The document opens with a short section entitled ‘How to read the guidance’, focusing on clarifying the concepts used.
Subsequently, the document is divided into eight sections, focusing on the following topics:
- Housing
- Food
- Clothing and other non-food items
- Daily expenses allowance
- Health care
- Provision of information and counselling
- Identification, assessment and response to special needs
- Staff training.
Each section includes specific common standards which are applicable to national reception systems across all EU Member States. Each standard is paired with relevant indicators which facilitate the assessment as to whether the standard is met. Where necessary, further clarification on an indicator can be found in the ‘additional remarks’.
In addition, the annex includes a table which summarises all standards and indicators listed in this document. This table should, however, be considered in conjunction with the main document, which provides additional clarifications (additional remarks, good practices) that support the interpretation of the guidance.
