- Request
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Organisation and funding of your Education Vision Impairment (VI) Advisory service
1a) How is provision for children and young people with vision impairment funded?
1b) If you answered that your funding is fully or partially delegated, please give further details of funding arrangement (free text)
Section 2: Structuring of services
2a) In the past twelve months, have any changes been made to the way that provision for children and young people with vision impairment is funded, organised and/or staffed?
2b) If 'Yes' then please give details of the changes that have been made
2c) Any additional information on past changes?
2d) Are there any current or proposed reviews of the VI service that will affect the way it is organised, managed or funded (including moving to/ from a traded services arrangement), or are likely to affect the way that support for CYP with VI is provided or funded?
2e) Any additional information on future changes?
3a) Please provide overall VI service budget (including staff, equipment, and training). (Please enter numerical values)
Budget for 2020/21
Budget for 2021/22
Budget for 2022/23
3b) If the budget above is shared with another service or cannot be separated from the sensory budget, please state what the budget encompasses here:
Section 3: Number of CYP on the VI service caseload and support available
4a) Please give the number of children and young people with vision impairment on the VI service active caseload for the following categories (i.e. those supported by the VI services and not included in Q5a) (Please enter numerical values)
EHCP total (all ages)
SEN Support total (all ages)
Not yet assessed/categorised total (all ages)
Other totals, please state any other groups which do not fit the above categories in additional information space (optional/ all ages)
Total (all ages and categories)
4b) Any additional information?
5a) Excluding the children and young people with vision impairment counted in question 4a, please give the number of children and young people with vision impairment known to the VI service but not receiving direct support from the LA service. This could include out of county placements, advice on request, home educated, independent school etc. (Please enter numerical values)
EHCP Total (all ages)
SEN Support total (all ages)
Not yet assessed/categorised total (all ages)
Other totals, please state any other groups which do not fit the above categories in additional information space (optional/ all ages)
Total (all ages and categories)
5b) Any additional information?
6) In which of the following settings does the VI service support early years children (i.e. children who have not started in reception)?
Within the child's home
In pre- school/ early years settings
School settings (e.g. nursery class in mainstream or special school)
In settings where the child is cared for by a childminder (outside of their home)
Other, please specify
7) What is the total number of children and young people who use (or in the case of EYFS children, are expected to use) braille as their sole or main literacy medium? (please enter numerical value)
8a) What criteria does the VI service use for allocating levels of support?
NatSIP Learner Outcomes Framework
NatSIP Eligibility Framework for Scoring Support Levels (2015)
Locally developed criteria
Other arrangement (please give details, free text)
8b) Does your LA require a CYP with VI to meet any of the following criteria before they will be considered for assessment for an EHCP?
Decision is made based on the individuals needs
They must meet a specified level of severity/visual acuity
They must have additional SEND
They must be failing to make the expected level of progress
They are expected to attend a special school
Other, please specify
9) Are there any groups of children and young people with VI that are NOT actively supported by the local authority VI service?
Specific age groups
Children/YP in specific types of setting e.g. academies etc.
YP in further education settings
Children/YP with complex needs
Other, please specify
10a) How many CYP with VI have had their service reduced due to service capacity or restructure of the delivery model in the past 12 months?
10b) Other, please specify
Section 4: VI service staffing
11) Which (if any) of the following qualifications are held by the person with responsibility for strategic management of the VI service?
Qualified teacher of pupils with vision impairment (QTVI (i.e. holds the mandatory qualification (MQ) in VI))
Qualified teacher of the Deaf (TOD) (i.e. holds the mandatory qualification (MQ) in HI)
Qualified teacher of pupils with Multi-sensory Impairment (QTMSI (i.e. holds the mandatory qualification (MQ) in MSI)
Other qualifications (if yes please give details, free text)
12) Please give the full time equivalent (FTE) number of teachers employed directly by the VI service for the categories that follow. (This includes peripatetic/advisory teachers, school-based teachers, and VI service manager if s/he has a caseload): (Please enter numerical values)
Lead QTVI with mandatory qualification (MQ) (VI)
QTVI with mandatory qualification (MQ) (VI)
In training for MQ (VI)
Qualified teachers without MQ (VI) who will begin training within 2 years
Qualified teachers without MQ (VI) not in or due to begin training within 2 years
QTMSI with MQ (MSI)
QTVI and QTMSI MQ (holds both qualifications)
Lead QTVI vacancies currently vacant
QTVI vacancies currently vacant
13) What is the average time from referral to VI service and initial visit? (please give an estimation if exact time is unknown)
14) Please give details of the FTE of any other staff employed by the VI service by category. This includes staff who are employed directly, externally commissioned or bought in from another team within the LA: (Please enter numerical values)
Habilitation officers
Specialist Braille support staff
Resource technicians FTE (for production of accessible materials)
ICT support technicians FTE
Dedicated early years staff FTE
Family support workers FTE
Admin/secretarial FTE
Other role FTE
Details of other role(s) if applicable (free text)
15) Please give the FTE staff number of teaching assistants (TAs) employed directly by the VI service who are providing support to pupils with vision impairment. If no TAs are directly employed please write '0': (Please enter numerical values)
Number of TAs by full time equivalent (FTE)
Section 5: Habilitation support
16a) How are Habilitation services delivered in the authority? (Please indicate 'x' to all that apply)
Local authority employed Habilitation specialist
An external organisation is commissioned to deliver the service (please state the name of the organisation)
Services are spot purchased
No Habilitation services are delivered in the authority
Other, please specify
16b) If you answered that 'No Habilitation services are delivered in the authority' in question 16a, please explain the current situation and how children access Habilitation provision and support?
17) How many pupils are currently receiving mobility / Habilitation training or waiting to be assessed? (Please enter numerical values)
Number of pupils currently on active Habilitation caseload
Number of pupils waiting assessment
18a) Which department is responsible for the commissioning and/or delivery of habilitation services? (Please indicate only one option with an 'x')
Children and family social care services
Education services
We don't deliver habilitation services
Other (please state)
18b) If you answered "We don't deliver habilitation services", please explain what alternative provision is in place.
19) Are habilitation services available to CYP in the following settings?
Home
School
Community settings
During school holidays
Other (please state)
20a) Are referrals for an initial assessment of habilitation accepted from any of the below
Medical professionals
Qualified Teachers of Children with Vision Impairment (QTVIs)
Other education professionals
Other (please provide details)
20b) Upon receipt of a referral, who carries out the initial assessment of habilitation needs?
Section 6: Registers
21) Who in the LA holds the register for children and young people who are registered sight impaired (SI) or severely sight impaired (SSI)?
Children's disability team (or similar), Social Care
Education/SEND/sensory team (or similar)
Local society for blind people/sight loss or sensory society (on behalf of local authority)
Other
If other, please specify (free text)
Section 7: Curriculum Framework for Children/Young People with Vision Impairment (CFVI)
22) Do you use an existing framework or curriculum to support CYP with VI? (please tick all that apply)
Expanded Core Curriculum (EEC) - USA
NatSIP Learner Outcomes Framework
Developmental Journal (DJVI)
Steps to Independence
Quality Standards for Habilitation
Guide Dogs Habilitation programme
Bespoke programme designed in house
Other, please specify
23a) Are you familiar with the CFVI? (Please indicate only one option with an 'x ')
23b) If you answered yes to 20a, have you had any active involvement with the CFVI project? (Please indicate 'x' to all that apply)
Consultation participant
Resource provider
Resource reviewer
Reference group member
No
Other, please specify (free text)
24c) If you said yes to 23a, have you incorporated any aspects of the CFVI in your normal working practices. If yes, please give details.
- Decision
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Please see attached for your response.
Should you require the attachments mentioned above please contact customerinformationservice@lincolnshire.gov.uk with the below reference number and this can be provided.
- Reference number
- 5361213
- Date request received
- 17 October 2022
- Date of decision
- 11 November 2022