Northumberland Family and Childrens Trust Penny Forster Rehabilitation and Training Services

Northumberland Family and Childrens Trust Northumberland SEES Children’s Low Vision Working Group

Northumberland Family and Childrens Trust Members of the Group Roseanne Robinson – Orthoptist (NHS) Roseanne Robinson – Orthoptist (NHS) Dave Robson – Peripatetic Teacher Dave Robson – Peripatetic Teacher Susan Cullingworth, Liz Holmes – Children with Disabilities Team Susan Cullingworth, Liz Holmes – Children with Disabilities Team Penny Forster – RNIB Penny Forster – RNIB Eye Clinic Liaison Officer and Sight Matters Rehabilitation and Training Services

Northumberland Family and Childrens Trust Aims of the group To improve services delivered to children and young people in Northumberland with a significant visual impairment To improve services delivered to children and young people in Northumberland with a significant visual impairment To raise awareness of the issues that families of visually impaired children have To raise awareness of the issues that families of visually impaired children have To find ways of providing support to parents, siblings and carers of visually impaired children To find ways of providing support to parents, siblings and carers of visually impaired children

Northumberland Family and Childrens Trust Survey Parents were identified through education and social services databases and a questionnaire was sent to them Parents were identified through education and social services databases and a questionnaire was sent to them Early returns indicated that children were not being registered Early returns indicated that children were not being registered Parents also sent back some strong messages about the “lack of information and services for families, who are in shock when they find out that their child may be eligible to be registered as severely sight impaired” Parents also sent back some strong messages about the “lack of information and services for families, who are in shock when they find out that their child may be eligible to be registered as severely sight impaired”

Northumberland Family and Childrens Trust Your Child’s Sight Matters A leaflet designed to be provided to Northumberland parents by staff in the eye clinics when the child or young person is diagnosed A leaflet designed to be provided to Northumberland parents by staff in the eye clinics when the child or young person is diagnosed It outlines ; the benefits of having registration status the benefits of having registration status where parents can go for help and advice on education and rehabilitation where parents can go for help and advice on education and rehabilitation some local and national contacts some local and national contacts

Northumberland Family and Childrens Trust Early Support Packs Produced by the Dfes for parents who have a child with a disability Produced by the Dfes for parents who have a child with a disability Inserts cover a wide range of disabilities including visual impairment and dual sensory loss Inserts cover a wide range of disabilities including visual impairment and dual sensory loss The booklet on visual impairment will be given to parents living in Northumberland during registration visits The booklet on visual impairment will be given to parents living in Northumberland during registration visits

Northumberland Family and Childrens Trust Rehabilitation with Children Mobility Mobility Independent Living Skills (kitchen techniques) Independent Living Skills (kitchen techniques) Advice regarding suitable equipment and adaptations Advice regarding suitable equipment and adaptations Low Vision Enhancement skills Low Vision Enhancement skills Environmental advice (décor, lighting etc) Environmental advice (décor, lighting etc) Grant Applications Grant Applications Networking with other organisations (Henshaws and PFG) Networking with other organisations (Henshaws and PFG) Vision Impairment Awareness Training Vision Impairment Awareness Training

Northumberland Family and Childrens Trust What Next? Parents to get more involved and help to shape and improve meaningful services Parents to get more involved and help to shape and improve meaningful services Young vision impaired people to be acknowledged and help to influence services Young vision impaired people to be acknowledged and help to influence services Build on the improved communication between the various disciplines Build on the improved communication between the various disciplines Ensure that the work that has been done continues……………………………………… Ensure that the work that has been done continues………………………………………

Northumberland Family and Childrens Trust Thank You For further information please Contact; The Northumberland Disabled Children's Team