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Brent Vision Impairment Service

Brent Vision Impairment Service (BVIS)

The Brent Vision Impairment Service (BVIS) aims to ensure children and young people with a diagnosed vision impairment have equality of opportunity alongside their fully sighted peers.

The team supports children and young people from birth to 25, who are with or without additional needs. There are over 150 children and young people in Brent who are partially sighted or blind.

They work within the home, and from early years settings through to secondary schools and colleges. It works parents, carers, teachers and other professionals.

The vision impairment team is made up of:

  • advisory teachers with a qualification in teaching children and young people with vision impairment
  • a children's mobility and independence specialist who works with children and families to develop independent travel and life skills
  • a resource co-ordinator who trains and supports teaching assistants (TAs) and advises on the production of suitable classroom materials

The service is one of two teams which make up Brent’s Sensory Support Service. The team works alongside the Brent Deaf and hearing Support Service (BDHSS).

Contact details

Phone:
Email:
Address:

Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley

HA9 0FJ

What we do

The team delivers a range of support in the home and in schools.

Early years support includes:

  • home visits (currently remotely)
  • assessments of a child's functional vision
  • working with children on specific skills, ideas and suggestions and producing reports
  • support with transition to pre-school or school.

Support in schools includes:

  • training and support for school staff (currently remotely)
  • working and planning with teachers and TAs
  • contributing to target setting and advising on approaches, strategies and how to adapt technology and materials
  • advising on examinations and access arrangements, school trips and work experience
  • teaching specialist skills such as Braille
  • running mobility and independence training.

Support for people over 18 and not in education

Brent Adult Social Care has two rehabilitation officers who support registered blind and partially sighted people. This includes:

  • assessments
  • registrations for people who have been newly diagnosed
  • mobility training
  • independent living skills training
  • guidance around lighting and low vision
  • support with assistive technology and signposting to other relevant organisations

Training opportunities

The team offers a variety of training to individuals or groups, including:

  • an awareness raising session on vision impairment
  • approaches and strategies teachers can use in the classroom to ensure particular children are fully included
  • training in the modification of materials for children with vision impairment
  • in-depth training for key staff, including class teachers or subject teachers
  • training for school support staff to help them to be effective in their role and promoting independent learning
  • training for other professionals such as therapists.

Contact the team for more details.

Referrals to BVIS

Most of the children and young people with vision impairment are referred to the service by the hospital that diagnosed their vision impairment. If this is not the case then referrals can be made by:

  • parents directly by contacting the service and completing and signing a referral form
  • your child’s educational setting special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) or key worker

Referrals can only be accepted with a referral form signed by a parent or carer.

Once the referral is made, the team:

  • will make initial contact within 5 working days and complete an initial visit within 10 working days
  • records of visits will be shared with the educational setting and home

People over 18 and not in education

Most referrals for people over 18 and not in education are made by hospitals or other health and social care services.

If you would like to self-refer, please contact Brent Customer Services.

To do this by phone, call 0208 937 4300 (press option 2 for adult social care).

Alternatively email: customer.services@brent.gov.uk

Only people with permanent and substantial sight loss are normally eligible to use this service.

Information to download

Vision impairment

Sensory impairment