Walsall is well and truly on the international map thanks to the efforts of our Child Development Service Team Around the Child colleagues who recently led panels, workshops and lectures in the Czech Republic.

The team, based at Shelfield Child Development Centre, provide joined-up multi-agency care for babies and young children who have complex special needs.

Back in November 2018 staff from the Early Intervention Centre EDUCO in Zlin came to Walsall to observe a range of groups and join home visits to see the work being carried out with pre-school children with disabilities and their carers and families.

EDUCO focuses on improving the quality of life for families where a young child has a disability, reducing dependency on the social system and increasing social inclusion.

And in April this year Liz Wassall, Principal Speech and Language Therapist, Andrea Tipper, Specialist Health Visitor, Deb Wood, Early Years Practitioner and Margret Hotze, Occupational Therapist were invited to be guest speakers at the EDUCO European Conference with delegates from the Czech Republic and Croatia.

Liz said playing such a key role in the conference had been “inspiring and mutually beneficial.”

“I was delighted that EDUCO recognised our good practice and wanted to visit us to see how we work with pre-school children with disabilities and their families,” she said. “When EDUCO colleagues came to Walsall they described our work as incredible and praised the positive work between parents, teachers and therapists.

“They said: “It is a source of such inspiration to us.”

“We are extremely proud of the work we do and delighted that our Best Practice is being recognised internationally. We are looking forward to an ongoing partnership with EDUCO.”