A Single Strategy for Sensory Needs - The Highland Council

Appendix 2 Summary Overview of Sub-Groups
Deafblindness
It has long been recognised by Deafblind Scotland and Sense Scotland that
we need the implementation of a Scottish equivalent to The Local Authority
Social Services Act 1970 Circular LAC (2001) 8 Section 7 guidance (England
and Wales) if this uniquely disadvantaged group are to be included. The
guidance requires local authorities to recognise deafblindness as a unique
disability and to:
Identify, make contact with and keep a record of deafblind children
and adults in their catchment area.
Ensure that when an assessment is desired or requested it is carried out
by a specifically trained person, equipped to assess the needs of a
deafblind person.
Ensure services provided to deafblind people are appropriate,
recognising that they may not necessarily be able to benefit from
mainstream services.
Ensure they are able to access specifically trained staff.
26
The major consideration in providing services for deafblind people are:
communication, information, mobility and access to services.
Suggested Measures
Increased provision of guide communicator services. Training can be
provided by Deafblind Scotland. Service provision would be determined after identification and
assessment in target areas. The development of befriending schemes by voluntary groups would be a
step towards the desirable one-to-one support;
Provision of assistive devices for both visual and auditory impairment for Social Work;
Enhanced Social Work support for the families of deafblind children;
Reduction of barriers for access to services; this would be linked to deafblind awareness training for
service providers;