Hearing / D/deaf Specialist Team (HDST) - NNC and WNC

The Hearing and Vision Specialist Team (HVST) was formerly known as the Sensory Impairment Service (SIS).

It supports children and young people who need specialist hearing support, vision support, or both.

All schools have a special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). They can help children and young people with hearing or vision support. The HVST can offer  further specialist support if if needed.

The Hearing / D/deaf Specialist Team (HDST)

The HDST can provide a variety of support and assess your child or young person’s needs. They can also help plan for the future with an individualised profile.

The HDST Can Support Children and Young People With:

• Direct teaching by a Teacher of the Deaf (TOD)
• Help to develop their independent audiological management skills
• Access to an Educational Audiologist
• Tuition from a British Sign Language (BSL) tutor if needed
• Their social, emotional or wellbeing needs relating to their hearing impairment
• Self-advocacy skills
• Preparing for adulthood
• Peer group events

The HDST Can Support Parents and Carers With:

• Advice from a Teacher of the Deaf (TOD)
• Training on assistive listening devices or auditory implant management and maintenance, to facilitate speech, language, and communication development
• Family groups for early years children

The HDST Can Support Education Settings With:

• Initial advice and deaf awareness training
• Equipment to help access learning including advice on a range of assistive listening devices
• The best ways to make reasonable adjustments to the school’s physical environment
• Direct support from a Teacher of the Deaf (TOD) with a specialist curriculum if needed
• Advice from an Educational Audiologist
• Advice and support for exam access arrangements
• Helping arrange access to independent learning
• Advice or direct teaching of British Sign Language (BSL) if needed

Eligibility Criteria for the Hearing / D/deaf Specialist Team (HDST)

• Babies identified through the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (NHSP)
• Children or young people who have Assistive Listening devices (e.g. hearing aids, cochlear implants, bone conduction devices)
• Children with a 'bilateral' or 'unilateral' hearing loss that has been identified by audiology or the NHS Ear, Nose and Throat team (ENT)

If the child or young person doesn't meet the eligibility criteria, the HDST can still take a look at the case on an individual basis. It will be discussed at a panel and then you will be informed of the outcome.

Apply for Support from the Hearing / D/deaf Specialist Team (HDST)

You need to include information from an Audiologist or ENT specialist in the referral confirming a hearing loss. Reports from audiology must be attached.

The HDST will contact you within two weeks of a new referral. But for newly diagnosed children under the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme, they'll get in contact within 48 hours.

• Apply for Support from the Hearing / D/deaf Specialist Team (HDST)