Communication support service

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Peripatetic hearing impairment service

It is a home and school visiting service which aims to support educational access, promote achievement and encourage the social integration and personal independence of children and young people with hearing impairment.

The service operates from diagnosis and may continue throughout a pupil's school career.

Specialist teachers visit pre-school children and their families at home. They also visit a wide variety of pre-school and school settings to offer personal, educational and audiological support to children and young people with hearing impairment.

Service staff work within the child safeguarding procedures of the local authority.

Specialist teachers work in partnership with families and mainstream school staff to ensure that the specific needs of children and young people with hearing impairment are fully understood and, wherever possible, met.

What does the service provide?

  • home visits to pre-school children and their families
  • advisory and assessment visits to referred pupils in LA schools
  • advice to families and mainstream staff on the effects of hearing loss on language and learning
  • practical support and guidance on effective classroom strategies to improve pupil access
  • specialist teaching in or out of class on a one-to-one or group basis
  • regular reporting to schools and families
  • advice and reports for statutory assessment
  • radio aids and checking of audiology equipment
  • loan of Soundfield equipment on a trial basis
  • in-service training for teachers and non-teaching staff
  • liaison with partner agencies such as Cochlear Implant teams, audiology clinics and hospitals, and speech and language services
  • short-term peripatetic support assistant visits to support new hearing-aid users and pupils with specific needs in relation to hearing impairment (for example, at transition or entry to school).

Referral procedure

  • referrals are mainly received from audiology departments in clinics and hospitals
  • all referrals are reviewed by the manager of the service
  • the service seeks medical confirmation of hearing loss before undertaking assessment visits
  • an advisory/assessment visit is made to all accepted referrals
  • parent permission is sought prior to a school visit
  • schools should refer any new child with hearing aids immediately
  • if there is concern about a child's hearing, a medical opinion should be sought in the first instance - either through the school nurse services or from the family's GP.

Contact Details

National Deaf Children's Society
Telephone 020 7490 8656
Fax 020 7251 5020
Minicom 020 7490 8656
Email ndcs@ndcs.org.uk
Address National Office
15 Dufferin Street
London
EC1 8UR
Website www.ndcs.org.uk
Interim head of peripatetic HI team
Telephone 020 8760 5783
Fax 020 8405 7960
Email luisa.saddington@croydon.gov.uk
Address 90 Central Parade (area office)
New Addington
Croydon
CR0 0JB

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