SENSS Deaf & Hearing Support Team

The Deaf & Hearing Support Team is part of SENSS which is a countywide Special Educational Needs (SEN) teaching and advisory support service.

What’s important to us (our values):

We work in partnership to secure good outcomes and a positive future for children and young people.

Our aim is that children and young people make good progress, achieve well and enjoy school, family and community life.

What we do:

• Provide family-focused support from point of referral following diagnosis
• Support, advise and empower staff in schools and settings to understand the needs of children and young people with a hearing loss.
• Provide assessment and advice in relation to the child / young person’s hearing.
• Ensure that the views, wishes, perspectives and experiences of the children and young people are fully reflected in their provision.
• Support children and young people to develop a positive understanding of their deafness.
• Carry out assessments in relation to specialist equipment.
• Make specialist provision for children with particular needs in a number of specialist Resource Bases attached to mainstream schools.

We base our work on the strongest evidence base recognising that there are other approaches.

Who we offer this service to:

We work with children and young people who have:

• a permanent hearing loss
• an ongoing temporary hearing loss that is likely to impact on a child or young person's education

How and when we do it:

• We work primarily in schools and educational settings, but also in homes, where necessary. This is available during term time.
• For infants who have a confirmed hearing loss a reduced service is provided to cover the school holiday periods.
• We have a range of professionals in our teams including specialist advisory teachers of the deaf and communication support workers.
• We work closely with SENCOs, class teachers and staff in educational settings.
• We liaise closely with families and we work collaboratively with other agencies involved with the child.
• We provide advice, support and some direct teaching intervention.
• We offer a range of training from individual training around a child’s needs to settings and specialist courses to support continuing professional development

SENSS staff work hard, in partnership with schools and families, to ensure that children with SEND are well supported.  In doing this they are entitled to respect.  SENSS will not tolerate rudeness or any behaviour toward staff that undermines them and we request that staff are treated with respect at all times. Thank you for your support in this.

How to contact us:

SENSS (DHS)
Abbey House
Abbey Close
Abingdon
OX14 3JD

Tel:      01865 323070  

Mon-Fri 8.30am - 4.30pm

email:  SENSS@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Safeguarding

We respect the need for confidentiality and the responsible and informed sharing of personal information. If there are concerns regarding a child’s safety we would, having, where possible, initially identified our concerns with the parents/ carers, liaise with Social Care in accordance with Oxfordshire’s Safeguarding Children procedures. https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/report-child-abuse

Comments, Compliments and Complaints:

If you wish to make a comment , give a compliment or make a complaint about the service, please contact SENSS on 01865 323070 and ask to speak to a senior manager. Or you can email the service at senss@oxfordshire.gov.uk. Alternatively contact: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/comments-compliments-and-complaints-about-oxfordshire-county-council