Adult and Community Services

Adult Sensory Impairment Service

The Sensory Impairment Service works in partnership with people of all ages, who experience problems with everyday activities due to their sensory impairment (Visually impairment, blind, hearing impairment, deaf or deaf/blind). We use the term 'impairment' instead of the word 'disability', to highlight our commitment to the social model of disability.

The service consists of a team of staff including social workers and rehabilitation workers who deal with the practical issues of vision loss. There are also several support and development staff.

The team works in partnership with other statutory and voluntary groups, including:

Primary Care Trust, General Practitioners, District Nurses
Other teams within Adult and Community Services such as the Community Disability Service (Occupational Therapy services)
Housing Services
Carers and Users Forums
Independent Advocacy Groups

The Sensory Impairment service is not a stand-alone service, and in order to support people, works fully and closely with many other professionals.

How do I contact the team?

You can make your own referral for an assessment, or someone else who knows you well can make a referral for you. (although you must agree to being referred and be aware that you are being referred). The Screening Officers will take details that will enable the referral to be processed correctly.

The details would include your Name, Date of Birth, Address, Contact Number and a brief overview of your situation and any difficulties you are experiencing.

You will often be referred following a visit to the Ophthalmologist, you are then registered as being Blind or visually impaired.

The Sensory Impairment Screening Service can be contacted at the address shown. Alternatively you can complete an online referral form.

Will we be able to help you?

Not everyone who asks us for help can be given a service because we must make sure we can help those in greatest need. In order to obtain a service, you will have to meet our eligibility criteria.

If we cannot offer a service, we can give information and advice about other organisations that may be able to help.

What will happen then?

Once a referral is accepted you will be contacted by a member of our team who will talk to you about what sort of help you might need. They may also talk to anyone who currently helps you at home.

This will lead to an assessment, which will help us to decide which services we can arrange for you. Following this assessment, a care plan is agreed, setting out what services are to be provided.

Is there a charge for this?

There is no charge for the assessment. There is a small charge for most community care services like meals in the home or home care. Residential or nursing care can also cost quite a lot.

Specialist sensory equipment

In some instances, specialist equipment can be issued to support someone in their own home. In others, some equipment, whilst able to enhance a person's quality of life, are not items that the department are able to issue. The worker will be able to give advice and information on where such equipment can be tested and purchased.

Specialist sensory services

In some instances, specialist sensory services will be required. Examples of these might be a course of visual rehabilitation such as Long Cane Route Training or learning to use a white cane to leave your home and visit local shops.

The sensory worker is also fully aware of local resources in the area, such as support groups and clubs. Knowledge of the Deaf culture and of services available in Barking and Dagenham are a main strength of the sensory team.

How long do I have a social worker or care manager?

The social worker will be your main contact for Adult and Community Services throughout the assessment and care planning process. They will be able to provide you with information of services available in the community, i.e. support groups, specialist transport. They can also advise service-users where to obtain help or advice with matters such as benefit entitlement.

The social worker will normally continue working with the service-user until the presenting difficulty has been addressed. At this stage, if the service-user is being supported and their needs are being met, then the social worker will close their individual involvement at this.

What about the carers?

Our aim is to also actively help all carers within the borough and to make sure they receive appropriate support. The social worker, when undertaking the needs led assessment of the service-user, will offer a separate assessment to the carer where there is one.

Although the carer's assessment does not give a right to services, it can influence the care that the service-user receives.

We hope this information will begin to explain the processes involved and of course the social worker will explain any of these matters in more detail when they meet you. If you have any questions relating to sensory impairment, please contact the Sensory Impairment Service at the address shown.

Complaints, compliments and comments

If you want to speak to someone about a complaint or suggestion, please get in touch with complaints, comments and suggestions.

Related services

Specialist Equipment|