I always enjoy visiting our wonderful local charity SNAP, which offers support, advice and a caring cup of tea to families with a child with special educational needs. The team at SNAP are experts in negotiating the various hurdles and hoops families have to go through to ensure they are getting the best help for their children. My most recent visit was to meet with parents who are currently going through the system, to find out what support I might be able to offer them in bringing their concerns to the attention of Government ministers and the education and SEND team at Essex County Council.
Having visited SNAP, I was interested to receive news from the NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) about a pioneering school-based eye care service which will help children with learning disabilities and autism across Essex access essential eye tests and vision support in a way that is easier, more accessible and better suited to their needs.
Bright Sight, delivered by Primary Eyecare Services and funded by NHS Essex, is set to bring specialist eye care directly into special schools later this year, reducing the stress and barriers often associated with hospital or high street appointments. This promises to be a great service which will take one of the stress points away from parents who may have previously struggled to get eye care for their children in standard settings.
I look forward to hearing more about the programme as it is rolled out in special schools across Essex.
