What is Sensory Support?
Support with specialist assessment, bespoke rehabilitation programme, sensory equipment and registration for people with sight loss, hearing loss, or dual-sensory loss to remain independent.
Who can the sensory team support?
The sensory team support people with sight loss, deafness (including those who are British Sign Language (BSL) users, Hard of Hearing, Deafened) and dual-sensory loss (deaf blindness).
What does the sensory team do?
The sensory team can complete a social care assessment, at home or remotely, to identify any social care needs under the Care Act 2014. The assessment is designed to understand how your sensory needs impact on your daily life and to identify the support to help you remain as independent as possible at home and in the wider community.
As part of the assessment, the team can:
- Provide specialist advice and guidance, support you to register as sight impaired, severely sight impaired, hard of hearing, deaf or deafblind
- Create a personal action plan which may include advice on communication, rehabilitation programmes, mobility, daily living skills, and access to specialist equipment or communicator guides.
- The assessment will be completed by a specialist professional, either a Vision Rehabilitation Specialist (ROVI) or a Rehabilitation Specialist Deaf / Deafblind (ROHI) or a Deafblind assessor.
How can I contact the sensory team?
Staffordshire Cares can put you in touch with our sensory team. Contact them via:
Phone: 0300 111 8010
Email: staffordshirecares@staffordshire.gov.uk
Text: 07966 738920
What is a Communicator Guide?
Communicator guides provide specialist help for people with sensory needs, including those with dual sensory loss and complex needs. Their role is to promote independence, wellbeing and informed decision-making.
They are skilled professionals who:
- Relay information and facilitate communication using your preferred methods such as British Sign Language (BSL) or hands-on signing
- Support safe navigation in the home and community
- Help you make informed choices and encourage independence
- Introduce and teach you new communication techniques (if needed)
Communicator guides can work with people who:
Have eligible needs under the Care Act 2014
- Have a single sensory disability with other complex needs, or dual sensory loss (either from birth or acquired later in life).
- Experience a significant functional impact in communication and language, access to information, and mobility and community access
- Cannot meet these needs through assistive technology alone
