Sensory Inclusion Service - Service Review

02/07/2018

Service Review - Statement from Shropshire Council

The Sensory Inclusion Service (SIS) supports children and young people with hearing and vision difficulties. The service currently operates under a joint arrangement between Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Local Authority (LA) areas on a ‘shared service’ principle. Both local authorities are committed to ensuring the best outcomes for children and young people.  

All local authorities in England are required to regularly review the provision that they have in place for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND). In order to assess the effectiveness and impact of the current service Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire local authority areas have commissioned an external review of SIS. The review will focus on the following areas:

1. The current and future needs of children and young people with hearing and or visual impairment.
2. How well the service meets the needs of children and young people now and what outcomes are being achieved
3. The options for developing this service to ensure that it can continue meet children’s needs in the current context of reduced resources and keep pace with foreseeable developments in the future

The information gathered during the review will be used to design a service model that ensures that:

• Children’s needs are identified appropriately
• Children’s needs can continue to be met, now and in the foreseeable future
• Interventions are carried out efficiently, effectively and by the right staff
• The service supports children to prepare for their life as an adult, this includes preparing children to:
  • Live independently
  • Enter paid employment and/or access higher education
  • Participate in their community
  • Be as healthy as possible
• The service has sufficient resources, is sustainable and represents value for money
• The service can build capacity in educational settings and the family home
• The service can work equally effective in each of the local areas, according to local context

It is anticipated that any changes to the current service delivery model will be implemented in the first quarter of 2019. The review will involve consultation with all stakeholders including families and carers and schools and colleges.