1. Habilitation (Mobility & Independent Living Skills) research project

2. What is Habilitation training? Habilitation training includes: the teaching of early movement skills; sensory, spatial and body concepts; cane training, route learning and independent living skills; and can significantly help a child or young person with a vision impairment to develop the necessary skills to get around and care for themselves safely and independently.

3. What is Habilitation training? cont. However, habilitation training is not currently available for all children and young people in the UK. Guide Dogs and Blind Children UK fervently believe that all children and young people with sight loss in the UK should have access to habilitation training that adheres to the Habilitation Quality Standards as and when they need it – be it, in school, the home or the community.

4. Habilitation research In 2013, we scoped two projects to explore the accessibility and quality of current habilitation provision for CYPVI in the UK: Case studies work: of habilitation provision in local authorities for each of the four UK countries, and to benchmark the provision against the Habilitation Quality Standards. Survey work: to ask CYPVI and young adults, and parents of CYPVI what they require[ed] from habilitation training, and to consult them on their past and present experiences of habilitation training.

5. Habilitation research: Case studies Firstly, we commissioned Dr Clare Thetford and team from the University of Liverpool to carry out a qualitative exploratory study in relation to Habilitation services for CYPVI in the UK. 12 detailed case studies were carried out as examples of current practice across the UK in the provision of habilitation services to CYPVI aged 0 to 18 years, and benchmarked against the Quality Standards in the Delivery of Habilitation Training (Quality Standards) (Miller et al., 2011). This project was completed in September, 2014.

6. Habilitation’ research: Survey work Secondly, we are currently undertaking an in-house research project involving CYPVI aged 12 to 25 years, and parents of CPVI aged 1 year to 18 years. We wish to obtain CYPVI’ first-hand experiences of habilitation training; along with the experiences and perspectives of parents/guardians of CYPVI. Our project involves CYPVI taking part in a 30 minute telephone interview or completing an online survey, as well as parents/guardians completing a separate online survey. Our project sample is made up of the service users of Blind Children UK, which amounts to almost 4,000 CYPVI and their families.

7. Habilitation’ research: Case studies The objectives of this study were to identify and explore:  (i) notions of quality and what can be achieved when recommended standards are met;  (ii) whether and how providers have achieved all or some of the learning outcomes in the Quality Standards;  (iii) the problems that CYPVI and their parents continue to face in accessing habiltation services;  (iv) issues faced by professionals working in this field in delivering habilitation services to CYPVI.

8. Habilitation research: Case studies Notions of quality and key factors in effective habilitation services:  An underlying ethos of holistic service provision, tailored to the individual and their family.  Flexible services, provided in a wide range of environments and during school holidays and outside school hours which facilitated accessibility.  Effective communication and a collaborative approach between the range of professionals involved in the delivery of habilitation, providing integrated services.

9. Habilitation research: Case studies Notions of quality and key factors in effective habilitation services, cont:  Positive communication and engagement with parents.  Staff delivering habilitation were suitablly qualified and experienced. In addition to specific features of the services, a range of contextual factors common to services where service users reported high levels of satisfaction and service providers reported comprehensive provision.

10. Habilitation research: Case studies The main implications of the findings There is a lack of clarity surrounding exactly what habilitation is; whether it is a form of education, or a social service. The lack of clarity of exactly what it is and who is responsible for delivering its various components it is at the heart of the problems of responsibilities for funding and delivery. The provision of habilitation services within the UK is highly variable; this variation appears to be due to local level decision making and models of service delivery.

11. Habilitation research: Case studies The main implications of the findings. cont: Whilst there are examples of excellent practice, CYPVI and their families continue to experience considerable difficulties accessing the habilitiation services they believe they need within the UK.

12. Habilitation research Research outcomes  To inform Guide Dogs’ CYPVI service provision.  To inform the UK Vision Strategy Children’s group.  To provide some of the evidence for a good practice guidance document about effective local habilitation provision for CYPVI and their families. (The National Sensory Impaired Partnership (NatSIP) and Guide Dogs).