Hearing support service (HSS) 

The HSS works with children and young people from birth to 18 years with mild to profound hearing loss.  Students with an education, health, and care plan (EHCP) can be supported up to the age of 25 while attending further education.  

We are a team of specialist advisory teachers, known as qualified teachers of the Deaf (QToD).  In addition, the team has a specialist teaching assistant who is the audiology technician and a sign language support worker who is a native British Sign Language (BSL) user.  Many parents will also meet the Educational Audiologist who regularly attends Audiology clinics for school age children. 

We work across two local education authorities: Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council.  We provide advice and support to:

• children and young people
• families
• pre-schools
• schools
• colleges

We work in close partnership with local special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) education teams and Dorset Children’s Audiology Services. 

If you are concerned about your child’s hearing, please speak to your Health Visitor, School Nurse, or GP who can do an initial assessment and make a referral to Audiology if appropriate. The HSS does not provide diagnosis of hearing loss. 

Summer Activity Day

The Hearing and Vision Support Service (HVSS) held an Activity Day in the summer term for children who are blind or have low vision and children who are deaf or have a hearing loss. The Activity Day was an opportunity to make new friends, gain social skills and develop a sense of belonging to a peer group.