Tel: (0191) 6433030
Fax: (0191) 6433032
Email: suzanne.monaghan@northtyneside.gov.uk
Manager: Nick Cubley
Aims of the Service
The Sensory Service at Beacon Hill aims to provide appropriate and effective advice and support to children and young people with a visual and/or hearing loss. This support and advice is available from the point of diagnosis through school until the young person leaves education or reaches the age of 25 years. Support and advice is dependent upon each individual need.
A sensory (sight or hearing) loss is a low incidence loss and the number of children and young people we support can fluctuate year on year.
With improved medical care and the development of early screening and diagnosis, specialists within the team work with young babies and their families/carers. The aim of our support, is to work with parents/carers to maximise the young child’s development and to prepare them to lead a full and inclusive life at school.
There is a continuum of support which can be:
• Advice and work with the family.
• Advice and recommendations into nurseries, early years settings, primary, secondary schools and 6th Form/full time college settings.
• Some children and young people will require direct teaching specialist teachers
• Teaching, support and advice are flexible meeting the needs of individual children and families
Support
The service uses a nationally agreed SERSEN “Eligibility Criteria for support levels” to allocate support to children and families.
When working with very young children and families both teams are sensitive to the needs of individual families. Advice given covers all options available to them. It is presented with out bias and is ultimately the decision of the family.
The SERSEN Eligibility Criteria covers a wide range of need that ensures support and resources are fairly accessed. In addition to this we also use teachers’ professional judgement and a full assessment is carried out by specialist teachers.
Marden High School
Prior to September 2014 the Deaf Support Centre was based at Marden High School. Due to parental choice and fast moving technical advances in Hearing Aid/Cochlear Implant technology, parents and carers are choosing to seek placement for their child in their local mainstream schools.
Marden High School maintains acoustically treated rooms as part of their Inclusion Department.
Regular Visits
Other visually impaired/blind or d/Deaf/hearing impaired pupils who require regular specialist support are visited in their own local schools. The frequency of visits depends upon assessments carried out.
Monitoring Visits
Are for pupils who have a significant impairment but who are progressing in line with their ability will be visited on a monitoring basis by specialist staff.
Supporting Schools
We provide training for:-
• Whole schools
• Groups
• School based Teaching Assistants
• School departments
• Individual class/subject teachers
Training is prepared and delivered by specialist teachers. It is focused on the specific needs of the children or young people in that school. Training aims to increase the understanding of other professionals in their appreciation of the potential problems facing a child/young person who is d/Deaf/has a hearing loss or has a visual loss. We provide strategies and information that help to facilitate access to the curriculum for the child/young person.
Specialist staff can provide
• Direct teaching
• Planning help and advice
• Contribute to IEP targets/annual review targets
Working with other professionals
We work closely with :-
• Hospitals – The Freeman and the RVI
• Speech and Language Therapists
• Physiotherapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Portage
• Social Services
• Third Sector – RNIB, NDCS etc
• Voluntary Sector