Nettleham Resource Centre (NRC) is one of seven education centres that is a part of Sense College in the East Midlands & East Anglia for people who are deafblind and for people with a single sensory impairment with associated disabilities. It is jointly managed, by and has very close links with, the Windsor Resource Centre in Louth.
NRC is situated in the centre of the attractive village of Nettleham (adjacent to the library), close to the cathedral city of Lincoln. The centre has excellent facilities. It has been specifically developed to meet the specialist educational, vocational and recreational needs of deafblind people and offers a unique, tranquil, spacious and bright environment. The Centre itself comprises areas and rooms where resources are focused on Life Skills, Multi–Sensory Interaction, Crafts and Creative Arts and Information & Communications Technology and a communal common room. The day currently starts at 9.30am and ends at 3.30pm. Applications are welcomed on a full time or part time basis, including individual sessions.
The centre offers a wide range of educational activities that are incorporated into an individualised timetable for each person. Learners attend the centre under a variety of funding schemes. Within the overall centre programmes, each deafblind person has his/her own individual schedule and plan designed to meet specific requirements. These are regularly reviewed initially after six weeks, but then every six months, though many changes to programmes can happen immediately if appropriate.
More formal reviews take place every six months when education reports are prepared and the individual learning plan is updated. Their week might consist of a combination of programmes including:
- Educational Courses: Open College Network (OCN), ASDAN, Practical Language, Literacy & Numeracy courses
- Therapies: Hydrotherapy, Physiotherapy, Aromatherapy, Sensory / Self Awareness
- Creative Arts / Music; for example 3-D Art, using keyboard and percussion instruments
- Life Skills Programmes; such as Cooking, Personal & Social Development,
- Environmental Studies
- Recreational Activities: Swimming, Bowling, Gym, & Community Awareness
- Vocational Activities: for example Horticulture, Administration Work Placements: for example in Retail Mobility programmes
Access to Information & Communications Technology (ICT) are embedded within these activities. Communication is the cornerstone of all the sessions; a ‘Total Communication’ approach is taken with the focus on the deafblind persons preferred means of communication. This may include Sign Supported English, British Sign Language, and the Deafblind Manual Alphabet, braille, Moon & technological aids to Communication.
We also use pre-language communication methods such as Objects of Reference and Symbol based communication systems. Professionally qualified education staff work at NRC and are supported by Learning Support Assistants who all complete induction and post induction modules to deal with the specialised needs of people who are deafblind including communication methods. We also use external specialists where appropriate for example members of the Physiotherapy and Speech and Language Therapy Services, who will offer advice and support and may put in place specialised individual programmes.
For further information please contact
Maggie Sykes – Community Services Manager
Sense, The Hammond Centre, East Street, Nettleham, Lincoln LN2 2SL Telephone: 01522 595 777
Email: maggie.sykes@sense.org.uk
