We will embed our commitment to Getting It Right for Every Child to provide all children, young people and their families with the right support at the right time.
Children, Young People and their Families
Our long-term goal:
The Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach will be fully embedded, with a deaf or deafblind child and their family offered the right information and support at the right time to engage with BSL. We will strengthen partnerships between relevant organisations to overcome barriers for BSL users and deaf/ deafblind children to ensure they have the support they need at all stages of their learning, so that they can reach their full potential.
By 2029
Scottish Ministers will
15
Ensure that children and/or parents/carers who use BSL can benefit from the new £2m Inclusion Fund, as part of the increase in early learning and childcare provision.
Action 10
Facilitate the building of partnerships and effective working relationships between NHS teams and BSL providers. This will help to ensure that deaf and deafblind children and their families can access the right support from the earliest stages of childhood and in doing so we can strive to get it right for every child.
Action 11
Engage with stakeholders across Scotland to identify and mobilise a network of BSL providers.
Action 12
Work with representative groups across Midwifery, Health Visiting, Family Nurse Partnership, Allied Health Professionals and Audiology to help them understand the importance of BSL provision on child and family wellbeing.
Action 13
Support NHS teams and BSL providers to develop robust referral pathways which will result in deaf and deafblind children accessing both the healthcare and language learning support they require.
Action 14
Consider the needs of those who are deaf and deafblind in our response to the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland which was published in August 2023.
Action 15
Continue to support education authorities who have duties to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including those who are deaf under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. This includes the presumption of mainstream which enables children to learn in an environment that best suits their needs.
Families are supported through the Scottish advice service for additional support or learning, Enquire, that receives funding from the Scottish Government.
Action 16
Support opportunities for early years workers to learn BSL up to the level of Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 6 to inform our future work in this area. SCQF Level 6 BSL is offered by Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and is equivalent to Signature’s BSL Level 3.
Action 17
Support opportunities for teachers of the deaf and teachers working with deaf and deafblind children and young people in obtaining qualifications up to SCQF Level 10. SCQF Level 10 is equivalent to Signature Level 6 in BSL, which is the highest possible qualification available as of October 2023. SQA’s highest qualification in BSL is Level 4, which is equivalent to SCQF Level 8 and Signature Level 4 in BSL.
Action 18
To work with the General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS) to explore and facilitate pathways for BSL users to obtain Qualified Teacher Status.
Action 19
Develop education as a priority theme within this plan’s Implementation Advisory Group, to explore access to BSL and teaching of BSL.
Action 20
Support the development of opportunities for deaf and deafblind children, young people, and their families, to learn about the heritage and culture of BSL, especially in Scotland.
Action 21
Introduce Scotland’s first National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy in this Parliamentary term to ensure there is a joined-up approach so all disabled young people can experience a supported and positive transition to adult life. The Scottish Government BSL Policy team will ensure that BSL users’ lived experience is fed into the development of the strategy.