Nursery World - Inter-agency help for deaf infants

A 1m pilot scheme bringing inter-agency services to-gether to help children under two who have disabilities, including deafness, and their families, in England is being set up by the Government. Under the Early Support pilot programme, which is to be piloted in ten to 15 sites across the country, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) will be working alongside the Department of Health, the National Children's Bureau (NCB) and the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), as well as service providers and other organisations, to offer help and practical assistance to young disabled children and their parents.

Under the Early Support pilot programme, which is to be piloted in ten to 15 sites across the country, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) will be working alongside the Department of Health, the National Children's Bureau (NCB) and the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), as well as service providers and other organisations, to offer help and practical assistance to young disabled children and their parents.

The range of intervention provided by the programme will include early identification and support to help children's language development; better information to parents so they know of the range of services available and what those services should be delivering; better inter-agency working so children get a co-ordinated service; better support for parents when their child is identified as having a special need and how that is conveyed to them to minimise anxiety; and developing the role of key workers so parents have a single point of contact.

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