ECO Gateway
An online directory of individual cleft care clinicians and researchers, cleft centers and patient groups in Europe and beyond.
Clinicians are able to link up with clinicians in other centres/disciplines across Europe and, importantly, find potential partners for research projects – especially those where patient involvement is integral to the project theme (eg what are patient priorities for research).
Parents can easily locate their nearest cleft centre and support group, ensuring they are able to request a referral to expert medical support in a timely manner.
Early Care Guidelines
EU-validated Early Care Services for Babies Born with Cleft Lip and/or Palate provide a comprehensive non-surgical care framework. These guidelines are freely available in English and can be used by healthcare ministries, professionals, and advocacy groups to raise care standards.
Patient Support Group Training
A flexible half to two day course providing guidelines on how parents can support other parents in a safe, structured empathetic way, develop and sustain a support groups including guidance on working with health professionals, priority setting, lobbying, raising awareness and brief introduction to fundraising. The course can be tailor made with downloadable materials including presentations and handouts.
Early Cleft Care Training Programme
ECCTP is a training package for healthcare professionals that equips them with the knowledge and skills to make an accurate diagnosis, provide early feeding advice and feeding assessment, provide appropriate information and support to the family, and establish a structured care pathway in the early months for children born with an orofacial cleft.
Speech Communication and Resilience Training Programme
SCR4Cleft is a training package designed to raise awareness in non-specialist cleft professional of issues in speech, language and psychological development encountered by individuals born with orofacial clefts. It includes resources for the healthcare professionals to then enable parents to identify signs of impairment and provide practical ways of supporting their child with speech and language differences.
Face Equality Training
Innovative evidence-based training in the health, social and volunteering sectors that empowers people with disfigurements to overcome social and psychological challenges in everyday life. Aimed at healthcare professionals in any discipline who provide treatment for those with a visible difference, community/social workers who support those living with a visible difference, NGOs staff within this community, medical students and students in vocational training, individuals with a visible difference and family members.
