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Vision Support Service

A Council-run education service to support young people who are blind or have a visual loss.

Supports children and young people: The team work with children and young people from the ages of 0 at their initial diagnosis until 25 (for young people who have an EHCP). 

Referral reason: Concerns about a child’s vision or recent diagnosis of visual loss.

People involved: specialist qualified teachers who specialise in vision loss (QTVI), specialist teaching assistants, resource technicians, ophthalmology (NHS)

Offer: Advisory and direct teaching support to a child or young person at home and educational setting. Support may include providing assistive technology, training in specialist skills, providing modified learning resources, curriculum adaptation and intervention teaching. 

We can offer specialist ICT packages to enhance the curriculum experience for our students.

Support for families is part of the offer due to working with very young children right through to adulthood.  The team build strong links with carers and families which helps to maintain a supportive role when working together.

The service also has an integrated resource at Tapton School for students with a vision loss.

We support transitions for children and young people with a vision loss.  This is at all key stages of their educational journey. We aim to make the transition run as smoothly as possible for our students. 

We set up meetings with all the professionals and families involved. This ensures the right support is in place at the right time.  This is so everyone feels confident about the new school or setting.

Everyone’s experience in a setting will be different. Transitions are planned with the child or young person at the centre.  The plans are based on an individuals’ unique circumstances and may include:

  • We encourage our children and young people to visit their new school often before they start. This helps them get to know the teachers and other kids, so they feel comfortable and happy.
  • Our specialist teachers made extended or frequent visits to the new setting. These visits happen before and after the move.
  • Support to make sure the environment is suitable.  We call this habilitation support. 
  • Summer school
  • Activities with their new peer group before attending the setting
  • Independence and life skills

We also work with very young children to settle them into nursery and pre-school settings.  We work with older students at post-16/18 going into further education.

We have strong links with a range of settings. This helps us to plan appropriate and effective transition packages.

Useful links

Transitions | Royal National Institute for the Blind

How to contact us

Sheffield Children’s Hospital’s ophthalmology department usually refer to the service.

Schools and settings can also refer (e.g. if a child is new to the city) as long as they have parental consent and the child has a visual impairment diagnosis. (See referral and consent to share information letter.)

E-mail: visionsupport@sheffield.gov.uk
Telephone: 0114 294 1201

Available under the Links and documents section on this page

  • Graduated response practical classroom ideas for visually impaired
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