SenCom
The teams within SenCom provide a wide range of advice and intervention strategies including teaching. We are a person-centred organisation and our levels of intervention are matched to the changing needs of individual children and young people.
We are hosted by Torfaen County Borough Council and work regionally in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen with children and young people, families, school’s colleges and early year’s settings.
Our mission is to be a partner with families and schools in successfully including children and young people in all of school life and to ensure their learning journey meets no barriers to progress.
The service is made up of three teams under the leadership of a Head of Service.
ComIT (Communication Intervention Team)
ComIT is a service set up for children with speech, language and communication needs.
ComIT aims to meet the additional needs of children and young people with a non-clinical diagnosis and primary need of speech, language and communication when that need is severely impacting on the child’s learning. The team consists of Advisory Teachers, Speech and Language Therapists and Specialist Teaching Assistants.
Each authority has a named Lead Professional who liaises with the team and identifies appropriate schools and pupils for ComIT Intervention. The team can work individually or with groups of children by using thorough identification and support processes.
How is a request for support made?
Requests to work with children come to ComIT through the school ALNCo.
Hearing-Impaired Support Service
Hearing Impaired Service (HIS) is a service to assist all children and young people with an identified hearing loss, to achieve their maximum potential and to acquire the necessary skills for life and to support successful inclusion into local schools. The team includes qualified Teachers of the Deaf and Specialist Teaching Assistants.
The Hearing-Impaired Service use the National Sensory Impairment Partnership Eligibility Framework, a tool for Sensory Services which aims to guide decision-making when allocating support for individual children and young people. Service support is dynamic and encourages close links with home, school and other agencies. We aim to build capacity in schools in meeting pupils’ needs and provide focused support in response to changing needs of children and young people.
How is a referral made?
The vast majority of children are referred to the service by Health, however we are also able to give advice and signpost parents or professionals who have any concerns about a child or young person’s hearing. After referral, contact is made with the school’s ALNCo to talk about the child or young person. A school visit may be arranged to assess the pupil and to gather further information.
Vision Impairment Service
The Vision Impairment Service (VIS) aims to ensure that choice is offered to children, young people and parents/carers. Expertise and resources are available to schools to enable full inclusive access to learning. Independent living and mobility skills are taught by VIS habilitation specialists. Collaborative working is established to support and meet all needs.
The VIS can provide a range of services in relation to individual needs. We work in partnership with children and young people with vision or multi-sensory impairment, parents, schools, education/career services and medical agencies to meet individual needs as identified through the assessment process.
How is a referral made?
We welcome enquiries and referrals from anyone involved with children and young people who may have concerns regarding a possible vision or multi-sensory impairment.
Contact
Address: Brecon House, William Brown Close, Llantarnam Business Park Cwmbran, Torfaen NP44 3AB.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01633 648888