Welcome to the NatSIP Website
This website offers access to a wealth of SI resources, most of which are now freely available. We encourage you to register on the site for full access to everything we have to offer. Registration is free, and open to anyone. A walkthrough/howto on the registration process is here.
- Written by: Emma Fraser
Every year NDCS launch their Deaf Children Today survey to find out the experiences of families with deaf children across the UK. Their feedback is so important to help shape NDCS services and campaigns. We would love to reach as many families as possible and for the survey to represent all deaf children.
This survey is open to all parents, guardians and carers of deaf children and young people aged 0 to 25 in the UK – including those with a temporary hearing loss, mild hearing loss or hearing loss in one ear. It takes about 15 minutes to complete and is also available in British Sign Language (BSL).
We would really appreciate it if you could share the survey with the families you work with. The survey is open until Wednesday 5 February.
As a thank you for taking part, parents have a chance to win one of three £100 Amazon vouchers.
Thank you for your support.
- Written by: Emma Fraser
In collaboration with researchers from University College London (UCL) and Aston University Birmingham, NDCS has developed a series of video resources for families of children with mild or unilateral hearing loss offering practical advice and reassurance.
Based on research findings, the videos, hosted on a dedicated YouTube playlist, also link to our website and useful resources mentioned throughout.
- Written by: Jane Sharp
Last year, VI education professionals shared how their services are implementing the CFVI. In a short document, the project team has summarised some of the ways in which the framework is being used: https://viewweb.org.uk/wp-content/public-files/Practical%20implementation%20of%20CFVI.docx
The full document with further ideas, including sections focusing on specific areas of the framework, can be downloaded from the RNIB website: https://media.rnib.org.uk/documents/CPD_Shared_Practice_2024.pdf
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
We are pleased to announce that NatSIP will be hosting a free, drop-in on-line workshop is for Heads of Service who have been (or will be) asked to respond to the 2025 CRIDE Survey on Thursday 6 February 2025.
For more details, please see here.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
| Event: |
Lunchtime Online Discussion: SI and Complex Needs |
| Date: |
Thursday 12 December 2024, 12:30 - 13:30 |
We held a successful lunchtime discussion session on Friday 12 December 2024, with Joe Booker, (Lead Practitioner, Seashell Trust) as lead presenter. The discussion covered three themes:
- Identification and assessment in special schools
- Measuring progress in special schools
- Working with special school staff
Joe's presentation is now available to download from the Document Library
Available document:
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
The Consortium for Research into Deaf Education (CRIDE) reports summarising the results of the 2024 surveys in each of the four nations are now available. They can be accessed from either of the below websites.
https://www.batod.org.uk/information/cride-reports/
A UK-wide summary will be published separately in the new year.
- Written by: Jane Sharp
RNIB’s free CPD sessions for the spring and summer term are now open for booking on RNIB’s website: Training for professionals supporting learners with VI. Sessions are held on Teams and topics include braille, wellbeing, complex needs, reformatting and making practical lessons inclusive. All education professionals are welcome.
- Written by: Teresa Quail
BATOD has recently published a guide for higher education (HE) and teachers of deaf young people supporting transition to HE. It is available from BATOD: 'Articulating the specialism – the role of the QToD in HE'.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
| Event: |
Conference: Raising the profile of multi-sensory impairment |
| Date: |
Wednesday 21 May 2025 09:30 - 15:30 |
| Venue: | In person at Sense Touchbase Pears, 750 Bristol Road, Birmingham BN29 6NA |
| Cost |
Early Bird Rate if you book before 31 January 2025: |
| Booking: | Open now via the University of Birmingham's Online Shop or through invoice and purchase order. |
Calling all MSI specialists!
University of Birmingham, Kent STLS Sensory Service and NatSIP are delighted to invite you to join a learning and networking event for specialists working with those with multi-sensory impairment (or single sensory impairment) focused on practical applications for inclusive education.
Wednesday 21 May 2025 09:30 - 15:30
In person at: Sense TouchBase Pears, 750 Bristol Road, Birmingham BN29 6NA
With keynote speakers in the morning, sector stallholders over lunch, and workshops in the afternoon, there will be presentations and discussions around some of the most pertinent areas in multi-sensory impairment provision and support.
Speakers will include:
- Dr Paul Hart: MSI Assessment and Interaction
- Caireen Sutherland (NatSIP): Updates from the sector
For more details and a link to the online booking form, see here.
- Written by: Ian Noon
Last year NDCS published a summary of some research led by Dr Hannah Cooper at UCL Ear Institute, and funded by the National Deaf Children’s Society. It sought to explore the early auditory experiences of deaf toddlers and identify if/when radio aids might be helpful, whilst still being mindful of other environmental sounds that might be important for deaf children to access.
We are now able to publish the full report for this research.
A research article on Deafness and Education International is also available separately.
Both can also be accessed via our website at www.ndcs.org.uk/research.
By way of reminder, the full recommendations of the research are as follows:
- Professionals should consider the full sound environment of deaf children under 18 months of age when recommending technologies to parents.
- With good guidance for use, radio aids would be beneficial for deaf children under 18 months of age, enabling parents to use radio aids effectively.
- Further research should identify the finer requirements for the use of radio aids for access to both speech and the meaningful sound environment for deaf children under 18 months of age.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
The NHS in England has published a new guide on glue ear for children with hearing loss:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PRN00675-iii-making-a-decision-about-glue-ear-if-your-child-has-hearing-loss.pdf
- Written by: Jane Sharp
RNIB's free CPD training for VI professionals is now open for booking. This term the topics will cover:
- Exams
- Complex needs
- Retinitis pigmentosa
- Technology
All sessions can be booked via RNIB's webpage: Training for professionals supporting learners with VI
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
The National Deaf Children’s Society teamed up with the University of Manchester, Aston University and Lancaster University, to find out what the research priorities are in childhood deafness, according to the people with real experience. Children, parents, and professionals working with children with deafnes/hearing loss. A survey opened in May 2024 and has now closed. A basic summary of the respondents to both the adult and children versions of the JLA surveys can be found on the following pages
https://personalpages.manchester.ac.uk/staff/anisa.visram/JLA_adult
https://personalpages.manchester.ac.uk/staff/anisa.visram/JLA_children
- Written by: Brian Lamb
'Meeting Local Hearing Health Needs: A Guide for Integrated Care Systems' has been produced by the Hearing Loss and Deafness Alliance, 29 organisations spanning the voluntary and independent sectors and professionals working in the NHS, to ensure that commissioners and health providers are aware of the resources developed to support the NHS Action Plan on Hearing Loss and other relevant guidance produced by NICE and other health bodies. By following the guidance commissioners and providers can be assured that they will be following best practice requirements to ensure that hearing health is promoted and hearing loss is addressed within health systems, improving lives and saving the NHS money.
The guide is now live in the News Section of the Alliance website https://www.hearinglossanddeafnessalliance.com/news-and-updates/more/118/page/1/alliance-publishes-new-guide-to-support-the-action-plan-on-hearing-loss/
- Written by: Lindsey Jones
Deaf education department colleagues in the University of Manchester have been granted the funding for a PhD for the study on risk and protective factors for deaf children's spoken language. They are now accepting applications. Details are available through this link:
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/risk-and-protective-factors-to-spoken-language-acquisition-for-deaf-children-in-the-uk/?p172645
- Written by: Katy Mitchell
An exciting new booklet ‘Listening to Learn’ is available from the Ewing Foundation website: https://ewing-foundation.org.uk/listening-to-learn/
Listening to Learn is an e-booklet which is succinct and contains just the key information needed for busy people involved in the education of deaf children.
- It explains what glue ear is and how it can make listening hard work and tiring.
- It outlines the simple steps that can be taken to help children to hear at school.
- It provides information about improving the listening environment.
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