REGIONAL HEADS OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT SERVICES

(YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER)

MINUTES
VENUE
Future House
Bolling Road
BRADFORD
BD4 7EB / DATE
27.06.14
1. / Apologies
Sam Cariss, Sally Appleyard, Toni Harvey, Nicky Sands
Not attending
Martin Best, Michelle Jones, John Olma
2. / Minutes of the Last Meeting
agreed
3. / Matters Arising
4. / Standing Items
  1. VI Quality Standards
  1. Restructuring Services / Children and Young People’s Services feedback.
  1. Bradford – consultation on re-structure to Sensory Service. Anne to be Head of Sensory, with new HI Assistant Head. VI and HI teams to be kept as distinct and specialist teams.
  1. Rotherham – consultant looking at SEN
  1. Regional Groups;
  1. Feedback from groups – work on-going with curriculum work, and reporting back.
/ ACTIONS
4b / Discussion about regional groups; please come with a list of your reps to each regional group, and their contact details
Spreadsheet circulated to capture membership of groups, and to confirm Lead Practitioner, and Head of Service lead.
Please check and complete the pro forma attached with the minutes and return to Anne
Technician’s group needs QTVI lead; Andy Spong to take this on
Further discussion about Habilitation group; no decision made. Issues around MISE meetings, and membership. This will go onto autumn agenda – Sue Mort to be invited.
(The Habilitation course is full; St Vincent’s are now running a 12 week course for TA’s - where does this sit with the Standards?)
Next meeting of the Primary group 12th November in Scunthorpe – JAWs training.
See also 7 below / LT
AL
5. / Regional Conference planning
Deferred
6. / The Local Offer / EHC plan. Please bring any up-dated information.
Kirklees and York brought information; both very different, and draft.
After discussion, it was agreed that all LA’s are still working with drafts; review again in Autumn term. / Bring EHC plan to next meeting - ALL
7. / Regional Additional curriculum work; draft document to look at.
Discussion about work that has been done; HoS group may have under estimated the scale of the work!!
Catherine has met with George who is going to manage the project; a paper for discussion was suggested, with a range of logos. Image 5 in blue was agreed. (attached)
The proposal is to use a website, via WordPress, rather than a paper / CD based system; this was demonstrated, and the group were agreed this was the way forward. It will allow us to add links to published resources, and store documents, and also add dates of regional meetings, etc.
Catherine will feedback to George, and ask her to start up-loading the Habilitation resources. Agreed funding at £15 an hour.
Braille and tactile resources needs more work; Julie and Sue Adams to meet to progress this. TA in Kirklees to be asked to up-date braille work.
Social emotional also needs more work; the group are to write units along the AQA model.
8. / Election of Officers
Finance; role of treasurer
Linda Tackie agreed to take this on, following handover from Wakefield.
9. / Regional Terms of Reference; see attachment
The terms of reference were agreed. This document should now be passed to HoS line manager, to get their agreement about attendance and commitment to the group.
10 / Policy Writing workshops; using the template circulated by Kathy, we will use the afternoon to write regional policies in the following areas -
  • Habilitation – Kathy
  • Braille – Julie
  • Social/emotional – Marion
Not required now; moving to look at position statements when website is more developed.
11 / AOB
  • Positive Eye training in the autumn term
Do we want to commission Positive Eye to provide training for new Teachers / TA’s new to VI?
Suggested numbers from the group; 6 TA’s, 3 TVI’s – more if in Spring term. Marion to liaise with Positive Eye; please send any further numbers to Marion.
  • Benchmarking date due by October half term
Send to Marion; pro forma attached
  • What information is sent to other LA’s when a child moves?
No consistency; some send whole file, others just recent reports, medical information. Statement. SEN team should send statement. Suggested parents be asked for permission to send paper files.
  • Do LA’s ask TVI’s to sign a form stating they are liable to pay back course fees/ expenses if they leave soon after completing the Birmingham course?
No consistency across teams. Argument that circumstances do arise. Even if they do, it may not be a legal document.
  • Definition of MSI
SENSE have broadened their remit; this now includes children with a VI or HI and a learning disability. This means SENSE are now getting involved with a wider range of children, and this is causing difficulties in some LA’s, with challenge to services, and conflicting messages to families. No clarity over definition.
  • Smartbrailler; has anyone used one?
There was a video shown of one at the recent Braille network day; good feedback. They can be borrowed, but there is a waiting list.
  • Does anyone have a specialist in children with VI and autism?
Bradford; contact YS. Ian Bell resources also very useful.
  • On-line braille literacy course, RNIB.
RNIB looking for applications for the pilot, running from November. Aimed at QTVI’s teaching literacy through braille; equivalent to a module from the VI course.
/ MB
all
  • Oregon
York have ordered a new version; bring to next meeting
  • VIEW Conference 12/13 March 2015
The organisers have had the first meeting; are there any areas people are particularly interested in, or could recommend good speakers?
  • Vision Friendly Schools
Bradford are going ahead with the Vision Friendly Schools initiative, for Primary schools in year 1. It will be delivered in partnership with Positive Eye, and aims to be a whole school approach. / MB
AL
Next meeting
Friday 26th September at Dalton PS
Dalton Primary School
Mayfield Avenue
Dalton
Huddersfield
HD5 9HN 01484 226577


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