence that key worker systems result in variations in quality of medical or paramedical care.
7. Key workers report a high degree of satisfaction with the role, even when organisational difficulties have been encountered, and believe that it makes a positive difference to the lives of both children and parents.
8. While a key worker in the role of an independent advocate can be effective, a key worker who works for a service appears more able to exercise the degree of leverage necessary to meet families’ needs.
9. Organisational obstacles are seen by many agencies as greater than the perceived benefits of the model – restricting its use.
10. The key worker model is available to only one third of families with disabled children.
11. Statutory services are often of high quality, but a consistent finding is lack of flexibility and poor co-ordination between agencies. Key working aims to overcome this.
12. Due to their wide reaching base, key worker systems are vulnerable to wasting away. The following core requirements guard against this: a multi-agency steering group and...