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: Joyce Sewell-Rutter
Prof Wolfgang Mann at The University of Roehampton has asked for assistance to recruit deaf young people to a research project. They are carrying out a study on deaf and hearing children's use of strategies when reading online.
They are looking for deaf children, aged 13-14 years, who have good reading levels. For more specific details about the project, please see http://www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk/research/onlinereading/
The deadline for involvement is now the end of 2017.
- Written by: Ian Noon
Over the summer, the National Deaf Children’s Society updated and republished its advice note on specialist education services for deaf children. This note is intended for commissioners, sets out the importance of these services and outlines the legal considerations that will need to be taken into account if proposing or making any changes or cuts to services.
Annex A includes some questions that the local authority commissioner may need to consider if proposing any changes to the role of the Teacher of the Deaf within the service.
The advice note can be downloaded from: http://www.ndcs.org.uk/document.rm?id=6841.
The updated advice note is a useful complement to the NatSIP checklist for service alignment with legislation and guidance.
https://www.natsip.org.uk/2455-new-checklist-for-service-alignment-with-legislation-and-guidance
- Written by: Bob Denman
The Outcomes benchmarking workstream has today (4 September 2017) published its Summary Report - Academic Year 2015-16 Data.
The summary report is available pdf here in the document library.
Finally, we are pleased to confirm that the next benchmarking exercise (academic year 2016-17 data) will be launched in the near future.
The data for collection for 2016-17 will be the same as for the last exercise, except that two of the 16 performance indicators (relating to A*-G and A*-C GCSE passes, which the DfE no longer reports) will be suspended.
Data submission will again be made through the online Outcomes BenchMarking Returns System (OBMRS). You will receive an email circulation providing all the details in due course.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
The Royal Association for Deaf people (RAD), is a charitable organisation that provides services to people who are profoundly Deaf and use sign language, or other visual forms of communication.
All RAD’s frontline team members are either Deaf themselves or fluent in sign language. They understand Deaf culture, barriers and often have lived experience and an innate ability to adjust their signing to meet the wide and varied communication needs of Deaf people.RAD recognises the importance of education and provides a variety of services to support children and young people to sustain education and to go on to live fulfilling lives.
The innovative Integr8 (Intergrate) programme is tailored to meet the individual needs of each deaf child/young person; specifically focussing on those who are at risk of becoming NEET or those who require additional support in order to effectively engage at school/college and achieve their full potential. This support provides a safe and confidential outlet which over time can encourage safe expression and achieve real outcomes.
RAD also offers befriending support on a one-to-one basis, in school and in the community to achieve specific, pre-agreed outcomes such as improved confidence, reduced isolation and/or improved independence/life skills.
All support is tailored to an individual’s needs – with associated support packages carefully designed and outcomes agreed. If you are interested in learning more about these or other RAD services please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further information.
Currently RAD are offering this programme in London, East Anglia and the South East/South West of England.
- Written by: Paul Simpson
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published a document summarising the responses it received to a review on communication support for deaf people. The aim of the review was to try and identify what is known about the supply and demand of professionals (such as interpreters, speech-to-text-reporters, etc.) whose role it is to provide support to deaf people with their communication.
Ian Noon of the NDCS has written an article about the review on the NDCS campaigns blog, Other articles on the blog can be read at https://ndcscampaigns.com/
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
Recent research in the USA about babies with hearing loss and the importance of early intervention can be accessed here:
http://www.audiologyonline.com
- Written by: Jenny Cook (Guide Dogs UK)
Vision 2020 have published a new paper giving statisitics for sight loss in children and young people, updated for 2017.
The paper can be downloaded via the NatSIP document library pdf here .
- Written by: Alison Weaver (Chair of NatSIP Ref Gp)
The NatSIP Reference Group's report to the DfE on work carried out in the first quarter (April to June 2017) for the contract for 2017-18 has now been published and can be downloaded pdf here .
- Written by: Ian Noon
NDCS published today a new report on the difference that radio aids can make in the early years. The report can be downloaded from www.ndcs.org.uk/research and it is hoped that colleagues will find it helpful and interesting.
- Written by: Martin McLean
Supporting the achievement of deaf young pople in higher education is a new NatSIP publication which has been produced by the National Deaf Children’s Society with support from the Consortium of Higher Education Support Services for deaf students (CHESS), The Ear Foundation and NatSIP.
The resource will help staff in higher education (HE) to:
- make sure that deaf students have the support they need to make good progress, take advantage of the opportunities of HE and successfully complete their studies
- take the reasonable steps required under the Equality Act 2010 (or the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) in Northern Ireland) to make sure that deaf students are not treated less favourably than other students.
The following file is available in the document library.
- pdf Supporting the achievement of deaf young people in higher education (PDF Format, 40 pages)
- Written by: Brian Gale (NDCS)
With immense pressure on local authority SEND budgets it is increasingly important to set out a strong business case for commissioning specialist support services for children and young people with sensory impairment.
With our thanks to Brian Gale of NDCS, NatSIP has today (30 June 2017) published a new document containing a framework and checklist to help sensory support services align their services with key duties and requirements set out in legislation and government guidance. This checklist should be used in conjunction with other support materials such which analyse the needs of and outcomes for children and young people with SI
There are two versions of the document available on open access in the document library:
- pdf PDF version - easiest to share and email
- document MS Word .DOCX version - for filling in on screen or adapting to your own use
- Written by: Bev Mars
In recognition of the unique and independent role played by NatSIP, we hold a contract with the DfE to provide support for sensory impairment.
During 2017 – 18 there are two key objectives as part of this contract
- To enhance the capacity and knowledge base of the front line workforce
- To develop the capacity of the SI sector
As part of the front line workforce programme NatSIP has committed to the development of face-to-face training and specialist support materials for SENCOs. Through the promotion of best practice in the SI field NatSIP will provide SENCOs with the knowledge required to address the needs of SI learners in the classroom.
We looking for strategic national partners who will be able to support the programme by offering opportunities for NatSIP Associates to deliver an awareness raising session as part of an existing SENCO qualification provider course or through presentations at SENCO forums and events.
During the session, there will be an opportunity to contribute to the development of a training package, the focus of which will be supporting SENCOs in identifying and addressing the needs of SI children and young people and informing them of the specialist support available.
For more information about the SENCOs programme contact Bev Mars, NatSIP Associate
- Written by: Paul Simpson
Childline has produced a YouTube film which discusses challenges for deaf young people.
Childline says: “Issues raised include: schools and teachers not understanding the support deaf children need; children being bullied because they are deaf. Advice given includes: talk to someone about problems; be active not passive; remember that it's not about you, it's about other people's lack of awareness.
You can find the film on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzP5d6I1JRA
- Written by: Brian Gale
The National Deaf Children's Society are taking on deaf apprentices for the first time. They hope that this will open up more opportunities in apprenticeships for young people with hearing impairment.
See: http://feweek.co.uk/2017/06/17
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
The updated Children and Young People pathway from Vision2020UK is now available from their website:
- Written by: Brian Gale
We have today (8 June 2017) published a new document: Guidance on - specialist support services, early years services and post 16 funding.
This publication follows questions about funding of educational support for children and young people with sensory impairment (SI) which were raised by Heads of SI Services on their email forum during May 2017. Brian Gale, the Special Education Consortium representative on the DfE’s Schools and Academy Funding Group, responded with a series of answers which have been compiled in to a NatSIP guidance document.
Although the questions cover support of school-aged pupils, early years children and post-16 students, they all relate to what funding has been included in the High Needs Block and how this funding can be used
The document is available:
- pdf Guidance on - Double Funding Questions - PDF Format
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