Sensory Impairment programme review of 2019

Sensory Impairment review their activities for the ALLIANCE Annual Report

The Scottish Government continues to work in close partnership with the ALLIANCE and support the See Hear Strategy (this link will take you away from our website). Over £320,000 has been made available to assist the delivery of the strategic aims in local areas across Scotland, and over a million people living with sight loss, hearing loss and dual-sensory impairment continue to benefit from various local and national initiatives.

This year has seen the See Hear Strategy reviews progress as it approaches the five-year stage and continues to develop innovative approaches and relationships, bringing benefits to local organisations, groups and individuals across Scotland.

Initiatives in areas such as localised counselling services for BSL users, mental health awareness, preventative eye health checks, online training and development have all been key areas of progress. Sensory training modules on Sight Loss and Hearing Loss have been promoted through partnership with NHS Education and are now live with a module on Deafblindness to follow shortly. These key training tools provide a consistent platform towards a framework of competencies for all professionals working within the sector.

The new Certificate of Visual Impairment enables certification to be processed digitally and for crucial data, in terms of categorisations and population, to be processed. In parallel to this, work has continued with the Visual Impairment Network for Children and Young People, in establishing firm pathways towards diagnoses, support and agency throughout education, transition and towards adult life.

The ALLIANCE’s Sensory Impairment and the Scottish Government continue to support and work closely with contactSCOTLAND, Scotland’s British Sign Language Interpreting Video Relay Service – enabling contact with all of Scotland’s public bodies and third sector organisations. This year has seen an expansion to enable acquired deafblind customers to access the service.

The ALLIANCE supports and coordinates a national network of See Hear Leads, in each area of Scotland, who continue to drive forward the strategic aims and recommendations of the Strategy. Each area is able to react to respective geographical and social needs and work alongside local sensory partnerships based on the needs of local populations. The See Hear Leads continue to develop innovative, co-designed initiatives, which support the strategic aims and enshrine the core principles of the See Hear Strategy.

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