Multi-agency Services
Tayside Paediatric Audiology is part of a multi-disciplinary team of professionals and service users working together in a coordinated way to provide services for children with hearing loss and their families to ensure children with hearing loss achieve their potential.
There are three teams in Tayside, one in each local authority area, Angus, Dundee and Perth and Kinross.
Tayside paediatric audiology also has close links with speech and language therapy, Fife education team and work closely with the Scottish Cochlear Implant Programme.
There are three teams in Tayside, one in each local authority area, Angus, Dundee and Perth and Kinross.
Tayside paediatric audiology also has close links with speech and language therapy, Fife education team and work closely with the Scottish Cochlear Implant Programme.
Working in partnership with children and their families
Families need to be given information about the possible cause of their child's hearing loss and the support services available. Parents are the key people in the management of their child's hearing loss. They need full, unbiased information and support to enable them to develop and implement strategies which will maximise their child's development and independence.
The multi-disciplinary team aims, in partnership with children and their families, to provide early identification and appropriate multi-disciplinary management for children with hearing loss in order that each child can:
- achieve their developmental potential
- achieve their educational potential
- make friends and form relationships
- have access to sporting and leisure activities
- have equal opportunities for tertiary education and employment
- be independent
- be fully included in society
Care Pathways
Following multi-disciplinary discussions, care pathways have been developed mapping a child's journey following identification of a significant permanent hearing loss. Theses pathways will be reviewed regularly and audits put in place to monitor their effectiveness.
Coordinated multi-disciplinary management plans
The key to delivering appropriate services in a coordinated way is to have a hearing management plan in place for each child identified with a permanent hearing loss until transition to adult services. Ensuring that the correct services and supports are being provided is more important than exactly which agencies are involved as these may vary from area to area.
Together the audiologist, teacher of the deaf, education audiologist, speech and language therapist and paediatrician form the core hearing impaired network team(HINT) for children.
This core team has the responsibility to work closely with parents, to gather information, to organise appropriate assessments and to involve other professionals as agreed in the care pathways. Services are provided according to the child's individual needs.
The Multi-disciplinary Management Plan records the agencies involved with the child and family:
Together the audiologist, teacher of the deaf, education audiologist, speech and language therapist and paediatrician form the core hearing impaired network team(HINT) for children.
This core team has the responsibility to work closely with parents, to gather information, to organise appropriate assessments and to involve other professionals as agreed in the care pathways. Services are provided according to the child's individual needs.
The Multi-disciplinary Management Plan records the agencies involved with the child and family:
- details of the hearing loss and aiding
- a medical summary
- speech and language therapy summary
- education details
- any relevant additional information
- points for discussing, including any current concerns
- a checklist of assessments and supports required
- an action plan with action points for individual professionals
- the plan review date
How does the multi-disciplinary team function in practice?
The core team(audiologist, education audiologist, speech and language therapist and paediatrician) will meet once a term to review the multi-disciplinary management plans.
Other key professionals (National Deaf Children's Society, Scottish Cochlear Implant Programme, North East Sensory Services and Vision PK) who may be involved with some but not all of the children will be invited as appropriate.
When a new plan is drawn up a review date is set. Plans are reviewed between three months and annually.
Parents do not attend the multi-disciplinary management plan meetings as many children are discussed during one session, however parental consent is required for the process to take place. The key worker takes the parental point of view and any concerns to the meeting and will feed back to the parents following the meeting.
Multi-disciplinary management plan meetings do not replace formal review meetings, families will always be invited to formal review meetings about their child.
Other key professionals (National Deaf Children's Society, Scottish Cochlear Implant Programme, North East Sensory Services and Vision PK) who may be involved with some but not all of the children will be invited as appropriate.
When a new plan is drawn up a review date is set. Plans are reviewed between three months and annually.
Parents do not attend the multi-disciplinary management plan meetings as many children are discussed during one session, however parental consent is required for the process to take place. The key worker takes the parental point of view and any concerns to the meeting and will feed back to the parents following the meeting.
Multi-disciplinary management plan meetings do not replace formal review meetings, families will always be invited to formal review meetings about their child.