British Sign Language (BSL): National Plan 2017 to 2023

Family Support,Early Learning and Childcare

Our long-term goal: The Getting it Right for Every Child ( GIRFEC) approach will be fully embedded, with a D/deaf or Deafblind child and their family offered the right information and support at the right time to engage with BSL.

By 2020, Scottish Ministers will:

10
Improve access to early years services for parents whose child is diagnosed as D/deaf or Deafblind by developing information about BSL and Deaf culture for service providers who support parents, such as health visitors.

11
Assist families of D/deaf and Deafblind children by ensuring that they have access to BSL resources as early as possible in their child’s life. This will include consulting with BSL users* and other stakeholders to assess the most appropriate digital platforms for signposting and disseminating information.

12
Develop BSL resources and advice within key programmes such as ‘BookBug’ so that parents can be supported to interact with their child during this critical developmental phase.

13
Work with partners to determine the best way of enabling families and carers to learn BSL so that they can communicate effectively with their D/deaf or Deafblind child in the crucial early years (0-8 years).

14
Test out a new approach to supporting older D/deaf and Deafblind children (8 years +) and young people, and their families to learn BSL.

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.