RSBC offers interventions providing emotional and practical support in response to family need. Working with the whole family, their aims are to build emotional resilience, improve coping and support positive parenting. As a result, the family develops the skills and confidence to optimise the life chances of their vision impaired child.
We understand that it’s not always easy to access the extra help that is available to vision impaired children and young people. RSBS Advice Service is entirely free and is designed to provide parents of vision impaired children or vision impaired young adults over 16 with clear information and advice in areas such as: Welfare Benefits, Disability Rights, Visual Impairment, Heath & Social Care, Transport & Travel including Freedom Pass, Blue Badge and Motability applications, Grants.
RSBC understands that having a visual impairment can be an enormous challenge both for children and young people as well as for their families. Whether a condition is diagnosed at or shortly after birth or develops during childhood or adolescence, the implications are significant, and many people families will want or need some help to manage these. We believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential.
Alongside our colleagues in health and education, who can support the practical aspects of managing a visual impairment, we are able to offer emotional support to children and families.
RSBC Family Practitioner within the RSBC Families First service provides support focused on a family's emotional needs, particularly at times of difficulty such as diagnosis, deterioration of vision and life events such as starting or moving school.
As a service we aim to provide evidence-based interventions that build emotional resilience, improve coping skills and promote positive parenting. With the child or young person at the centre of our work, we offer a holistic approach which considers the needs of the whole family and looks to work in partnership with the child or young person and their family.
We can offer targeted direct support to children and young people, aged 0-25 who are vision impaired as well as working in partnership with their parents and carers, and other professionals within the family network. This support may be short or long term, face to face or over the phone/video, at home or in school, and aims to support children to thrive by supporting emotional wellbeing, improving confidence and self-esteem and building resilience.
We accept referrals from families directly or from professionals, either direct to myself or through our head office. We would then agree a support plan with reviews as required.
