The Children's Sensory Team (CST)

We work with children and young people from birth to 25 years, with hearing and / or vision impairment. We can work with them in their homes, play-groups, nurseries, schools and colleges.

You can watch our video about the service in British Sign Language (BSL).

What does the service provide?

We are a team of qualified teachers with experience of working both in mainstream and special schools. We provide training for specialist qualifications in hearing impairment or vision impairment. The team also includes other specialist sensory staff with additional qualifications.

We can:

offer support and advice to families about their child's sensory impairment
provide assessments regarding the child or young person's sensory impairment
write advice and provide strategies to support children and young people in their learning and development
provide specialist equipment when needed
teach Braille and British Sign Language as appropriate
train teachers and other professionals about sensory impairment
liaise with parents and other professionals
provide awareness-raising sessions for peers
attend meetings and reviews
signpost families to other services

How do I access the service?

We have an open referral system. This means that pupils, parents / carers and professionals can all refer to us.

The child or young person being referred must:

have a vision impairment or vision difficulties and /or have hearing impairment or hearing difficulties
be between 0 and 25 years of age
live in Harrow

live in a different local authority but attend a Harrow educational setting without an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)

Once referred, the child or young person with sensory impairment will be assessed by a specialist teacher in order to identify if support is required from the Children's Sensory Team.

If the young person is, a Harrow resident of 16- 25 years and attends a Further Education College without an EHCP, their college will provide advice and support or request to buy Children's Sensory Team (CST) services.

Independent educational settings must pay for the service received from the CST. A service can only be offered if the CST has capacity to provide this service. This flowchart illustrates the pathway to service.

Application forms

If you are completing these forms via a mobile device please ensure you have the Abode Reader app installed. You can get it from Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for iPhone.

Requesting a referral

To request a referral to the Children's Sensory Team please complete the CST Referral and Consent form

Medical consent

To update your medical consent form please complete the CST Medical Consent Form

Harrow Children's Sensory Team (CST) Charges for Services

CST charged services are for Children and Young People with sensory impairment (living in Harrow) attending independent schools or further education colleges without Education, Health Care Plans (EHCP) who require support to meet their needs in relation to hearing impairment and/or vision impairment. The agreement is between the CST and the educational setting.

Please click on the link below:

CST charged services request form

Contact us

Harrow Children's Sensory Team
Harrow Council, Civic Centre 5 & 6, Station Road, Harrow HA1 2XY
Tel: 020 8051 8370
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For deaf or partially hearing callers, we welcome communication via email, fax, text or by using the Text Relay Service
Tel: 0800 731188
Textphone: 0800 500 888
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Further information on Children's Sensory Team

Children's Sensory Team detailed information about the service
What to do if you suspect your child has a hearing or vision impairment?
Possible signs of school age children having hearing difficulties
Possible signs of school age children having vision difficulties
What do you do if you feel that your child has social, emotional and mental health difficulties?
Children' Sensory Team - Parental Questionnaire 2016: What was fed back
Children' Sensory Team - Parental Questionnaire 2018: What was fed back
Children' Sensory Team - Pupil Questionnaire 2018: What was fed back
Children' Sensory Team - School Staff Questionnaire 2018: What was fed back
Children' Sensory Team - Health Questionnaire 2018: What was fed back
Children' Sensory Team - Social Care Questionnaire 2018: What was fed back
Information about the roles of the staff who work in the Children's Sensory Team
What is Habilitation for children with vision impairment?
A leaflet about the Children's Sensory Team
A leaflet about Early Years and CST
Useful contacts for other organisations or companies for hearing impairment and vision impairment

Children's Sensory Team Events

Courses for professionals

Basic Sign Language Course: Children and young people with hearing impairment and/or vision impairment 5 week (40 minutes a week) online course.
Harrow Children’s Sensory Team (CST) invite you to attend a free course on Microsoft Teams. This course is in high demand! Please fully commit to all 5 sessions. Only pick one course below.

The course takes place at 3:45 pm – 4:30 pm each Monday for approx. 40 minutes.

Course A 10th 17th 24th 31st Jan & 7th Feb 2022, book course A
Course B 21st, 28th Feb 7th, 14th, 21st March 2022, book course B
Course C 25th April 2nd, 9th, 16th & 23rd May 2022, book course C
Course D 6th, 13th, (Not the 20th June) 27th June , 4th July & 11th July 2022, book course D

For further enquiries please contact the Children’s Sensory Team at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please note:

All information sent to the CST will be held securely by Harrow Council.
Cameras must be on throughout the course or you will be asked to leave the session.
There is no opportunity to change the date.
You will only receive a certificate of the course if you have attended all 5 sessions.
There is not an opportunity to retake the course with the CST due to high demand for places.
If you are unable to attend, please let us know so your place can be offered to others.

Thank you.

Courses for parents

Basic Sign Language Course: Children and young people with hearing impairment and/or vision impairment 5 week (40 minutes a week) online course. Harrow Children’s Sensory Team (CST) invite you to attend a free course on Microsoft Teams. This course is in high demand! Please fully commit to all 5 sessions. Only pick one course below

The course takes place at 10 am to 10:45 am each Monday for approx. 40 minutes

Course A 21st, 28th Feb 7th, 14th, 21st March 2022, book course A BSL
Course B 6th, 13th, (Not the 20th June) 27th June, 4th July & 11th July 2022, book course B BSL

All information sent to the CST will be held securely by Harrow Council.
Cameras must be on throughout the course or you will be asked to leave the session.
There is no opportunity to change the date.
You will only receive a certificate of the course if you have attended all 5 sessions.
There is not an opportunity to retake the course with the CST due to high demand for places.
If you are unable to attend, please let us know so your place can be offered to others.

Thank you.

Dates for next CHSWG meetings

(Children’s Hearing Screening Working Group)

Thursday 25th November 2021 10 -12 pm
Thursday 3rd February 2022 10 -12 pm
Thursday 23rd June 2022 10 -12 pm

Additional resourced provision

Harrow schools with additional resourced provision for children and young people with hearing impairment

Cedars Manor School
Whittlesea Road
Harrow
HA3 6LS
Tel: 020 8428 5845
Website: www.cedarsmanorschool.co.uk

Hatch End High School
Headstone Lane
Harrow
HA3 6NR
Tel: 020 8428 4330
Website: www.hatchend.harrow.sch.uk

There are no Harrow additionally resourced schools for children and young people with vision impairment.