These materials are from the archive of the SSC Website and may be outdated.

 

University of Edinburgh
 

Eye conditions and case studies

Presented on 28 October 2011

Janis Sugden

Introduction - Connecting Structures

Various policy documents in Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland were published between 2000 and 2008 promoting integrated approaches to working with children (Jones and Leverett, 2008;Walker 2008).

Notes: Recent policy developments follow a long line of initiatives that have attempted to combine preventative, proactive and protective services.

10 Key Aims

  1. To consider the views of children and parents when planning services.
  2. To shift from deficit approaches to strengths based and holistic approaches.
  3. To offer services from the earliest possible stage.
  4. To safeguard/protect children and enable them to live healthy and full lives.
  5. To address issues of conflict, diversity and inclusion.
  6. To promote transition between services and adulthood.
  7. To improve information sharing and communication between professionals, families and children.
  8. To enable learning, community involvement, environmental sustainability and economic well-being.
  9. To move to an outcomes based approach involving more precise evaluation.
  10. To move to a more joined-up way of working.

Working Together

  • To monitor children
  • To carry out timely joint assessments
  • Liaise with parents
  • Advocate for children and young people
  • Make decisions: when to refer on. Share information with other agencies etc.

Defining Integration

  • Co-operation: least complex smoother information sharing between agencies.
  • Collaboration: where services plan together.
  • Co-ordination: Very joined up and deliberate.

Notes: It should not be assumed that integrated approaches is a new thing. There have been Community Schools in Scotland for some time and in our field there are various groups of people who regularly work together eg; VISSCC in Forth Valley and CVISTA model has been widely followed in Scotland.

Collaboration: with the aim with the aim of reducing duplication of services and shifting their efforts to address service gaps. May include joint planning and joint working. Less systematic than co-ordination because collaboaration does not require the adoption of shared and agreed goals.

Co-ordinated planning and working takes account of different agencies aims, goals, policies, practices and values

Building Strong professional Relationships

Working and learning together

Identify common challenge; systematic approaches, shared objectives

Role and Implications for team work

Medical:

  • The Eye > Anatomical changes, Functional Changes
  • Quality of the Eye> Medical/surgical intervention

Education:

  • Accessing curriculum, social interventions
  • Also consider: social and emotional, independence, adapted equipment etc.

Thank you.

Integrated Children's Services John M. Davies Sage publications 2011

Foundations of Low Vision edited by Anne L Corn and Jane N Erin AFB 2010.