Henshaws Society for Blind People (Liverpool)
Key Facts
Location
Project Criteria
Contact
Bob Simonds
Email
Project funding
£79,508
Funding round
We were set up in 1867 as a charity in the North of England for blind people and our Family Service was established in Manchester in 1993. In Round 1 we developed a support network for the parents of families affected by visual impairment in Merseyside, North & West Yorkshire and the North East. In Round 2 we expect to enable parents throughout the city to access the information and support they need at all stages in their child's development. It is a development of our wider Merseyside Family Service, which provides one point of access to support, information and social opportunities. The project is also piloting ways of reaching more families through an intensive service focused on single local authority areas. A new post of a Family Support Officer and sessional workers offer:
- Support For Parents:
- extended support and activities delivered from 'The Sunshine Centre', Henshaws' specialist play and learning resource
- home visits to give parents the chance to talk about their needs and get information on topics such as education, healthcare and local services
- peer support networks and information forums to enable parents to meet informally and share experiences
- extended access to Henshaws' 'Handy Guide for Families' information resource
- inclusive play activities, which recognise the needs of visually impaired children with additional disabilities
Support for Professionals:
- raising awareness of the needs of families affected by visual impairment among voluntary organisations, NHS, statutory agencies and professionals through networking, seminars, visual impairment awareness training and project conference
- an e-network is to be developed among these same organisations for sharing information and best practice