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Cornwall Council - Hearing Support Team
Services and organisations that have the Local Offer flash have filled out inclusion information, meaning that they meet the needs of people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

The Hearing Support Team is part of the Sensory Support Service within the Education, Health and Social Care directorate.

Children in Cornwall with sensory impairment are supported and encouraged along their individual journeys to be the best that they can be!

In partnership with parents, schools and colleges, related agencies and voluntary organisations, the Sensory Support Service aims for children and young people with sensory impairment to:

  • develop good language and effective interactive communication skills
  • develop independence skills
  • be given the equality of opportunity to access a wide curriculum at school and college
  • gain social and emotional inclusion in their wider community
  • achieve economic well-being

The Hearing Support Team consists of Seniory Advisory Teachers of the Deaf, Advisory Teachers of the Deaf, specialist Speech and Language Therapist and specialist Support Staff.

  • All teachers are excellent classroom practitioners who have: 
      • At least two years teaching experience before they join us.
      • A mandatory qualification in teaching learners with hearing impairment, or the qualification is undertaken with us. 
      • Mentors when they are new to the team.
  • They work with a wide range of children and young people who have varying levels of vision impairment.
  • All staff in the Sensory Support Service update their skills regularly.  There is a varied programme of Continued Professional Development (CPD) in place.

The Team supports children and young people with an educationally significant hearing loss across Cornwall in their home, pre-school setting, mainstream or special school or college.

The Team offers specialist teaching, advice and support, educational audiology assessments and bespoke training.

Most of the children and young people we work with are supported in mainstream settings; some attend a range of specialist placements.

Age range 0 to 25 years.

Referalls can be made by parents, health professionals, Speech and Language Therapists, schools and pre-schools and other SEN agencies.  Please use the form on the website www.cornwall.gov.uk/hearingsupport

Further information is available on the Hearing Support Team website.

Who to contact

Contact name
Trudy Chappell
Contact position
Sensory Support Team Lead
Telephone
01726 226882
E-mail
sensorysupportservice@cornwall.gov.uk
Website
Cornwall Council - Hearing Support Team
Parent organisation

Where to go

Name
Educational Audiology Centre
Address
Priory Road
St Austell
Cornwall
Postcode
PL25 5AB

Time / date details

When is it on?
Monday to Friday 08:30 - 16:30
Time of day
Afternoon
Morning

Other details

Costs

Details
The Hearing Support Team provides support free of charge to children with an educational significant hearing loss. A range of training is provided to schools/settings.

(link below)
Do you offer a free or reduced rate to carers?
No

Availability

Age ranges
From 0 years to 25 years
Referral required
Yes
Referral details

Requests for Involvement can be made by parents, health professionals, Speech and Language Therapist, schools and pre-schools and other SEN agencies.

If your child has had a hearing loss identified by an audiologist, you can contact the Hearing Support Team, to request advice and support.  Alternatively, your child's school can contact the Hearing Support Team on your behalf.

If your child's hearing has not been checked by an audiologist, you will need to request their hearing is assessed, further information can be found at:

Cornwall Council - Hearing Support Team

 

Inclusion details

Saint Piran's Flag
How we make our service inclusive

The Hearing Support Team works closely with school, settings and families to ensure that children and young people with hearing impairment are included socially, emotional and educationally enabling them to reach their potential.

Staff SEND experience

All teachers in the Team have Qualified Teacher Status. Qualified Teachers of the Deaf hold a mandatory education in the teaching of children and young people with hearing impairment. All staff undergo regular training to maintain and improve upon their specialist skills.

How our service supports providers / schools / colleges

Once a referral has been made, the Eligibility Criteria developed by the National Sensory Impairment Partnership (NATSIP) are used to determine the  level of involvement with the child or young people. NATSIP is a Department of Education funded organisation that develops provision and strategy to support all providers (including Local Authorities) who support children with sensory disabilities. Depending on assessed need, involvement can range from visit to home or school twice a week to one annual visit or monitoring progress.

The Hearing Support Team has a specialist Speech and Language Therapist, who supports children and young people with a severe or profound hearing loss and or cochlear implant. Details of how you can make a referral are found on the Hearing Support Team website

Support at key transition points

Teachers of the Deaf are teachers who have an additional qualification in teaching deaf children. These staff provide ongoing support and advice to families and settings, to ensure a smooth transition to the next stage of education. Teachers of the Deaf will prepare individual children and young people, through an individual programme based on their needs.

Other local or national support

Further information about the Hearing Support Team can be found on the Hearing Support Team website. This website also provides links to other local and national organisations which support deaf children and their families.

Resolving disagreements, mediation and making complaints

Either in writing:

Sensory Support Service Lead 
Audiology Centre
Priory Road
St Austell
PL25 5AB

Telephone: 01726 61004                                            

Email: sensorysupportservice@cornwall.gov.uk

If the concern isn’t resolved, please follow the Cornwall Council comments and complaints procedure.

Last updated: 01/05/2020

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