Scottish Sensory Hub round up 2023

Read about the activities that the Scottish Sensory Hub have been involved in during 2023.

This year the Scottish Sensory Hub has welcomed two new team members: Hannah Tweed, Manager of the Scottish Sensory Hub, and Lewis Shaw, Sensory Hub Officer for Visual Impairment. The team have carried out a wide range of work, during a crucial time in the development of policy and practice within the sensory sector.

Recent activity and outputs from the Sensory Hub include:

• Organising and facilitating the See Hear Leads Network, with quarterly meetings, a newsletter, Teams channel, and individual support and signposting.
• Carried out a lived experience consultation on the See Hear Strategy on behalf of the Scottish Government, with associated report and facilitation pack. We heard from over 230 people via a survey and focus groups. Participants provided rich insight into their priorities for the next See Hear Strategy, and we are in the process of sharing the report widely with stakeholders.
• Launching a lived experience consultation on people with sensory impairments’ access to accessible information on Self-directed Support and Social Care, on behalf of the Scottish Government. Once complete, this research will be shared with Scottish Government and wider stakeholders in 2024.
• Supported the development of sensory awareness training resources for social workers, to improve people with sensory impairments’ access to social care.
• Restarted the Low Vision Rehabilitation Course at Glasgow Caledonian University, in partnership with colleagues across the sensory sector. The first cohort of 20 students attended practical on-campus sessions in 2023, and submitted monitoring report for evaluation, including information on how many individuals have been supported and case studies on the impact of rehabilitation intervention.
• Supported the Independent Review of Audiology, including highlighting people’s experiences of accessing audiology services in Scotland.
• Carried out a range of research and published associated fundings, including resources on: the efficacy of lipreading classes, mapping sensory awareness training, and sensory care in care homes.
• Responded to the consultation on the BSL National Plan; active member of the short life working group on BSL National Plan and of the Implementation Advisory Group.
• Providing the Secretariat for the Cross Party Group on Deafness, including facilitating the following recent working groups:
  • Definition of Deafblindness (2023, led by Deafblind Scotland)
  • Reversing the Decline in Qualified Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People numbers in Scotland (2023, led by NDCS)
• Partnering the COG-MHEAR project to develop multi-modal audio-visual hearing aids.
• Presented and spoke at a range of conferences and events, highlighting the importance of Scotland taking an equalities and human rights approach to sensory impairment, and works to ensure that sensory impairment is considered across all areas of policy and practice.

The Scottish Sensory Hub want to see two changes enacted going forward: firstly, widespread understanding of what it means to provide equal access to people with sensory impairment, and the current barriers that prevent people exercising their right to equal participation in their communities; secondly, to facilitate meaningful engagement and co-design with decision-makers and people with sensory impairment, so they can be involved from the outset in policies and practices that will affect their human rights and daily lives.

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