Mobility and Independence Services for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment aged 0-19

Tender description

Cumbria’s children and young people with vision impairment have needs in terms of mobility and independence which include, but are not limited to, orientation, cane skills, using indoor and outdoor routes, avoiding obstacles, crossing roads, using public transport, money handling and going shopping. Children and young people with vision impairment are at risk of poor outcomes across a range of emotional and social wellbeing indicators and the risks are even greater for those with vision impairment and an additional disability. Parents, schools and specialist support services all have a role to play in providing social skills and independence training to children and young people with vision impairment. Cumbria Local Safeguarding Children’s Board’s (LSCB) Early Help Strategy acknowledges the Government’s guide to Working Together to Safeguard Children, March 2015, and agrees that providing early help is more effective in promoting the welfare of children than reacting later. Early help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges, at any point in a child’s life, from the foundation years through to the teenage years. Keywords: mobility, visual, independence