Memorandum submitted by British Association of Teachers of the Deaf (BATOD)

 

BATOD appreciates the opportunity to comment on this difficult issue and agrees that the matter needs serious consideration.  There may indeed be potential concerns when the assessing body is also the provider.  However, the Association feels that recent Government initiatives should ensure that assessment is much more rigorous and robust as a result of multiagency working which is now a feature of Children's Services' practice. The Early Support programme, the Common Assessment Framework and the development of the role of key workers and lead professionals should further support the effectiveness of collaborative working and liaison between relevant agencies within the Authority. 

These developments should ensure that all assessments are detailed and multidisciplinary and that appropriate intervention is clearly described.

Mechanisms for ensuring accountability both of schools and of Local Authorities are already in place with Ofsted and the Joint Area Reviews which, in addition to the SENDIST Tribunals, should ensure that appropriate provision is made following on from assessments which really do reflect the needs of the child and are not guided by provision or funding available.

 

We have concerns about the continuing availability of specialist support for low incidence sensory needs. LA specialist services provide an effective, efficient and coherent way of providing an operational framework for this shortage area. However, when there is discussion about delegation or commissioning of services there seems to little recognition of the fact that such services usually do not exist elsewhere and thus cannot be bought in other than from the LA - which might not be able to maintain the service when funding has been delegated.

 

Information about BATOD

 

BATOD is the sole professional association for Teachers of the Deaf in the UK. The Association organises CPD courses and national and regional meetings to provide relevant up-to-date information and to disseminate good practice. BATOD produces a magazine five times per year and a refereed Journal (Deafness and Education International) four times per year. Strong links are maintained between BATOD and Government and voluntary agencies, especially the RNID and NDCS, to contribute to policy development in this field and to represent the interests of deaf children and their teachers.

 

July 2007