Vision Support Team

In Leicester City, the Vision Support Team works with schools to ensure that your child fully accesses school life and that their visual needs are met.

Who we are

Our team is made up of the following professionals:

Qualified teachers of children and young people with a vision impairment/multi-sensory impairment carry out individual vision assessments and provide advice regarding child development, access to learning and social inclusion. Specialist skills are taught to enable children and young people to become independent in education, employment and within their communities.
Habilitation specialists assess and provide training and/or advice on independent mobility and daily living skills.
Specialist learning support assistants carry out specific work with children and young people to develop their specialist skills in e.g. braille, touch-typing, and sensory development. They also support children to understand their own vision impairment and be able to advocate for themselves.
Resource technicians produce worksheets, books and assessments in a range of formats e.g. braille, tactile, large print and electronic, to support the work of schools.

From birth to 25 years, the work of the whole team is based on the Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (CFVI) which aims to equip children and young people with the skills to enable them to be independent and prepare for adulthood.

Who we support

We support children and young people with a diagnosed vision or multisensory impairment, which cannot be fully corrected with glasses/contact lenses and is as such likely to impact on their development and access to learning.

Support in the Early Years

We support babies and young children in the home and/or nursery setting. We work together with parents and nursery staff and other professionals to make ongoing assessment of the child’s vision and suggest activities, experiences and appropriate equipment.

Support in School

Once in school, we carry out vision assessments and offer advice, support and training to staff. We contribute to any assessments and reviews. We advise on exam concessions and modifications, specialist technology and work alongside the school to produce modified curriculum resources where necessary. We plan and deliver direct teaching in early tactile skills, braille, keyboard skills, technology and to support the Preparing for Adulthood curriculum.

Support in Post-16

If your child has an EHCP, we offer support throughout Further Education up to the age of 25 years or until they transfer to university or employment when their plan will cease. If there is no EHCP, our team will support that transition of young people into college/ training until the end of their first term in Year 12.

Habilitation

Our Habilitation Specialists provide support, advice and direct training in the following skills:

body awareness
early mobility
long cane training
independent travel training, independent living skills (such as dressing, eating, using services in the community) etc.

This support is offered for all children and young people with a vision/multisensory impairment in Leicester up to the age of 25 years (where a young person has an EHCP).

For those young people who do not have an EHCP, they will receive support until they are 18 years old and will then be referred to VISTA who provide services for adults.

Further information

Please see:

If you need to contact the Vision Support Team, please email: v-s@leicester.gov.uk