Consultation with customer organisations

We are working more closely with local authorities and voluntary and community organisations to provide a better customer service for our shared customers.

We have developed a forum for early consultation with partners at a national level on new operational initiatives. We will also use it to promote joint development and testing of some new initiatives

As part of this we are working with 17 national voluntary and community organisations, which form the DCS Advisory Forum. This is the main body we consult on proposed changes and improvements.

We have also set up the Family Carers Group. We use it to seek views and comments on changes which affect our child customers.

We have consulted with Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) on improving the service we provide to our customers.

We have held workshops with Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) advisers and other welfare organisations on improving Decision Making.

We are also developing a new Outreach programme to work with relevant organisations at all levels.

We regularly consult with the Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Carers UK.

The Department for Work and Pensions holds various Forums each year to meet with voluntary and community organisations. One of these is specifically for disability organisations.

The Office for Disability Issues (ODI) supports DCS and other government departments to improve the way they communicate with disabled people and organisations. As part of this, Equality 2025 – the United Kingdom Advisory Network on Disability Equality, was launched in December 2006 to help design policies and services that disabled people need.