Learning Support Service: Hearing Impaired Team Local Offer
The Hearing Impairment (HI) Team is part of the Salford Learning Support Service (LSS), a city wide Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) teaching and advisory support service.
The team
Our team is made up of 11 dedicated staff who currently provide education and support to more than 300 babies, children and young people from 0 to 25 years of age across the Salford area. We provide support, information and educational resources to deaf and hearing-impaired children and young people, as well as their families, carers and teachers. We work in partnership to ensure that families receive sensitive and informed support to help them understand and meet their child’s needs and assist them in accessing the relevant information and services available to them at a local, regional and national level.
This comprehensive service is available to all those who live in the Salford area or attend a Salford nursery, school or college. This includes local schools, faith schools, special schools and further education (FE) colleges.
Vision
The majority of hearing impaired children are identified at an early stage and support for them starts at this time. Our aim is to maximise this opportunity by working in partnership with children and young people, their families and other agencies to deliver a service that will secure the best possible outcomes for them.
Who we work with
The HI team works across all the education stages from 0 to 25 years, in partnership with hearing impaired children, young people and their families who live in or attend nurseries, schools and colleges in Salford.
We work with children and young people who have:
- A permanent hearing loss
- An ongoing temporary hearing loss that is likely to impact on their education
We work collaboratively with a wide range of services and across a number of settings including:
- Homes
- Pre-schools, nurseries and childminders
- Local schools, faith schools, special schools sixth forms
- Health, especially Paediatric Audiology Departments - Pendleton Gateway, North Manchester General, Central Manchester Children's Hospitals.
- The Central Manchester Children’s Hospital Auditory Implant Centre.
- We also offer a traded service to support children and young people in FE colleges and independent schools.
Support is provided from confirmation of a hearing loss and continues until the child reaches adulthood. We provide full assessment, advice and programmes of intervention relevant to the child/young person’s and family’s level of need. Our work is tailored to each individual child/young person and family.
Referrals
Referrals come directly to the HI team from Local Health Trusts. We recomment that if a school or nursery has concerns about a pupil's hearing then they should ask the parents/ carers to take the child to the GP for a referral to audiology. It is the responsibility of health to make the diagnosis of a hearing loss.
All referrals receive a response within 10 working days and within 24 hours in the case of a child in the Early Years (0 – 5 years).
We ask professionals to make sure parents/guardians have given their permission for a referral to be made to us and that they are clear about what we can provide.
Who can be referred:
- Children and young people from birth to 25 years of age
- Children with all degrees of hearing loss from mild to profound
- Children with all types of hearing loss including conductive hearing loss, sensori-neural hearing loss and auditory neuropathy
- Children either resident in Salford or attending a Salford school
As a result of the newborn hearing screening programme and the significant developments in technology in the last ten years, hearing impaired children and their families receive the support and equipment they need much earlier than ever before.
Why we require a hearing test
To understand and best respond to the implications of a child’s hearing loss for their educational and development needs, it essential that we know the level and type of loss.
When we work
Monday to Friday, between 8:45am and 16:00pm during term times for school and college age children and young people. A cover service is provuded during the holidays for newly diagnosed babies and children.
What we offer:
- Qualified and skilled staff, experienced in working with deaf and hearing-impaired children and young people, deafblind children and young people, as well as those with additional or complex needs
- Personalised support
- Teaching, monitoring and an advisory service to nurseries, schools and colleges
- Training and advice for professionals working with hearing impaired children and young people
- Dedicated paediatric audiology time and technician time
- A home visiting service and parental guidance
- Weekly pre-school family support group meetings
- Links to the local Salford Deaf Children's Society
- The HI team is part of the North-West network of local authorities providing services to hearing impaired children, young people and their families. The network meets each term to share good practice.
Hearing Technologies
The SSHI team is proactive in keeping up to date with the latest advancements in hearing aid, cochlear implant and radio aid/soundfield systems and technologies. Through ongoing training, we have the expertise and knowledge to help your child/young person get the maximum benefits from their hearing aids and equipment.
Information for Families
We are here to help you and your child and to answer your questions and concerns. We understand that families are not all the same and will need varying support and we respect that parents are experts with their own children. We therefore offer a breadth and depth of guidance, advice and support to parents, carers, extended family and friends from a team of qualified teachers of the deaf and teaching assistants with additional specialist qualifications. This support continues from confirmation of a hearing loss, through pre-school and school year and into early adulthood.
Safeguarding
We follow the Salford referral process regarding Safeguarding and all our staff attend frequent Safeguarding training. For more information visit the Salford City Council website- https://www.salford.gov.uk/children-and-families/safeguarding-children/
Contact Details
Jane Angus- Team lead
Salford Service for Hearing Impaired
Learning Support Service
Moorside High School
57 Deans Road
Swinton Salford
M27 0AP
Telephone: 0161 607 8173
E-mail: jane.angus@salford.gov.uk
Website: Click Here- Salford Local Offer