The Sensory Support Team is based in Wilson House in Broughshane and covers the entire Northern Trust area.
The service provides specialist advice, support, assessment, equipment and rehabilitation support for adults who are:
- d/Deaf, hard of hearing or have an acquired hearing loss
- Have difficulties due to tinnitus
- Certified severely sight impaired or sight impaired and visually impaired service users
- Service users who have a dual loss (both sight and hearing)
The team consists of:
- Vision Rehabilitation Specialists who support people who have a visual loss
- Environmental Technical Officers who assess for specialist equipment that may assist people who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing and also for people who have tinnitus.
- Administrative support staff.
Through specialist assessment and person-centred care planning, the team will support service users to overcome the obstacles that everyday environments can place in their way.
Support for deaf, hard of hearing and tinnitus service users
- Individual assessment of needs including a risk assessment
- Free information and advice in relation to support that may help you on a daily basis.
- Assessment for and provision of some specialist equipment if required eg smoke alarms
- Communication support can be provided via Sign language (BSL and ISL), available by both in person interpreters and also using the remote interpreting service.
- Onward referral to other agencies/organisations that may be able to help you
- Information and advice for families and carers.
Support for visually impaired service users
- Individual assessment of needs including risk assessment
- Information and advice in relation to eye conditions and how this may affect your daily life
- Rehabilitation support for individuals, families and carers
- Mobility and orientation training eg using a long cane or how to be safely guided by a sighted person.
- Advice on managing safely in your own home
- Low vision training – using magnifiers and other low vision aids
- Advice on certification as Severely Sight Impaired (Blind) or Sight Impaired (Partially Sighted), if applicable
- Onward referral to other professionals or agencies who may be able to help you.
How to contact us
Sensory Support Service
Wilson House, Broughshane, BT42 4JL
- Telephone: 028 2586 3800
- Email: sensorysupport@northerntrust.hscni.net
Equality Unit
Route Complex, 8E Coleraine Road, Ballymoney, BT53 6BP
- Telephone: 028 2766 1377
- Text mobile: 078 2566 7154
How to access our service
If you feel the Sensory Support Team would be able to help you, a referral can be made using the Central Referral Management System. Please be aware if you are making a referral on behalf of someone else, they must have given their permission beforehand.
The Northern Health Trust has some services which you can access through the Central Referral Management System (CRMS). These include the Physical Health and Disability Team, Community Nursing, Learning Disability, Continence Advisory Service and Sensory Support.
How to contact the CRMS
Telephone
SignVideo (free)
- You need to register for this service
- You can download the app in the app store
Text Relay (free)
- You can download the app in the app store
If none of these options are suitable, you can contact the Trust’s Equality Unit and a member of staff from the Equality Unit will make the referral on your behalf.
What information do you need to give them?
When you contact the CRMS, they will ask you for some information so they can refer you to the right service. They will ask you:
- Personal details for patient e.g. name, address, date of birth, GP, Next of Kin
- Which service you need
- Is it urgent or routine?
- Medical condition?
- Who is making referral?
- Other possible information depending on situation?
- Don’t forget to tell them you are Deaf and need an interpreter. For example, if you have a home visit by a social worker, you may need an interpreter. Don’t forget to tell them if you want a BSL or ISL interpreter.
What happens next?
CRMS make sure that the Sensory Support team receive your referral and a member of staff from that service will contact you.
Useful resources
British sign language video:
Irish sign language video: