Support for deaf children aged 0 to 5 years: Guide

Partnership working

The general principles of working in partnership with parents are set out for England in the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (Department of Health et al, 2000) and the SEN Code of Practice 2015

The Code of Practice states that all local authorities must publish their local offer, which sets out the support they provide in their area for children and young people who have a disability or special educational needs.

It is essential for all professionals and agencies working with this population to have a fundamental understanding of the Code of Practice to appropriately meet need and support families.

All services should aim to:

• safeguard and promote the child's welfare
• enhance the parents' understanding of their child
• promote the relationship between parent and child
• support families as the most significant caregivers
• identify services to meet needs, provide practical help and emotional support
• use language that is understood by all
• remove barriers to service use by families
• develop understanding of cultural diversity'

The principles of professionals working in partnership with families, and their rights and responsibilities, are summarised within the Early Support Multi Agency Planning and Improvement Tool (MAPIT).  The MAPIT tool contributes to the joint planning, development and commissioning of services through the introduction of two key ingredients for service improvement; an Early Support approach to working in partnership with families and key working.

Links to other documents on Working in Partnership:

The general principles of working in partnership with parents are set out for England in the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families²³ and the SEN Code of Practice (hyperlink to pdf).

Oxfordshire Early Support Protocol is an example of the way in which one English Local Authority is putting such principles into practice.

Together From the Start a joint consultation document by the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health.  It is concerned with the delivery of services to children with disabilities in the age range birth to 2 and their families.

Often it is Midwives and Health Visitors who have early contact with newborns suspected of having a hearing loss.  NDCS has worked with the Institute of Health Visiting (IHV) to create a factsheet (iHV Parent tips) which sets out good practice on working with families where hearing loss is confirmed.

An Ofsted survey report into the services for deaf children (2012) highlights the key factors underpinning effective joint working across agencies with deaf children and the positive impact that this has had on their lives.

• Best Practices in Family-Cantered Early Intervention for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: An International Consensus Statement (Moeller et al., 2013) states that family-centred early intervention is key.  It lists 10 best practice principles and gives resources and references to research.