Does every deaf child really matter? What the experiences of deaf young people tell us.
In the context of reform and reorganisation with a continued backdrop of diminishing resources, the fourth South West Every Deaf Child Matters conference – All Ages, All Stages and the Spectrum of Need – was held in Exeter on 8th July 2014, bringing together over 100 delegates from education, health and social care services, along with commissioners, parents and a panel of young deaf people. Speakers focused on the new National System for Children and Young People with Hearing Impairment (NHS), SEND Reforms, Equality and Accessibility and Joint Commissioning.
The Children and Families Act 2014 and the new SEND Code of Practice[1] have introduced further duties and responsibilities for local authorities, schools and other organisations involved in supporting deaf children and young people.
“All children are entitled to an education that enables them to:
- achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes, and
- become confident young children with a growing ability to communicate their own views and ready to make the transition into compulsory education.”
(SEND Code of Practice, para. 5.1)
As local authorities, schools, commissioners and specialist organisations prepare for the changes, there continue to be many questions about local detail, the real impact on deaf children and their families and commitment to delivering practically the valid aspirations of the reforms. Discussions from professionals ranging from Teachers of the Deaf to Audiologists to Children’s Services Commissioners, reflected a balance between optimism and cynicism. The conference chair, Brian Lamb OBE, talked of the ‘culture shift’ required to ensure successful implementation of the reforms. Anne Porter, Department for Education SEND Adviser, stressed that the Children and Families Act is designed to bring about a clear culture shift towards much more direct involvement of children and young people and their parents in decision-making and on a clearer focus and commitment to achieving individual positive outcomes.
A shift which will facilitate the continuous process of working towards, attaining, reviewing and resetting the pathway to the achievement of positive outcomes for ‘every’ deaf child.
Of course the answer to this articles’ question is yes but what is the current reality and do ‘we’ really preach what ‘we’ actually practice?
The need for this kind of culture shift was underlined by input from the panel of young people who explained how they and their parents have often not been listened to in the past and how they have faced substantial obstacles to participation, communication and language, often having to wait or fight for essential support at critical stages in their education. Matt recounted that he waited for eight weeks when he started university for any note-taking support, and that he couldn’t understand why the university hadn’t arranged anything in advance. Another young person, John, was given a Communication Support Worker (CSW) who only had Level 1 BSL when he was 11 years old; it was only when he was later supported by a CSW with Level 4 BSL that he started to progress educationally and began to catch up with his hearing peers.
Some of the young people also told of their experiences of bullying which affected their confidence levels in the past. Keynote speaker, Liz Sayce OBE, Chief Executive of Disability Rights UK, emphasised in response that schools and local authorities have a responsibility to address disability-related bullying, and effective action against bullying of deaf children and young people is supported by the UN Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Equality Act 2010 and the Children and Families Act 2014.
Perhaps the most powerful and helpful quote of the conference was from Will (aged 15), when he was asked about the one thing that he would change, he replied that
“when I get to 16 and starting sixth form, I don’t want my parents to have to fight again for the support that I need.”
If at every level, in every sector the start point for cultural change and stepping up to the opportunities that change presents, is one of empathy, then and only then the reality will be that practice meets policy and legislative reform and ‘every’ deaf child really does ‘matter’.
For the full conference report please visit www.swedcm.weebly.com
Louise Cole, South West EDCM Conference Steering Group, Director of Heart of Deafness CIC
[email protected]
[1] Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years. Statutory guidance for organisations who work with and support children and young people special educational needs and disabilities. Department for Education and Department of Health, July 2014. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25
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This article was featured in the November 2014 edition of BATOD magazine.
The Children and Families Act 2014 and the new SEND Code of Practice[1] have introduced further duties and responsibilities for local authorities, schools and other organisations involved in supporting deaf children and young people.
“All children are entitled to an education that enables them to:
- achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes, and
- become confident young children with a growing ability to communicate their own views and ready to make the transition into compulsory education.”
(SEND Code of Practice, para. 5.1)
As local authorities, schools, commissioners and specialist organisations prepare for the changes, there continue to be many questions about local detail, the real impact on deaf children and their families and commitment to delivering practically the valid aspirations of the reforms. Discussions from professionals ranging from Teachers of the Deaf to Audiologists to Children’s Services Commissioners, reflected a balance between optimism and cynicism. The conference chair, Brian Lamb OBE, talked of the ‘culture shift’ required to ensure successful implementation of the reforms. Anne Porter, Department for Education SEND Adviser, stressed that the Children and Families Act is designed to bring about a clear culture shift towards much more direct involvement of children and young people and their parents in decision-making and on a clearer focus and commitment to achieving individual positive outcomes.
A shift which will facilitate the continuous process of working towards, attaining, reviewing and resetting the pathway to the achievement of positive outcomes for ‘every’ deaf child.
Of course the answer to this articles’ question is yes but what is the current reality and do ‘we’ really preach what ‘we’ actually practice?
The need for this kind of culture shift was underlined by input from the panel of young people who explained how they and their parents have often not been listened to in the past and how they have faced substantial obstacles to participation, communication and language, often having to wait or fight for essential support at critical stages in their education. Matt recounted that he waited for eight weeks when he started university for any note-taking support, and that he couldn’t understand why the university hadn’t arranged anything in advance. Another young person, John, was given a Communication Support Worker (CSW) who only had Level 1 BSL when he was 11 years old; it was only when he was later supported by a CSW with Level 4 BSL that he started to progress educationally and began to catch up with his hearing peers.
Some of the young people also told of their experiences of bullying which affected their confidence levels in the past. Keynote speaker, Liz Sayce OBE, Chief Executive of Disability Rights UK, emphasised in response that schools and local authorities have a responsibility to address disability-related bullying, and effective action against bullying of deaf children and young people is supported by the UN Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Equality Act 2010 and the Children and Families Act 2014.
Perhaps the most powerful and helpful quote of the conference was from Will (aged 15), when he was asked about the one thing that he would change, he replied that
“when I get to 16 and starting sixth form, I don’t want my parents to have to fight again for the support that I need.”
If at every level, in every sector the start point for cultural change and stepping up to the opportunities that change presents, is one of empathy, then and only then the reality will be that practice meets policy and legislative reform and ‘every’ deaf child really does ‘matter’.
For the full conference report please visit www.swedcm.weebly.com
Louise Cole, South West EDCM Conference Steering Group, Director of Heart of Deafness CIC
[email protected]
[1] Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years. Statutory guidance for organisations who work with and support children and young people special educational needs and disabilities. Department for Education and Department of Health, July 2014. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25
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This article was featured in the November 2014 edition of BATOD magazine.