If you have a hearing or vision impairment then Bath and North East Somerset Council has a team who can offer advice, information and assessment. They are called the Hearing and Vision Service
Who does the Hearing & Vision Service work with?
The Hearing & Vision Service is based at Keynsham Town Hall, Keynsham and covers the whole of Bath & North East Somerset. As a team we work with people who are visually impaired, have a combination of sight and hearing impairment, are deaf or are hard of hearing.
The focus of the team is to offer specialist assessments in relation to how your sensory impairment may affect you in your day to day living; this could be undertaking tasks in the home or may involve issues when going out and about.
Who qualifies for an assessment and services?
Under the National Health Service & Community Care Act 1990 you are entitled to have an assessment of your needs if you feel your sight or hearing impairment is having an impact on your day to day life that reduces your independence or increases risks to your safety.
This assessment will identify your needs and these may be met by social services if they meet Fair Access to Care Services (FACS) criteria and our financial criteria.
FACS is a government initiative that gives councils a framework for deciding who will receive adult services.
Each year social services sets an upper limit on finances to determine who is supported.
Within your assessment, some needs may be identified that are eligible for services and some that are not; social services will only meet the needs that are eligible. If you do not meet our eligibility criteria we try to direct you to alternative organisations offering support.
How will an assessment help me?
The assessment will identify whether you need help with mobility, personal care, safety and summoning help issues, domestic tasks, social contacts, learning, work and leisure activities, finance or housing issues.
Also this assessment can identify whether you need time to talk as we recognise there is an acceptable and natural reaction for some people to feel frustrated or upset by their sight and or hearing impairment.
The assessor may offer you time to talk immediately, or introduce you to a local support group, or refer you to a counselling service.
Other needs may be met by a number of different services including domiciliary care, specialist support workers, day activities, community meals, occupational therapy or a specialist rehabilitation worker who can look at mobility training and daily living and kitchen skills. Or alternatively you may decide to have your needs met via a direct payment and then arrange your services yourself. The cost to you of services will depend upon the completion of a financial assessment.
The assessment will also identify whether specialist equipment would reduce the impact of your sensory impairment. Currently the Hearing & Vision Service is able to provide some of this equipment and you can visit Deaf Plus/Vision Plus at Green Park Station in Bath to see what equipment is available and try it out. They are open 10.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. Monday to Friday and can be contacted on 01225 446555.
Do you have a combination of sight and hearing loss?
If you have a combination of sight and hearing impairment resulting in difficulties in communication, mobility and accessing information, you may be entitled to specialist support services to enable you to live independently. These support services can be in the form of one to one assistance from some-one called a guide communicator. They can help you to participate in the local community and access everyday services. This might include:
- Attending a support or social group
- Helping you to take part in leisure activities.
- Assistance with correspondence and other reading.
Assessments and Services for deaf people
The Hearing & Vision Service provides assessments for deaf adults and children who generally use British Sign Language. Assessments may (subject to eligibility as described above) result in the provision of services from providers who have specialist communication skills, understand the issues faced by people with hearing impairment and have knowledge of Deaf culture.
The Referral Process
If you feel your sight impairment and/or hearing impairment is affecting your life and would like support or information from this team, you need to contact the Access Team. Their telephone number is 01225 396000, text 07980 998 948, e-mail: access_team@bathnes.gov.uk, fax: 01225 396293.
We may also get to know about you from forms completed at the Eye Clinic known as Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI) or at the Opticians known as LV1. Once these forms have been received we will contact you to discuss whether you would like to receive support from the Hearing & Vision Service or other teams if appropriate.
This information can be made available in a range of languages, large print, Braille, on tape, electronic and accessible formats. Contact the Information Officer on 01225 477983, Minicom 01225 477043 or email information_officer@bathnes.gov.uk