Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Written evidence submitted by The British Association for Deaf Children and Young People (BATOD) to The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill Committee (CWSB248). 

BATOD is the only professional association for Qualified Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People (QToDs) in the UK. The Association represents the interests of QToDs and the children and young people (CYP). The Association supports QToDs and organises continued professional development (CPD) courses and national and regional meetings to provide relevant up-to-date information and to disseminate good practice. Strong links are maintained between BATOD and the UK governments, as well as voluntary bodies, especially the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), in order to contribute to policy development in this field.

Summary

Specialist provision for deaf CYP and their families is essential to support improving independence and outcomes for deaf CYP. To ensure their needs are properly supported they require

· space to have their voice heard

· parity in access to targeted resources

· education from qualified classroom teachers, and in specialist provisions by QToDs, in settings identified through parental preference.

Part one: Children’s social care

1.1. Kinship care and family networks

BATOD is pleased there is a requirement of the local authorities to offer a family group decision-making meeting (FGDM) before applying to take a child into care (clause 1)

BATOD feels the current Early Help assessment pathway needs to be strengthened for children with deaf, and deaf plus profiles.

BATOD would recommend this duty ensures the need to give due consideration to children’s wishes and feelings, and involve them in family group decision making meetings should also be included and not only "seek the views of the child unless it considers that it would not be appropriate to do so." The access needs of deaf children should be catered for to enable fair and accurate representation of their views.

1.2. Child protection and safeguarding

BATOD welcomes the duty to share information for safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare and the introduction of a single unique number ("identifier") for individual children, to connect data between different services. Shared/compatible IT systems would need to be effectively operational across the social care, health education (settings and local authority services) boundaries.

BATOD supports measures around elective home education [Clauses 25-26], however BATOD recommends councils (Sensory Support Services) are given the power resources to engage with deaf CYP directly and check that they are safe and are being taught a suitable education.

Part two: Schools

2.1. Breakfast clubs

BATOD welcomes the requirement for state-funded schools to ensure that every child from Reception to Year 6 is, "provided with access to a free breakfast club before the start of each school day which lasts for at least 30 minutes and includes food". Deaf children in need of the breakfast club who are reliant on transport to access their educational setting should not deprived of access.

2.2 School teachers’ qualifications and induction

2.2.1. New teachers

BATOD welcomes the requirement for new teachers in academies and free schools to have or be in the process of achieving, qualitied teacher status (QTS), and to go through statutory induction processes (clause 40).

All teachers teaching and supporting the educational provision for deaf CYP should, and must, be qualified as advised by the SEN Code and Equality Act.

Academies with a resource provision for deaf learners must ensure a QToD, a qualified teacher (QTS/QTLS), achieves the mandatory qualification (MQ) within three years of starting to work with deaf children (2003 employment regulation).

2.2.2 Power of the Education Secretary

BATOD welcomes the introduction of the Education Secretary being able to direct an academy trust to do (or not do) something if it is not discharging its powers or meeting its duties properly (clause 43).

BATOD emphasises that academies must adhere to the needs of each deaf CYP outlined in their EHCP regardless of whether the Specialist provision is labelled as a ‘resource provision’ or ‘unit’ funded.

In addition, academies must have a service level agreement (SLA) that is reviewed regularly. The dedicated space for the support of deaf CYP must be safeguarded from alternative use for financial gain by the academy. Any changes to the SLA must be through consultation with partners.

BATOD is disappointed that the Bill does not include powers for Ofsted to be able to inspect multi-academy trusts.

2.2.3. Pay and conditions

BATOD agrees with the change to bring teachers in academies within the statutory national framework for pay and conditions (clause 45)

2.2.4. School admission arrangements

BATOD is pleased that the local authority may also give such a direction (in the case of any child in their area) in circumstances specified in the code for school admissions. (clause 49). Deafness is a low incidence need therefore numbers can vary in a geographical area year on year. This change will support councils to ensure that academy admissions decisions reflect local needs.

February 2025.