Page 68 - SEN113 SEN Magazine July-August 2021-V3

Visual impairment Visual impairment - habilitation study Habilitation services need revision, argue Clare Messenger and Roy Palmer. 68 Every day across the UK around four children will be registered blind or partially sighted. That’s almost 1500 families this year who will be told their child is losing their sight. In the UK today there are 28,000 young people under-18 who have a vision impairment, and Guide Dogs believes every young person should be empowered and supported to achieve their full potential and live the life they choose. Habilitation support is vital for children and young people with sight loss, teaching them how to learn independent living skills for the first time and supporting them in their development journey. A child’s existing skills are the starting point and habilitation will develop personal mobility, navigation and independent living skills. Children and young people may receive habilitation training and support at different ages, but the primary objective remains the same – to maximise a young person’s independence. We know that when a young person receives support from Habilitation Specialists alongside Qualified Teachers of Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (QTVI) strong and empowering outcomes can be secured, making a lasting and positive impact for the young person. That’s why there should be widespread concern at the inconsistency of provision and access to habilitation services across the country. Research carried out by Guide Dogs and Thomas Pocklington Trust shows the current system is ‘fractured and confusing’ when it comes to referral routes, eligibility criteria and provision - and we believe this is leaving significant unmet need. Based on Freedom of Information requests in 2019 to local authorities our research shows a vast range in the proportions of children “Habilitation support is vital” and young people receiving habilitation support across different local authorities: over the 12-month period our research showed almost a third (33%) of local authorities supported less than ten children or young people with habilitation services, and just over half (53%) supported less than 20 young people. And reinforcing just how mixed this picture is, a fifth of local authorities could not provide data on this, most citing that they do not record the information. Given the vital importance habilitation makes in supporting children and young people to develop their independence and essential life skills, it is alarming to find gaps at both ends of the age range: referral arrangements in the early years and pre-school ages are often inadequate and older young people (16+) are less likely to be offered habilitation support by local authorities. Our research found that 20% of local authority habilitation services will only accept referrals from a QTVI or medical professional. Inconsistent approaches to referrals are matched with restrictive eligibility criteria in some places: 13% restrict access to just those young people registered as having a serious sight impairment and 8% of local authorities state that to receive habilitation support a young person must have a EHC (Education, Health & Care) Plan in place; it is important SEN113 senmagazine.co.uk