Early Support Service

1. Early Support Service Royal London Hospital Children’s Eye Clinic BlindAid

2. Tower Hamlets • Highest rate of child poverty in London. • Second most deprived borough in London.  • Third most deprived borough nationally. • 79% of children live in low income families.

3. Tower Hamlets • High levels of unemployment • Disadvantage in income, health, housing and crime • One of the highest population densities in London

4. Ethnicity • Fifty-six per cent of the population in Tower Hamlets belong to an ethnic group other than white British • Thirty per cent are Bangladeshi. • Eight per cent are from other white backgrounds.

5. Extra costs for families with a disabled child • Transport – e.g. hospital appointments • Higher heating bills • Adaptations to home • Higher costs of special foods • Increased laundry costs • Replacement of clothes, furniture etc NB - Some costs may be paid from other sources if people know how to claim

6. My role in the Children’s Eye Clinic • Providing information about eye problems and registration • Emotional support • Explaining about services and/or formally referring people • Helping people to get benefits and concessions • And more!

7. Families using Early Support Service • 150 families (to 12.3.2012) • Some have two children with eye problems • Many keep returning for support • Some bring sighted disabled relatives for me to help. • One brought blind grandmother!

8. Professionals using Early Support Service • Teachers needing information about children (at least 2 per week) • Junior doctors – induction • Ophthalmology Team – teaching sessions, advice on benefits and concessions, letters to housing providers • Staff involved in child protection

9. Disability issues • Learning difficulties • Physical impairments • Hearing impairments • Health problems, including complex syndromes and life-limiting conditions

10. Accepting referrals • Anyone can refer • Most come from eye clinic staff or CHECT • A minority refer themselves • Need for me to explain my role - so people have realistic expectations • Never closing ‘cases’ – people often re-refer themselves from hospital reception

11. Emotional support • Listening to parental concerns • Exploring the idea that someone or something has caused the child’s disability – e.g. cousin marriage • Cultural aspects of disability and positive images • Genetic conditions including life-limiting conditions – parents, siblings and wider family

12. Presenting problems • Disability Living Allowance and Carer’s Allowance • Other benefits and concessions • Housing • Visual impairment and “eye care” issues • And lots more!

13. Providing information about registration • What registration involves • Benefits and concessions • Sending CVI to local teachers of the visually impaired and/or making new referral • Explaining about sources of help for families and children with visual impairments

14. Visual impairment – education • Pre-school intervention • Support at school • “Uninformed behaviour” – by teachers and school staff • Computers and software • Transition to adult services

15. Eye problems • Monocular vision and referral to teachers (in authorities who provide a service) • Supporting patch programmes • Explaining why glasses are needed • Eye-poking and mannerisms • Glare

16. Low vision • Explaining what helps child to see • Providing basic low vision sessions to families • Talking about magnifiers, other low vision aids and equipment • Promoting model of sensory passports with local teachers and colleagues

17. Signposting or formally referring people to other organisations • Local statutory services • National Blind Children’s Society – family support, education advocacy • VICTA Children – grants for IT and sensory toys • RNIB – equipment, training, publications, Parents Place website

18. Other work • Tower Hamlets Low Vision Committee • Developing sensory passports