The

Sensory Support Service

About us

We provide support for children with hearing and vision needs from their earliest years and through their time at school.

 

The Service is managed by Bristol City Council’s Children and Young People's Services and our expertise is available to families, children, schools and other professionals within the four Authorities.

 

Following the re-organisation of Local Authorities in 1996

we continued to work with the four Unitary Authorities which had made up Avon to maintain the benefits and advantages that come from working across a wider geographical area. This joint working allows us to provide effective support for children, families and schools where high levels of expertise are required to support the low incidence special needs of children with a sensory loss.

 

 

Working with children, families and schools from four Authorities

has provided the opportunity for Service staff to develop a wide range of specialist knowledge. Qualified and experienced teaching and non-teaching staff are able to provide skilled support for children who have hearing and or vision loss. Teams of staff offer a wide range of expertise to teach and support children, families and their schools from the time of diagnosis, which is usually before entry to school, and throughout school life.

 

 

We are committed to:

 

• Provide support for children and young people who experience loss of vision or hearing that enables them to live and learn independently.

 

• Offer practical advice to parents and teachers and all adults involved with those children and young people.

 

   Click here for details of forthcoming courses:

 

 

• Assist in the development of action plans and Individual Education Plans.

 

• Provide a service to schools which help them in the development of their own support structures and expertise.

 

• Provide a locally focused service with fast response times.

 

•The Service also provides support where nurseries and school identify a need for external advice to complement their own expertise on low incidence needs (such as vision or hearing loss). Service support may often be linked to children through Statements of Special Educational Needs but, essentially, is also available for preventative work.

 

 

We are always looking for ways to improve the services we provide and are interested in your comments and views. If you have any queries or suggestions and would like to discuss issues relating to our work please go to the Contact page for details of how to reach our Head of Service or a Team Leader.