The Specialist Teacher Advisory Service

Our service works with children and young people who:

• are deaf / hearing impaired (HI)
• have a visual impairment (VI)
• have a physical disability (PD)
• have speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).
  

Our service is available to:

• children and young people
• families and carers
• pre-schools and nurseries
• schools
• colleges
• other professionals and agencies.

Our team is made up of:

• experienced teachers with appropriate qualifications in their relevant specialisms
• mobility and independence instructors
• a teacher adviser for ICT and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)/ICT technician
• specialist in risk assessment and manual handling
• speech and language therapists.

Working with children at home, in pre school and in school*, we:

• provide information, advice, support and training to parents, carers and school staff
• work collaboratively with colleagues in the local authority (LA) and other professionals regarding the education and management of children with sensory impairment, physical disabilities and language impairment
• contribute to the assessment, monitoring and reporting of needs, both formally and informally
• signpost parents, carers and staff to other useful agencies and contacts
• support and liaise with parents so that they can make informed choices
• provide training and advice for school staff on accessing the curriculum and the use and maintenance of specialist resources and equipment
• provide advice on Individual Education Plan (IEP) target setting and record keeping
• attend annual reviews where appropriate
• represent the needs of children to officers of the LA and help the child express his/her views
• provide one to one work with children on specific skills as appropriate.

*The CAL team work in secondary schools only

Users of our service can expect:

• professional and specialised support from a team of well qualified and motivated staff
• a high quality, professional service
• clear, unbiased and up to date information
• written advice and / or programmes as appropriate
• an emphasis on practical solutions
• confidentiality
• a user friendly service.

Coffee mornings arranged for pre school sensory impaired children