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ABSTRACT INFORMATION
Title: 'Social care - the neglected aspect of service provision for young deaf children and their families' Track: 8 - EHDI Workforce Issues Keyword(s): Social care, preventative work, holistic approach, social modelof deafness Learning Objectives: 1. To understand the unique contribution of social care professionals to deaf children and their families. 2. To appreciate the particulr contribution of the social care professional to the multi-professional team Abstract: This presentation considers the unique and essential role that social care offers to parents and their young deaf children, demonstrating the need for the inclusion of a social care professional in the team working with any family with a deaf child. In particular, two different studies in England and Wales will be utilised. Professionals at strategic and front-line level were consulted about the contribution of social care trained professionals to the identification and meeting of social care needs. Data were gathered via a consultation day, a telephone administered semi-structured questionnaire and face-to-face interviews. Over 100 professionals from primarily social care, but also education and health backgrounds took part. Results demonstrate how social care professionals have a particular place in preventing and responding to the significant developmental risks faced by deaf children in the domains of personal and emotional development, socialisation, world knowledge and in the identification and prevention of abuse. Emerging issues included: • The significance of social care professionals being specifically trained to work with the whole family as a unit • The importance of social care assessment encompassing far more than the needs of the deaf child • A focus on the child's development in the broadest sense, not simply developmental issues attributed to deafness • The influence of a well defined value base for how families are worked with and how meaningful outcomes are defined. • The centrality of the promotion of autonomy and of nurturing of independence in social care engagement with families • an emphasis on the fostering of social inclusion. Although these results are drawn from a British context, they raise generalisable questions about the appropriate orientation and provision of services to deaf children: • designed to safeguard their welfare, • promote their personal and social development • address the wider complexity of families’ needs that may be related to but not necessarily consequential on having a deaf child. Presentation: This presentation has not yet been uploaded or the speaker has opted not to make the presentation available online. Handouts: Handout is not Available
PRESENTER(S) / AUTHOR(S) INFORMATION
Alys Young - SORD, The University of Manchester      Credentials: Alys Young is Professor of Social Work Education and Research at the University of Manchester. She has previously worked as a social worker with d/Deaf people.       Alys Young PhD, MSc (Oxon.), MA (Cantab.), CQSW, is Professor of Social Work and Director of the Social Research with Deaf People programme at the University of Manchester, UK. She is also Visiting Professor at the Centre for Deaf Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. She has an international reputation for her research work with families with deaf children, multi-professional early intervention services and the provision of health and social care services in signed languages. Her book (with B. Temple) on Social Science Research and d/Deaf people is published by Oxford, in 2013.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - Nonfinancial - Rosemary Oram - Author SORD, The University of Manchester       Rosemary Oram is a Research Assistant at the University of Manchester. She was previously a specialist social worker with Deaf people.       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - Nonfinancial - Carole Smith - Author The University of Manchester       Carole Smith is an honorary Senior Lecturer in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester. She was previously a senior manager in social services for children and families       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - Nonfinancial - Ros Hunt - Primary Presenter SORD, The University of Manchester       Ros Hunt is Post Doctoral Research Associate in SORD, Social Research with Deaf People at the University of Manchester. Previous research topics include: parents as assessors and monitors of their young deaf children's progress; informed choice for parents of deaf children; the particular contribution of social care professionals to supporting families with a deaf child. She worked for many years as a social worker with d/Deaf people       ASHA DISCLOSURE: Financial - Nonfinancial -