Working with Special Communication Skills and British Sign Language

All agencies need to ensure they are able to communicate fully with parents and children when they have concerns about child abuse and neglect, and ensure that family members and practitioners fully understand the exchanges that take place.

Consideration must be given to the use of intermediaries during interviews, assessments and/or advocacy, when appropriate.

In taking a referral, social workers must establish the communication needs of the child, parents and other significant family members. Relevant specialists may need to be consulted, e.g. a language therapist, teacher of deaf children or those with a hearing loss, paediatrician, etc.

The use of experts with special communication skills must be considered whenever undertaking enquiries involving children and/or family:

• Who are deaf or have a hearing loss;
• Who has a  visual impairment;
• Who have speech impairments;
• With learning difficulties;
• With a specific language or communication disorder;
• With severe emotional and behavioural difficulties;
• Whose primary form of communication is not speech;
• Who has a multi-sensory impairment.

The communication needs of all children must be considered at an early point in the planning of the enquiry (Strategy Discussion stage).

Practitioners should be aware that interviewing is possible when a child communicates by means other than speech and should not assume that an interview is not possible even if it would not meet the legal standards required to be admissible as evidence.

All interviews should be tailored to the individual needs of the child, and a written explanation should be included in the plan about any departure from usual standards.

Every effort should be made to enable such a child to tell their story directly to those undertaking enquiries.

Workers interviewing children with special educational needs should be patient and allow more time. However, the time spent up-front will be paid back by a good rapport and clear communication that will avoid wasted time and dangerous misunderstandings. 

Building trust with a child or young person will also take time in order for them to open up and talk about the issue you want to discuss with them, particularly if they have been told not to talk about those issues.

When the child is interviewed, it may be helpful to have an appropriate practitioner to assist the interviewer and child (eg, Deaf Relay - Intralingual Interpreter)

If the child or young person becomes anxious, distressed or overtired, check this out, and if necessary, take a break.

It may be necessary to seek further advice from practitioners who know the child well or are familiar with the type of impairment they have, e.g., a paediatrician at the child development centre, the child's school and/or the social worker from the disabled children's team.

When the child is interviewed, it may be helpful for an appropriate practitioner to assist the interviewer and child. Careful planning is required for the role of this adviser and the potential use of specialised communication equipment.