Referrals

We aim to deliver high quality, comprehensive and flexible services for children who have a sensory loss. Our team consists of teachers of deaf, vision impaired or multi-sensory impaired children and young people. Our teachers have additional qualifications and experience in working with, and supporting, young people with a sensory impairment.

The aim of these guidance notes is to assist schools and families in the referral process, to ensure that all relevant information is included with the referral and to make sure that we are able to see the young person as soon as possible.

Virtual School Sensory Support have an open referral system.

The purpose of our assessments in school settings or at home is to provide a functional assessment of the child or young person's vision or hearing and to provide advice and support to enable children and young people with a diagnosed sensory impairment to access the curriculum where appropriate.

Virtual School Sensory Support are happy to receive referrals from

• Parents or carers
• Key person in school or pre-school setting
• Health professionals
• SENDCo with parental permission, if a child has a diagnosed sensory impairment

When referring a child with Vision Impairment please consider

• We do not carry out assessments for Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia) 
• Diagnosis of medical problems of any sort, including problems of refraction or binocular vision cannot be made on the basis of these assessments. If there are any concerns, and, where appropriate, to eliminate pathology of the visual system, the child should in the first instance be referred to an ophthalmologist, orthoptist or optometrist working in an Eye Clinic at a hospital. (The referral route is usually via the GP). 

If a child without a diagnosis is being referred for a visual assessment, confirmation that they have had a recent eye-test (within the last 12 months) should be provided with the referral.

Please note referrals may not be accepted without this confirmation.

Once received at the Sensory Support Centre:

• The referral will be logged onto the VSSS referral database
• The Team Leader for Deaf or Vision Impaired children and young people will allocate the referral to a teacher in the appropriate team
• The teacher will make an appointment to observe and assess the child. Parents will be invited to attend this appointment 
• The teacher will confirm the appointment with the parents or carers and setting 

Following the assessment, a report written by the teacher will be sent to the parents and setting.

The report will contain a set of recommendations to enable the child or young person to access the curriculum.

The teacher will also indicate the frequency with with VSSS will offer support to the child or young person and their setting.

Submit a referral for a deaf, vision and multi-sensory impaired child or young person (opens new window)