The team is made up of a specialist teacher (QTVI), two qualified teachers of the deaf (QTOD),a sensory needs officer, a VI support worker and a rehabilitation officer for vision impairment (ROVI).
The team support children and young people with a physical and/or sensory need and can identify and advise on resources and environmental adaptations to enhance inclusive practice and quality first teaching. The team can provide direct intervention, or work with teachers and TAs to develop classroom management and independent learning approaches. The specialist team can also complete functional vision and auditory assessments onsite.
The service includes:
- Support for children and young people with a hearing impairment
- Support for families of children and young people with a hearing impairment
- Curriculum adaptations and bespoke teaching methods
- Signing support services for children, young people and adults including training and teaching of BSL support to establish BSL signing clubs in schools
- Support with the management and use of hearing aids
- Braille/tactile learning
- Working alongside NVision and other agencies to complete assessments for technology
- Access to guide dogs to support with mobility
- Mobility training for pupils with VI in schools in preparation for adulthood
- Person centred assessments for people with sight loss
- Advice and information on equipment, additional services and equipment for adults with a visual impairment
- Provide rehabilitation for adults with a visual impairment in orientation and mobility as well as independent living skills
- Support for mainstream schools to enable effective support for children and young people with physical, medical needs – following the advice of health care professionals
- Person centred assessments for people over the age of 18 with hearing loss
- Advice and information on equipment, additional service and equipment for those over 18 with hearing impairment/deaf/deafened
Contact: Angela.crawforth@blackpool.gov.uk
Training
| Physical and sensory team training offer | Cost |
|---|
| Support for children and young people with Downs syndrome |
Free |
| Basic BSL and deaf awareness |
Free |
| Deaf friendly teaching strategies that are good for all |
Free |
| Visual awareness training for those support people with sight loss |
Free |