RNIB Scotland Vision Support Services forchildren and young people
Contents
Foreword
Vision Support Services – children and young people
Vision Support Services locations
Support within the hospital
Emotional support
Practical support
Vision Support Education and Family Services – in the community
Vision Support Services – complex needs
Interested in finding out more?
Foreword
Being there for children and young people with sight loss
John Legg, Director, RNIB Scotland says:
Imagine what it must be like to be a child or a young person hearing thenews that you have sight loss. Imagine what it must be like to be a parent.
In Scotland only a third of children, young people or their families areoffered any form of emotional or practical support.
We want to be there for every child and young person to help them to facethe future with confidence, reach their fullest potential and to support their families.
Julie, a parent from Dundee says:
“Information when our child was diagnosed was limited. We didn’t know where to turn.”
Vision Support Services – Scotland
Education Scotland, 2014 cites:
“In Scotland, there are an estimated 3,370 children and young people living with sight loss.”
Most children with sight loss are born with an eye condition so the need forearly identification and intervention is crucial.
RNIB Scotland is the leading charity supporting people with sight lossthroughout their lives. We are there for families, children and young people from early years through all the important times of transition, from nursery into school, from childhood to adolescence and on into further and higher education or employment.
Vision Support Services locations
We show a map of Scotland where our Vision Support Services in the hospital, Vision Support Education and Family Services in the community and Vision Support Services for children and young people with complex needsare.
Our Vision Support Services in the hospital are based at:
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Arbroath, Ayr, Bathgate. Berwick upon Tweed, Blairgowrie, Clackmannanshire, Crieff, Denny, Dunblane, Dundee, Dunfemline, East Linton, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Forfar, Fraserburgh, Galasheils (Borders), Girvan, Hawick, Inverurie, Irvine, Kelso, Kilmarnock, Kirkcaldy, Largs, Lerwick, Mid Lothian, Moray, New Cumnock, Ormiston, Peebles, Penicuik, Perth, Peterhead, Shetland, St Andrews, Stirling, Stonehaven, Tillicoultry and West Lothian.
Our Vision Support Education and Family Services in the community are based at:
Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Angus Council, Argyll and Bute Council, City of Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire Council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Dundee City Council, East Ayrshire Council, East Dunbartonshire Council, East Lothian Council, East Renfrewshire Council, Falkirk Council, Fife Council, Glasgow City Council, Highland Council, Inverclyde Council, Midlothian Council, Moray Council, North Ayrshire Council, North Lanarkshire Council, Orkney Islands Council, Perth and Kinross Council, Renfrewshire Council, Scottish Borders, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire Council, South Lanarkshire Council, Stirling Council, West Dunbartonshire Council and West Lothian Council.
Our Vision Support Services – complex needs are based at:
Our Toy Library and Resourcebase, with our Vision Assessment for young people in Transition, Vision Support Officer Complex Needs Transitions and Vision Support Officer Complex Needs Family Support along with our Carers Training and Carers Café, all in Fife, with our Vision Support Officer forComplex Needs in Tayside, Ayrshire, Glasgow City and Dunbartonshire.
Support within the hospital
Our services support children with sight loss and their families everystep of the way. We deliver vital emotional and practical support from eye clinics across Scotland.
Our Vision Support Officers provide an essential link betweenhospital-based diagnosis and vital support services in the community and offer the following:
- Children, young people and families
- Education and Family services
- Social workservices
- Early InterventionSupport Workers(EISW)
- PaediatricOphthalmologists
- Orthoptists
- Optometrists
- Nurses.
Emotional support
Emotional support is fundamentally important for children, young peopleand their families facing a life with sight loss. All our Vision Support Officers are skilled professionals who have undertaken the London City University accredited Eye Clinic Support Studies course.
Our Vision Support Officers in the hospitals offer the following support:
- talking through worriesor concerns
- listening
- emphathising
- reassuring.
Daniel, 15 from Ayrshire, about to go into his fourth year ofschool, recently diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa says:
“After I saw the doctor I wasn’t sure what would happen next with things like school, my dreams of going to university and how would I still be able to go out with my friends. After I spent time with the Vision Support Officer I knew I could still do things like my friends can and my dreams of going to university are still possible.”
Practical support
Practical support for children, young people and their families living with sight loss is central to building their confidence, maximising independence and helping them to reach their potential in life.
Our Vision Support Officers in the hospitals offer:
- referral toEducation Services
- referral to Children and Family Services
- referral to statutory and voluntary services
- information on local and nationalservices.
- advice and information on registration
- digital technology and equipment demonstration
- advice on the importance of your treatment
- advice on goodeye health
- information oneye condition
- social and leisureactivities.
Vision Support Education andFamily Services – in the community
Learning the right skills at the right time is especially important for childrenand young people with sight loss to ensure that they are included and able to contribute to society, reaching their fullest potential as people and citizens of the world.
Our Vision Support Education and Family Services offer:
- advice andinformation
- training for parents
- home support
- family days, groupand social events
- peer support and confidence building
- communication support
- signposting
- onward referral
- summer camps 11–18 years.
Matthew, aged four from Glasgow was diagnosed with nystagmus. His mum and dad say:
“We didn’t even know what it was, never mind how to support it.We contacted RNIB Scotland and we were supported really well.We received excellent advice on his eye condition and now have a better understanding of the challenges he faces. Going to
Family Days where we had the opportunity to meet other families was also a great help.”
Vision Support Services – complex needs
Vision is the key to learning, communication and movement. Sight lossin children with complex needs can often go undetected. Our specialised Vision Support Officers can help with a suspected sight loss by offering information and support to access eyecare services as well as emotional and practical support. The more a child or young person can see, the easier it is for them to make sense of their world.
Our specialised Vision Support Officers offer:
- assessment of need, advice and information
- working with speech and language therapists (SALT)
- working withphysiotherapists
- training for parents and child care professionals
- home support
- carers’ cafe
- space to play, grow and learn
- toy library andresource base
- signposting andonward referral.
Adrian, five years old, has complex needs. His mum from Fife says:
“The Vision Support Services team provided Adrian withresources to create a mini sensory area; he really enjoys having his own special place to go to. I feel, having the team to talk to, has helped to reduce the anxieties I had, and I feel confident in supporting my son with his sight loss.”
Interested in finding out more?
Vision Support Services – in the hospital
Clare Jewell
Telephone: 07824 409 816
Email:
Vision Support Education and Family Services –in the community
Dominic Everett
Telephone: 0131 652 3144
Email:
Vision Support Services – complex needs
Janice Bain
Telephone: 01592 646015
Email:
Alternatively contact our head office:
RNIB Scotland
12-14 Hillside Crescent
Edinburgh EH7 5EA
Telephone: 0131 652 3140
Email:
Website:
RNIB is there for anyone living with sight loss.
Call our Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email
Breathing Space is a free, confidential phone and web based service forpeople in Scotland experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety. Call 0800 83 85 87 or visit
Lines are open weekends from 6pm Friday to 6am Monday,Monday to Thursday from 6pm to 2am.
Copyright RNIB Scotland March 2015
Registered charity number SC039316