Design Services

Step 2: Design services in the light of your understanding

Create or reform services to suit customers, deliver, within reason, what they want and need.

Factors which need to be addressed or where greater progress is needed	Signs of success
1. Make sure that services reflect the needs of users, including special needs and local conditions	Confirmation from user groups that services meet their needs as part of formal evaluation following implementation
2. Design ways of giving customers reasonable choice and provide customers with information about these choices	Groups of customers are able to access the services in ways that they consider appropriate Customer surveys indicating that customers are aware of the choice open to them
3. Avoid a ‘postcode lottery’, whereby the quality of service received depends on where someone lives, by compiling information on the full extent of the problem and using resources to overcome it.	Reviews provide positive evidence that service accessibility and quality are consistent, regardless of location
4. Tackle barriers to use through better communication and by introducing measures to encourage participation.	Reports indicating that identified barriers to use have been overcome
5. Be proactive in approaching hard to reach groups, for example, by linking up with voluntary bodies and others doing outreach work	Increased take-up of services by hard to reach groups

Please click on a factor to go to a checklist and linked guidance/cases.