Windsor Resource Centre (WRC) 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.
Windsor Resource Centre is situated on the Fairfield Industrial Estate to the north of the lovely Lincolnshire market town of Louth. The centre has excellent facilities. It has been specifically designed to meet the specialist educational, vocational and recreational needs of deafblind people and offers a unique, tranquil, spacious and bright environment.
The centre itself includes areas and rooms where resources are focused on Life Skills, Multi–Sensory Interaction, Therapy, Crafts and Creative Arts, Information & Communications Technology, Music, and, and a common room. Horticulture is carried out in the lovely gardens of a Sense residential house. Currently, the day starts at 9.30am and ends at 3.30pm. Applications are welcomed on a full time or, part time basis including individual sessions.
WRC offers a wide range of educational activities that are incorporated into an individualised timetable for each person who is deafblind. Learners attend the centre under a variety of funding schemes.
Within the overall centre programmes each deafblind person has his/her own individual timetable 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, · Therapies: Hydrotherapy, Physiotherapy, a range of Therapies, Sensory / Self Awareness
- Creative Arts / Music: for example 3-D Art, Keyboard Skills, & Percussion Workshops
- Life Skills Programmes: for example Independent Skills (cooking, cleaning shopping), Personal & Social Development, Environmental Studies ·
- Recreational Activities: Swimming, Bowling, Gym, & Community Awareness ·
- Vocational Activities: for example Horticulture, Administration ·
- Work Placements: for example in a Retail or Woodwork Factory environment
Mobility programmes and access to Information & Communications Technology (ICT) are embedded within these activities. Communication is the cornerstone of all the sessions and a ‘Total Communication’ approach is taken with the focus on the deafblind person’s preferred means of communication. This may include Sign Supported English, British Sign Language, and (BSL) 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 WRC 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 a physiotherapist, speech and language specialist and a Music teacher comes in to the Centre for several sessions a week.
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
