Sense annual review 2007 by Sense

Sense 11-13 Clifton Terrace Finsbury Park N4 3SR Tel: 0845 127 0060 Fax: 0845 127 0061 Minicom: 0845 127 0062 E-mail: info@sense.org.uk Website: www@sense.org.uk

Patron: Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal Registered Charity Number: 289868 Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England and Wales. Company Number: 1825301 Editor: Colin Anderson Design: Spencer du Bois Photography: Mike Pinches and Jo Crowther

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annual review

2007

sense annual report 2007

Deafblind people face huge challenges with communication, getting around safely and living independently. If you were born deafblind how would you learn about the world about you?

Sense is determined that every deafblind person’s life should be enriched by opportunities and choice.

Breaking down isolation – by reaching out to deafblind people and their families – is one of the most important things Sense does.

Deafblind people are standing up for themselves – taking charge of their lives and having their say.

Sense provides individual services, information and representation for deafblind people their families and carers.

03 01

sense annual report 2007

a sense of belonging Living with little or no sight and hearing brings huge practical difficulties. How does a child who can’t see or hear learn to walk? How does a young person make friends and go to college? How would you live independently or get a job? These are daunting challenges.

This is why a key part of Sense’s mission has always been to help deafblind people to truly connect with the world around them. In my time as Sense’s Patron I have been privileged to meet many deafblind people, and their families, and I am always heartened by what individuals can achieve – given the right support.

Perhaps more daunting though, is the isolation from other people that deafblindness can bring. Many deafblind children are born in very difficult circumstances and may recoil from contact with others – even their parents. Adults may find it very difficult to join in the lives of their communities, and too many older people lead lonely, straightened lives. The families who care for deafblind people often say they feel isolated too – struggling on with little help or support.

Sense breaks down isolation in many different ways: by helping a young child to communicate; by supporting families; by helping older people to keep their independence and dignity, by empowering deafblind people to stand up and be counted. This sense of community, of belonging, is at the heart of what Sense is about – and is why I am proud to be its Patron. Thank you again for your support. Sense’s Patron, HRH The Princess Royal

making the connection At the end of this review you will find a formidable list of corporate donors and trusts who have supported our work over the past year. We also know there have been very many individual donors. We hope they will all be proud of what they have made possible – enabling deafblind people, amongst the most disadvantaged and marginalised people in our society – to connect with their families, other deafblind people and their communities. Those of us who work in Sense are proud of the difference we have made, and are committed to keeping deafblind people, and their families, at the centre of everything we do.

The balance between these is determined by a strong strategy that defines our priorities. This ensures that our campaigning, information and direct services are supporting each other so the most efficient use is made of our resources. This also ensures we make the greatest impact possible as effectively as possible. We hope you will enjoy reading about the difference Sense has made and recognise your special contribution to this. On behalf of all the beneficiaries, we should like to thank you for your contribution to these successes. Dr Tony Best Chief Executive

Dr Katia Herbst Chairman

This review shows the wide range of activities we are involved in. This year there has been new work on connecting older people with the support they are entitled to; pioneering work on bringing deafblind people together to share advocacy skills; and developments in our information services to keep people in touch with developments and best practice. Our direct services have continued with their strong emphasis on quality and developing innovative day services – truly connecting deafblind people with their local communities.

sense annual report 2007

children and families Children who are born with vision and hearing impairments – and often other disabilities to cope with – face a tough start to life. Learning about the world around them, finding a way to communicate, and learning to trust people can be immensely difficult. It is vital that these children, and their families, get help as early as possible.

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Sense’s dedicated staff back deafblind children and their families all the way. They offer skilled early assessments, and advise parents about the best ways to help their child to learn and develop. They listen, they counsel, they support. They liaise with other services – such as education providers – and when necessary they will battle on a family’s behalf.

In 2006/2007:

The first months of Gethin’s life were traumatic. Although he had been registered blind at birth he just wasn’t developing. “Gethin didn’t seem to be in touch with the world around him,” says Jane his mum, “we were terribly worried.”

Our staff also help families to cope with, what many describe as, the stress and isolation of bringing up a child with special needs. Saturday clubs, holidays, family weekends, branch meetings – all these things and more bring families together to share experiences, pass on information and gain strength from each other.

• Sense ran numerous activities for deafblind children including two after-school clubs and two summer schemes in Northern Ireland.

• Deafblind children and their families received help from Sense on over 11,000 occasions last year. 37 deafblind children received one-to-one support from specially trained intervenors who enable each child to participate and interact with their environment.

• Our membership scheme has 1,521 members, and we support 14 branches, Family Network events and a range of other groups across the country. • Young Sense – a project to engage and empower young deafblind people – held various events, including meeting the Head of Disability Policy and Strategy from the Department of Health.

Thanks to you It is thanks to the generous support of trusts, companies and individual donors that Sense can offer specialist services for deafblind children and their families.

When he was also diagnosed as profoundly deaf his parents were deeply shocked and turned to Sense in desperation. A Sense outreach worker, Susan, visited straightaway and since then Gethin has made gradual – but amazing – progress. By lying Gethin on a special wooden board and tapping it to make it vibrate, Susan helped him become aware of vibration and sound and he began to move around. Susan also taught him and his parents hands-on signing, using shapes on each others’ hands to communicate words. Within ten months Gethin was able to tell his mum and dad he was ‘hungry’, ‘tired’ and ‘thirsty’. And more importantly he was able to say ‘Dad’. He’s now six – a sunny, determined boy who is learning new things all the time. He loves to get around with his walking frame, goes to school supported by a Sense intervenor and really throws himself into the swimming and music sessions. “It’s been an incredible journey,” says Jane. “We were in very dark place but now the future holds so much for Gethin.”

“He was able to say ‘Dad’ for the first time”

sense annual report 2007

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In 2006/2007:

When Helen first came to the Cambridge Resource Centre she would push away anyone who tried to touch her. She has little sight or hearing so contact with unfamiliar people can be very frightening. Gradually though – and with the patience and care of the staff–she has learned to use her sense of touch to her advantage.

• We enabled 307 deafblind people to live as they choose in Sense-run houses – where each individual receives the level of support that is right for them. • 286 deafblind individuals were able to learn new skills, socialise and grow in confidence in our day services. • The Commission for Social Care Inspection rated 80% of Sense’s residential services as good or excellent with none rated as poor. No other care provider achieved this. • Sense East was named one of the five best ‘Specialist Independent Colleges’ by the Adult Learning Inspectorate for the educational services it provides for deafblind people.

deafblind adults Sense believes strongly that each individual should be able to choose the help and support that is right for them. Our specialist services enable deafblind people to live as independently as possible, offering a range of housing, educational, employment and leisure opportunities that are built around each individual’s needs and preferences.

communicate, how they like to spend their time, where they like to go on holiday and so on. Some deafblind people will be able to express these wishes very clearly, and have strong ideas about what they would like to do. With other deafblind people, staff will need to watch sensitively and patiently to understand how the individual prefers to live.

Sense’s specialist staff work closely in partnership with each individual, often getting to know them extremely well. Over a period of time they learn about the things that matter to the individual – how they prefer to

Wherever possible, Sense aims to meet the needs and expectations of the deafblind people we serve – and to provide high-quality, tailored services and support to make their dreams a reality.

Thanks to you Our thanks to the trusts, companies and individuals who have supported the work of our day services.

Today when she arrives she says hello by holding out her hand for staff to touch, and then giving them a hug – something she would never have done a few months ago. Then she greets her tutor Tim by touching her nose with his.

“She would push away anyone who tried to touch her”

Tim brings out one of Helen’s favourite objects – a sieve. He puts this close to his face and then leans in towards her. As his face comes into her field of vision a smile spreads across her face and her eyes open wide in delight. For about 20 minutes, Helen revels in the attention – but this is more than just a game. This is intensive interaction and Tim is delighted that Helen can focus for such a length of time. For a person who is normally so introspective, this is huge progress.

sense annual report 2007

becoming deafblind Some people are born deafblind. Many others do have sight and/or hearing but then start to lose this later in life. This is called acquired deafblindness.

Those with Usher type 2 will have been born hard of hearing, often attending a mainstream school, before they too learn that they are losing their sight due to RP.

People with Usher type 1, for example, will have grown up as Deaf–learning to communicate with British Sign Language and often feeling very much part of the Deaf community. Then during their teens – which is challenging at the best of times – they receive the devastating news that they are also losing their sight due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

This can be a terrible blow, and not surprisingly many people feel scared, isolated and very bleak about the future. Sense plays a vital role in providing information and support to these individuals and their families – and helping them to start to think positively about the future again. We also bring people with acquired deafblindness together so that they can offer mutual support, share useful information and have fun!

“For the first time I had somebody to talk to who truly understood my situation” connect action In 2006/2007: • Our Outreach Teams offered vital support and information to 348 people with acquired deafblindness. • Hearing and Sight Impaired UK – a self-help group supported by Sense – enjoyed three lively social events and met regularly to plan their activities. • The National Collaborative Usher Study, a partnership with Moorfields Eye Hospital and the Institutes of Child Health and Ophthalmolgy, was the first major study of this condition in the UK – and has enabled us to provide better information to people affected by Usher. • Express Yourself! – our first creative writing competition – recognised the achievements of deafblind people, carers and professionals, with an award ceremony at the Charles Dickens Museum hosted by Miriam Margolyes.

Thanks to you

Sense is able to provide skilled outreach workers thanks to the generous support of various trusts, companies and many individual donors.

Helen smiles as she watches her daughters giggling, enjoying themselves on the swings in the playground. Like lots of families, a trip to the local park is a regular outing for Helen, her husband and two daughters. Although for Helen, who has little vision and hearing, even this simple trip brings extra challenges – like how to make sure the girls play safely. Helen worries that she is not a proper “mum”. She feels frustrated that she can’t run around with her girls as they go up and down on the slides or hear their screams of delight as they swing ever higher. Her husband often acts as an extra pair of ears and eyes looking out for the girls, while at the same time supporting Helen. Not long ago, Helen was engulfed by feelings of isolation and a lack of confidence as a parent. Lynda, a Sense Outreach Worker came at just the right time and gave her the emotional support she desperately needed. “Lynda helped me to get things right in my own mind,” she says. “For the first time I had somebody to talk to who truly understood my situation.” Now she takes great pleasure in seeing her daughters growing up and enjoying life to the full. And she can face the future with renewed hope.

sense annual report 2007

action In 2006/2007: • 489 older people were given individual support by our outreach workers so that they can keep their independence. • 119 deafblind individuals received 34,179 hours of communicator-guide support to enable them to continue living in the community. • Sense provided 2,321 hours of training to 4,209 individuals from outside agencies, raising awareness of the needs of deafbind people. • In addition to 27 stimulating holidays for deafblind people, Sense organised two holidays for 12 older deafblind people. • 143 individuals volunteered for a Sense holiday – generously giving over 16,000 hours of their time.

supporting older people As people are living longer, many more elderly people are having to cope with combined sight and hearing difficulties. Having a dual-sensory impairment makes it much harder for older people to live independently and to enjoy the interests and social activities that they used to. Many feel isolated and unwanted. Sense provides specialist support and information to enable older people to continue to live as independently as possible. Our outreach workers are able to carry out specialist assessments of an older person’s needs, and to organise appropriate services and support for them.

Communicator-guides for example, provide communication support, offer practical help at home, and enable a deafblind person to get out and about – perhaps to go shopping or to visit the doctors. Sense also campaigns for older people to receive the support they are entitled to. Our Fill in the Gaps campaign has been raising awareness amongst carers – both family carers and professionals – and offering guidance on how best to support older people.

Thanks to you Sense offered 29 friendly, accessible and stimulating holidays to 148 deafblind people last year thanks to the generosity of our supporters and volunteers.

connect Marcelle uses her hands expressively as she talks. She is lively, curious and interested in many things – full of “joie de vivre” as she puts it. This quality has been vital in recent years, now that she is blind and has just a little hearing in her left ear. She lost her husband four years ago and now lives with her daughter’s family. Like many people of her generation she doesn’t like to make a fuss though: “I wish I could see, I wish I could hear, but I can’t so I must accept it.” Making a new start was tough, but with the love of her family – and the support of her Sense outreach worker – Marcelle has made a new life. She now uses a digital hearing aid to follow conversation and listen to the radio, has made new friends at a local social club and tried new hobbies like pottery and making tactile paintings. “I love it very much,” she says. ”I put my finger on it and feel it – the hedges, a path made from gravel.” She has also been on Sense holidays in Teignmouth and Littlehampton which gave her daughter the chance of a break. The holidaymakers – who were all older people with little sight and hearing – were supported by the staff and volunteers to choose the activities that suited them. “I enjoy the holidays so much” says Marcelle, “all the people are very kind.”

“I put my finger on it and feel it – the hedges, a path made from gravel” 13

sense annual report 2007

how do deafblind people communicate? Deafblind people use all sorts of ways to communicate depending on their levels of sight and hearing. Many people will use a combination of methods depending on what suits them best.

Fingerspelling Some deafblind people use fingerspelling (also known as the deafblind manual alphabet) to communicate. Each letter of the alphabet is indicated by a different position on the deafblind personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hand so that words can be spelled out.

British Sign Language Many people who are Deaf communicate by British Sign Language (BSL) which uses hand signs, facial expressions and mouth shapes as a visual form of communication. If someone has reduced vision it is important to sign within their remaining field of vision â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this is called visual frame signing.

Clear speech Speaking clearly is one of the most effective and common ways of communicating with people who have reduced hearing.

If a deafblind person has very little vision they can follow BSL signs by placing their hands over those of the signer and feeling the signs formed. People with Usher syndrome may use hands-on signing as their sight reduces. Some deafblind people may use a simplified version of BSL called Makaton.

Objects of reference Some individuals, who have very profound difficulties, may learn to use objects to communicate. For example, someone may use a mug to indicate that they would like a drink. Or a wooden spoon tied to a door may indicate that a room is the kitchen.

Block With block the individual letters are traced onto the palm of the deafblind person's hand to make words.

sense annual report 2007

campaigning for a better deal Many of the barriers that deafblind people – and their families – face are not caused by the disability itself but by the way our society is organised. Many public services are inaccessible for example, and information is often not provided in a format that a deafblind person can read. Families often find it exhausting to battle for the help they are entitled to. Sense campaigns strongly for a better deal for deafblind people and their families. We push for the rights, services and choices that individuals need to live ordinary, independent and fulfilled lives. And increasingly we are empowering deafblind people to campaign on their own behalf – supporting them to lobby their MPs, local authorities and service providers to take account of their needs.

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connecting with you One of the reasons that the needs of deafblind people are so often overlooked is that this disability is so little-known. Sense strives to raise awareness of the challenges faced by deafblind people and provides specialist information to a wide range of enquirers.

• As a result of our See Me Hear Me project, 52 deafblind people received training to undertake campaigns, or support Sense campaigns, on their own behalf. 26 of these individuals have now taken action and this has resulted in specific changes.

action • In 2006/07 over 900 stories appeared in local and national press, TV, radio and online media, resulting in greater awareness of deafblindness and Sense. • There were over 300,000 visits to our website. • Sense’s Information Team received over 1,600 enquiries, an increase of 10% from the previous year with over 90% of callers rating the service as good or very good. • As part of Sense’s Fill in the Gaps campaign – which is raising awareness of the needs of older deafblind people – 5000 sets of guidelines were disseminated to social service departments, and 140 local authority workers attended training seminars – offering very positive feedback.

• Following Sense campaigning and awareness raising, the number of deafblind people known to local authorities has risen by 12%, and the number of people receiving a communicatorguide service has increased by 4%. 01 16

• After campaigning by Sense and partner organisations in Europe, the European Air Travel Directive was amended to make it relevant to the needs of deafblind travellers.

Thanks to you The See Me Hear Me Project was supported by the Big Lottery, Rank, and Persula Foundations.

• Sense’s specialist library on deafblindness enjoyed an increase in loans last year of well over 400%.

Thanks to you Our Information and Library Service has been set up thanks to support from the Flora London Marathon.

harnessing technology Assistive technology – everything from mobile phone with large print displays to vibrating alarm clocks – has the potential to be enormously useful to deafblind people. Sense’s Technology Advisory Project provides information, advice and training to deafblind people about all the latest technology.

action • Technology information on our website received over 400 visitors each month, and we published two editions of a catalogue of products. • We held two forums where deafblind people shared information about how they use technology, as well as a training day for professionals in the south east. 17

sense annual report 2007

putting on the pounds Once again, our fantastic supporters have been pulling together, digging deep and making a real difference to the lives of deafblind people. This year you have helped us to raise a magnificent £6.0m – which not only allows us to run our current services, but also to develop much – needed new services in the future. Going the extra mile Sense’s supporters having been pushing themselves to the limit to raise vital funds Our runners turned out in force again for the Flora London Marathon with 388 runners hanging on in there to raise a massive £640,000 (1). And in the New York Marathon 68 dedicated runners raised £185,000 for our work. We also held an extremely successful ice skating event where city companies – and Tamara Beckwith and Stefan Booth from ITV1’s Dancing on Ice - sliced across the ice to raise funds (2). The big Orange Since Orange became our biggest corporate supporter in 2005 they have really pulled out the stops. Orange staff have taken on everything from The Three Peaks Challenge to the Togetherness promotion and raised £400,000 in the process (3).

individuals make a difference Children’s stories

Listening banks We’d also like to say a big thank you to the many other companies who have got behind us. The Lloyds TSB Foundation has pledged £53,000 over three years to support our national ‘Fill in the Gaps’ campaign which is raising the awareness of needs of older deafblind people (4). And staff from the Royal Bank of Scotland have helped us in numerous ways – including recruiting runners for the Flora London Marathon and helping to link up with businesses in the Birmingham area.

Sense’s first TV advert, which was broadcast last year, told the story of five-year-old Elliot who is deafblind. Over 1,000 people responded by committing to give a monthly donation to Sense. Another deafblind child – Bethany – appeared in our Christmas appeal and we were overwhelmed by the response from our supporters who raised £145,000. 2

Generous gifts 5

A special thanks to: • The City Bridge Trust who pledged £105,000 over three years to fund a new service providing support for deafblind people living in London. • The Department of Health who are funding three important projects: an advisory service for deafblind people who wish to secure direct payments so that they can purchase the services they require; a project to establish deafblind forums for older people living in the east of England; and our Technology Advisory Project. • The Birkdale Trust for Hearing Impaired Ltd, who have pledged two year support for an advisory teacher and, The Hadley Trust who provided funding for essential health and safety work for the hydrotherapy pool at the Anne Wall Centre.

Amongst many generous legacy gifts this year, a donation from Dr Ann Evans has enabled us to extend our services to reach more families with deafblind children in North Wales. Taking the High Street!

This year has been one of change, growth and success for Sense Trading. Charity retailing has experienced some challenging times in the last few years, but with a careful restructuring, new product initiatives and increased stock gathering, Sense shops recorded their highest gross sales to date, with profits rising by nearly 60% over the previous year. Niche business also grew rapidly – furniture, books and music and online sales increasing dramatically over the previous year’s performance. An exciting and, at times, very challenging year – but Sense shops are now well placed to build on their strong growth (6).

sense annual report 2007

sound finance Income £m

This meant that we were able to increase our services for deafblind people as well as grow our campaigning, public awareness and staff development programmes.

The Consolidated Report and Accounts have been independently audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and are unqualified. They were approved by the trustees on 17 July 2007.

Patron: Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal

The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust The Albert Hunt Trust The Allan & Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust Audrey Earle Charitable Trust Austin & Hope Pilkington Trust Awareness The Ballinger Charitable Trust The Baron Davenport's Charity BBC Children in Need The Beatrice Laing Trust Birkdale Trust for Hearing Impaired Ltd Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry The Blair Foundation BUPA The Carmen Butler Charteris Charitable Trust The Carpenters Company Charitable Trust The Charity of Jamieson-Bystock CHK Charities Ltd The City Bridge Trust Clifford Chance Connie & Albert Taylor Charitable Trust The Constance Green Foundation The Constance Travis Charitable Trust Conygar Investment Company plc Dame Violet Wills Will Trust Dans Le Noir Ltd The David Thomas Charitable Trust The Dixie Rose Findlay Charitable Trust Donald Forrester Trust The Dorothy Hay-Bolton Charitable Trust The Douglas Turner Trust D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust The Dumbreck Charity The Elizabeth & Prince Zaiger Trust The Elmgrant Trust Emerton-Christie Charitable Trust EnviroStream International Ltd Ernst & Young LLP The Essex Youth Trust The Eveson Charitable Trust The Fifty Fund The Four Acre Trust Garfield Weston Foundation GE The Geoff and Fiona Squire Foundation The George & Esmee Pollitzer Settlement The George John and Sheilah Livanos Charitable Trust The Hadley Trust Hardy Underwriting Group Plc The Helen Jean Cope Trust Homelands Charitable Trust The Ian Fleming Charitable Trust ICAP Ltd Jack Patston Charitable Trust

Vice Chairman: Dave Pearson

Income from fundraising and legacies increased by £17k to reach £6.0m and our shops generated £7.6m – up 9.7% from £7.0 last year.

This information represents a brief summary of the financial performance for Sense for the year ended 31 March 2007. The summary may not contain sufficient information to allow for a full understanding of the financial affairs of the organisation. For further information the consolidated Report and Accounts should be consulted. They are available free on request from Sense, 11-13 Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London, N4 3SR. Telephone 0845 127 0060 (voice), 0845 127 0062 (text).

A special thanks to our corporate and trust supporters

Chairman: Dr Katia Herbst (until October 2007) John Crabtree (from November 2007)

A huge thank you to all our staff, volunteers and supporters for helping to make 2006/7 a record year for income generation. The total received by Sense exceeded £50m – overtaking the previous year by nearly 6%.

We spent £37.1m providing services for children, adults and older people – up from £35.8m last year. Our campaigning, public awareness and staff development grew by 12% to £1.5m

Key people

Expenditure £m Adults Shops costs Reserved for future work Fundraising costs Children Campaigning, publicity, quality improvements Older people

34.3 6.6 3.0 2.6 1.8

Total

50.8

1.5 1.0

Shops Fundraising and legacies Fees and allowances Other Statutory Grants

7.6 6.0 35.7 0.9 0.6

Total

50.8

Chief Executive: Dr Tony Best Director, Community Support and Information: Malcolm Matthews Director of Children and Adult Services: Ges Roulstone Regional Directors: North: Bob Snow South East: Alan Avis West: Peter Cheer East: Kate Lockett Director of Finance: Derek Pernak Director of Fundraising: Jane Arnell Director of Trading: Adrian Barker Director of Human Resources: Pete McCollin

The Janet Nash Charitable Settlement The Jean Coubrough Charitable Trust Jo Malone Ltd John Bunyan Lodge John James Bristol Foundation The John Pinto Foundation Johnson Matthey Plc Joseph Strong Frazer Trust Kobler Trust KPMG Lennox & Wyfold Foundation The Lillie C Johnson Charitable Trust LloydsTSB Foundation for England & Wales - National Board Magictaxi.co.uk Major Simon Whitbread Charitable Trust The Manchester Guardian Society Charitable Trust Merchant Taylors' Company Michael Cornish Charitable Trust The Millichope Foundation The Miss Doreen Stanford Trust The Miss J K Stirrup Charity The Misses Barrie Charitable Trust The Misses C M Pearson & MV Williams Charitable Trust Norton Rose Charitable Foundation Orange UK Ormsby Charitable Trust The P F Charitable Trust The Peacock Charitable Trust Penrose Financial Ltd Persula Foundation The Peter Storrs Trust The Pettifer Group The Platinum Trust Polizzi Charitable Trust Princess Anne's Charities Rank Foundation The Rayne Foundation Rococo Chocolates The Royal Bank of Scotland Group S.F.I.A. Educational Trust Scrivens Ltd Sir John Priestman Charity Trust The Sobell Foundation Swiss Re Sylvia Waddilove Foundation UK The Tanner Trust Thomas J Horne Memorial Trust The V H Dixon Charitable Trust The Valentine Charitable Trust Vision Charity The Wesleyan Charitable Trust The Wilfred and Elsie Elkes Charity Fund Wragge & Co LLP

sense annual report 2007

sense services Sense is committed to offering high quality, flexible services, using skilled staff and a dedicated network of volunteers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; tailoring the support we offer to the needs of each individual. All our services enable deafblind people to live as independently as possible and to fully participate in the life of their local communities, where they can also enjoy local, mainstream amenities. Our services extend across the UK, responding to local needs as much as possible.

Housing and support for deafblind people

Outreach services

Other services provided across the UK

A range of accommodation choices in the community offer individuals the support they need to live as independently as possible and in the way that they choose.

Specialist workers visit deafblind people and their families across the country to help them to find the information, services and support they need. They also have an advocacy role.

Support for people with acquired deafblindness

Day services

Branches

These individually-tailored programmes which give deafblind people the chance to develop their skills and abilities.

This network brings parents and deafblind people together to learn from and support each other, to campaign for local services and have fun.

Supported employment projects

Holidays â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and where we went this year

We offer skills training and work experience, providing a springboard for job opportunities in the community.

Sense holidays give deafblind people the chance to get away from it all, taste new experiences and have a lot of fun! They also give families a much-needed break from the often-demanding work of supporting a deafblind person.

Communicator-guide schemes Practical help such as shopping, dealing with mail and an escort for trips outside the home enable deafblind people to continue to live independently in their own homes.

The Acquired Deafblindness Team, and outreach workers across the UK, provide vital support, information and advice to people with acquired deafblindness and their families. Training and consultancy Our experienced professionals offer specialist assessments, advice and training on all aspects of working with deafblind and multi-sensory impaired people. Membership Membership offers people a sense of belonging, the chance to be more actively involved in our work, plus the opportunity to receive our magazine, Talking Sense.

Family Education and Advisory Service We work with deafblind children and their families to offer vital early assessments and individual programmes to help children develop their full potential.

4 11 2 22

4 2

3 2

Represents the number of houses by location

where to find us Sense Tel: 0845 127 0060 Fax: 0845 127 0061 Text: 0845 127 0062 E-Mail: info@sense.org.uk Website: www.sense.org.uk Sense Scotland Tel: 0141 429 0294 Fax: 0141 429 0294 Text: 0141 418 7170 E-Mail: info@sensescotland.org.uk Sense Northern Ireland Tel: 028 9083 3430 Fax: 028 90 84 4232 Text: 028 9083 3430 E-Mail: senseni@sense.org.uk Sense Cymru Tel: 029 2045 7641 Fax: 029 2049 9644 Text: 029 2046 4125 E-Mail: enquiries@sensecymru.org.uk

Your support for Sense can make an enormous difference to a deafblind person and their family. Please accept my gift of £15

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towards Sense’s work with deafblind people. I enclose a cheque/postal order/CAF charity voucher made payable to Sense. Or please debit my: Mastercard CAF Charity Card Card Number Expiry Date Maestro issue number Security code Signature Date Title Address

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Gift Aid Please tick here if you would like Sense to reclaim the tax you have paid on this and any future donations you make – this means that your gift will be worth almost a third more! In order for Sense to reclaim the tax you have paid, you must have paid income or capital gains tax in the UK equal to the amount that will be claimed (currently 28p for each £1 you give) Occasionally Sense benefits from exchanging supporter information with other charities. If you would prefer not to hear from them, please tick this box. Please return to Sense, Freepost WC4236, 11-13 Clifton Terrace, London N4 3BR Thank you for your support!