Seashell Trust has been awarded a contract by the DfE to offer a PG Diploma Mandatory Qualification in MSI.  The course will start in September 2024 and will be delivered with a University providing academic rigour as well as offering an opportunity to make use of the state of the art specialist campus at Seashell.  

This offers teachers wishing to specialise in MSI a choice of training course and establishment again. This ensures children with MSI have access to the specialists they need and enhances availability of course providers for the sensory impairment sector.

The Seashell Trust MQ course will be delivered through distance learning and also offer ample opportunity to visit the Seashell site and benefit from the specialist facilities there.

Expressions of interest and applications are open now and you can find out more here: https://www.seashelltrust.org.uk/mqmsi-pgdip/.  You will find that at the bottom of the webpage there is a link to book onto one of the monthly "Q&A - find out more about the course" online sessions.  

Jenny Fletcher is offering another presentation of the 5-day Intervenor Course on 10-14 June 2024 in Worcester.  For more details, please see the course flyer.

For more information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call her on 01905 454828.

Available document

I am happy to share that our Usher Kids UK 2024 summer camp will take place again in the Lake District this year, running from 4th - 10th August 2024, and we have recently opened up registration for volunteers. This is a unique opportunity for post-grad students and professionals working in a related field (e.g. sensory support - HI / VI / MSI, social work, youth work, genetics, audiology, optometry/ophthalmology, OT/PT etc.) especially those early in their careers, to gain insight into the daily experiences of young people living with Usher syndrome. Previous volunteers have reported how valuable, rewarding and unforgettable the USHthis camp experience has been!

I would be grateful if you could share the details (below) with relevant colleagues, students and professionals, either via the Heads of Service group and/or any other networks you are part of - your help is much appreciated. 

The details are below.  You could also share our social media post if easier: https://www.instagram.com/p/C1reI8VOM9k/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

What? USHthis UK summer camp, for 12-25yr olds living with Usher syndrome

When? 4-10th August 2024

Where? Ghyll Head outdoor activity centre, Lake Windermere, Lake District, UK

Who? Post-grad students and professionals from relevant fields: e.g. sensory support, social work, youth work, genetics, audiology, optometry/ophthalmology, OT/PT etc.

What will I do? Our USHthis volunteer team brings together professionals from different backgrounds with different levels of experience, providing them with training so that they can offer support and guidance to help our USHyouth get the most of the camp experience. We ask for volunteers who can commit for the full duration of the camp, and we cover all accommodation, food and activity costs, along with reasonable travel costs. 

How to apply? Complete our interest form and we will be in touch to discuss next steps: http://tinyurl.com/ushthisteam24

The MSI MQ programme is to be relaunched in September 2022 at the University of Birmingham with a new Programme Lead, and a refreshed approach to the content and online and distance learning aspects of the course.

The new Programme Lead is Hester Richardson, an experienced MSI and VI qualified teacher who has been working as a Senior Teacher in Vision Impairment and Multi-Sensory Impairment in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. Hester’s earlier professional experience was in London as a peripatetic specialist teacher and at New College Worcester, as a teacher and as Head of Sixth Form.

All aspects of MSI education, from 0 to 25 years will be covered in the Programme and there are close links across all the three Sensory Impairment Programmes in the Department of Disability, Inclusion and Special Needs (DISN). This offers opportunities for teachers to explore a further layer of theoretical and research experience across all three specialisms.

Hester is keen to develop the role of the MSI PGDip as a pathfinder for identifying and showcasing best practice and as the body of research experience grows, for fostering further study and research in the important field of MSI education.

If you have any questions about the course, please contact Hester: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Last year and due to unforeseen circumstances, the School of Education in University of Birmingham took the difficult decision to suspend all programmes in the field of Multisensory impairment. They are now very pleased to inform you about the re-launch of the following programmes:

  • MEd Education of Learners with Multi-Sensory Impairment
  • PGDip Teach Children and Young People with Multi-Sensory Impairment (Mandatory Qualification)

The University of Birmingham are fully committed to the field of multisensory impairment and look forward to welcoming new students in 2022. They will be happy to answer any queries. Please address all questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

NatSIP first published a briefing paper on Tactile signing in 2015.  After a working group revision this has been updated and extended to reflect the new resources available on this topic.  The second edition was published in September 2019 with link updates in July 2020. 


The revised and extended version can be found pdf here

Eileen Boothroyd and Heather Murdoch shared a list of MSI Networks was shared at the MSI Study Day in Touchbase Pears on 8th April 2019.

It can be found pdf here

Described by its principal author, Dr Heather Murdoch, as a Toolkit with attitude this document provides extensive support materials for those implementing the Victoria School MSI Curriculum, or considering its implementation for CYP with MSI.

The toolkit examines the practical issues, policies and procedures needed to successfully implement the Victoria School MSI Curriculum, and offers a range of worked examples and case studies.

The following documents are available folder here in the NatSIP Document Library: