Braille Network (London)
Location:
London (Central)
Target audience of professionals:
Qualified Teachers of the Visually Impaired (QTVIs) and teaching assistants working with children and young people with a visual impairment learning braille.
Description:
The Braille Network meets twice a year in London and twice in Leeds. Meetings take place from 10am to 3.30pm and cost around £40, including lunch. Most of the day is given over to presentations and discussion with a short business meeting at the end to decide the focus of the next meeting.
Speakers and topics have included:
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Cay Holbrook - workshop on effective practice in teaching braille
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Steve McCall - key findings of Birmingham University's literature review into teaching braille to children
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Alison Arnold - overview of braille reading schemes
The meetings also provide an important opportunity to find out about the latest resources from RNIB, Clearvision and other organisations.
The Braille Network is jointly supported by RNIB and VIEW.
Contact:
For further information about this network, contact: cypf@rnib.org.uk
Deafblind Support Network
Location:
Wandsworth Only.
Target audience of professionals:
The Deafblind Support Network is for any professional who works with, or is interested in, deafblind children and their needs. The network includes teachers, audiologists, ophthalmologists, therapists, parents, portage workers, those working in early years, educational psychology and social services, and lots more.
Description:
The group meets twice a year, and meetings focus on two areas. The first is an update on what is going on in members' individual fields in order to highlight different priorities and challenges for professionals present at the meeting. The second is to provide an update on developments from within the field of deafblindness. This includes information on conferences, new equipment and providing information on Sense. The group aims to raise awareness of deafblindness so that when network members, or their colleagues, come into contact with deafblind children, they will have a better understanding of their needs.
Contact:
For further information, contact Jo Franklin at franklin@wandswothhis.org.uk
EYVI (Early Years and Visual Impairment) Group
Location:
We meet in London usually at RNIB Judd Street.
Target audience:
Our target group is any practitioner working in early years VI: QTVIs, nursery nurses, pre-school staff, mobility and habilitation workers etc
Description:
We run two day conferences a year (cost £10 per person) We have speakers at each conference based around a topic relevant to early years. Time is allowed in the conferences for networking and sharing of good practice. The group is organised by a planning committee of 5 people.
Contact:
For further information about this group, please contact Sally Thomas (Sally.thomas@bromley.gov.uk) or Julie Breedon (Julie.Breedon@barnet.gov.uk).
Eastern Region MSI Teacher Network
Location:
Eastern Region (Sense Head Office, King's Cross)
Target audience of professionals:
Qualified Teachers of children who are deafblind or those in training.
Description:
The Eatern Region Multi Sensory Impairment (MSI) teacher network group is hosted by Sense and usually meets biannually (Autumn and Spring/early Summer) at Sense Head Office, 101 Pentonville Road, Kings Cross, N1 9LG. The Eastern Region MSI Teacher Network Group provides support to qualified teachers of children who are deafblind who are working in the South of England, London and East. The group also provides support for teachers currently undergoing specialist training. Topics are decided at meetings and usually include a forum for participants to discuss issues within their area of work related to MSI. Past topics have included presentations on the role of touch, updates on information and communications technology, and auditory neuropathy.
Contact:
For further information, contact Haylee Withers at The Anne Wall Centre, 12 Hyde Close, Barnet, Herts EN5 5TJ. Telephone 020 84471133, or email haylee.withers@sense.org.uk
NatSIP (National Sensory Impairment Partnership)
Location:
National. National working days usually held in London.
Target audience of Professionals:
Professionals working in the field of education for children and young people with Sensory Impairment.
Description:
The National Sensory Impairment Partnership (NatSIP) aims to improve educational outcomes for children and young people with sensory impairment, closing the gap with their peers, through joint working with all who have an interest in the success of these young people. NatSIP, in partnership with the Department for Education has agreed to work on five objectives providing support and training, in a cost effective way, to ensure that children and young people with sensory impairment (SI) have access to the curriculum and make good educational progress whilst improving their achievements.
NatSIP has seven workstreams which address these objectives. These focus on: outcomes benchmarking; case studies to support quality standards; workforce development and the effective use of teaching assistants; emotional resilience and well-being in young people with SI; the Equality Act 2010 and access for SI learners; special educational needs (SEN) policy and SI in the national context; and the future strategy for NatSIP.
NatSIP Working Days occur three times a year and offer an opportunity for
professionals working in the field of sensory impairment to come together in working groups to meet the objectives of the action plans, share best practice and contribute to the development of quality SI provision.
Contact information:
For further information, contact Lindsey Rousseau at lindsey.rousseau@natsip.org.uk
Website:
NatSIP Website
PsyVIC (Psychologists for Visually Impaired Children)
Location:
London
Target audience of professionals:
Membership of the group is open to any educational psychologists working for local education authorities or in other areas, for example, charities, independent schools, and independent practice.
Description:
Seminars are held twice a year, usually in May and November. Each seminar runs for a full working day. The venue in recent years has been at RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind) Head Office, in central London. The purpose of the group is to:
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share information on all aspects of visual impairment (VI)
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create a national network of psychologists who have a common interest in VI
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support colleagues, who are often working very much on their own within their working organisations, on matters concerning VI
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develop professional expertise in the area of VI
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nvite guest speakers to share information about their work, research and specialist projects and to develop these sessions into discussion and dialogue
Contact:
For further information, contact the group co-ordinator at admin@psyvic.org.uk
Website:
PsyVIC Network
SENJIT
Location:
London. Meetings held at the Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H OAL.
Target audience of professionals:
Local authority officers, special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs), teachers, heads of service, special educational needs (SEN) advisers, and anyone working in SEN provision.
Description:
SENJIT has more than 20 years' experience in providing not-for-profit special education needs and disability courses for teachers and SEND staff, allied to strategic SEN consultancy, research and development services in partnership with a range of national and international agencies. It also provides support groups, local training and consultancy for SEN teachers, health professionals and others working on inclusion and special educational needs. Most courses are free of charge to those from SENJIT subscribing local authorities, but it works with professionals to provide answers to SEND needs. Its professional networks are made up of like-minded colleagues seeking to develop and exchange professional expertise. Those working in isolated settings particularly value them. Meetngs are also a way of keeping abreast of current developments and a forum for discussion, exchange of ideas and problem solving.
Their focus can vary. They may invite speakers and share research, or they may be engaged in specific projects. For example, the Meeting Medical Needs group has produced a set of guidelines on working with children with complex medical needs in the mainstream classroom. The networks can be facilitated by members of staff at Senjit or can be entirely self- steering.
The groups meet on a termly basis.
Attendance is free to SENJIT members or £50/term to non-members.
SENJIT hosts the following professional networks:
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Early Years Area SENCO Development Group
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Education of Young People in Public Care
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Educational Psychologists: Hearing Impairment
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Peripatetic Teachers of the Deaf and Hearing Impaired
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Teachers of Children with Autism in Mainstream Schools
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Teachers in Charge of Units for Children with Hearing Impairment
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Meeting Medical Needs
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PRU Managers Support Group
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Provision Management in Special Provision
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Peripatetic Teachers of the Visually Impaired.
Contact:
If you are interested in setting up a new network or joining one of the existing networks contact Tina Catchpole on 020 7612 6305, or email t.catchpole@ioe.ac.uk
Website:
SENJIT Network
South East Intensive Interaction Network
Location:
Meetings occur at different venues throughout the south east area (for details see www.intensiveinteraction.co.uk).
Target audience of professionals:
Any professionals working with children and adults who have severe learning difficulties or communication difficulties or parents.
Description:
The South Ease Intensive Interaction network meet once a term to discuss Intensive Interaction practice and networking.
Contact:
For further information about this network, contact: Carol Jones at cjones@youngepilepsy.org.uk
Website:
www.intensiveinteraction.co.uk
VITAL Network
Location:
National: London and South East Group meet in various locations across North and South London.
Target audience of professionals:
VITAL (Visual Impairment Touches All Learning) is a network of professionals working with children with complex needs and visual impairment. VITAL is facilitated by RNIB but is mainly comprised of teaching and associated professionals working in schools, services, early years and health settings.
Description:
VITAL has become a network of regional focus groups, that all are linked and represented on a national steering group. Focus groups are now operating around the country, providing an opportunity for visiting teachers of the visually impaired, school teaching staff and assistants, early years workers and other professionals to meet together for professional development and networking. Groups meet twice a year, to hear presentations and discuss topics relating to complex needs. Currently there are groups in the following areas:
Contact:
If you would like to find out about, or join, a group near you, contact vital@rnib.org.uk or telephone 0113 386 2815 for more information.
Website:
VITAL Network
Networks and groups near you!
If you attend or know of a network or special interest group for professionals with an interest in visual impairment in your area, and would like it included in the RNIB Network Directory, please let us know at cypf@rnib.org.uk or call us on 0121 665 4213.
Don't forget to check out our National Network Groups page, containing information on national networks and special interest groups which meet all over the UK as well as online networks!