Sensory team

The Sensory Team is part of the South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership. We provide support to people who are Deaf and people who are affected by hearing and / or sight loss throughout South Ayrshire.

We work closely with NHS Ayrshire and Arran ophthalmology and audiology colleagues, social work community care teams, third sector groups such as the Sensory Impaired Support Group (SISG), RNID, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), British Deaf Association, Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (The Alliance) as well as local community support groups.

We can help with the following:

Providing emotional support
Providing information and advice on all aspects of hearing and / or sight loss
Maintaining the register of sight impaired people and offering registration visits
Signposting to other services such as welfare benefits, community groups, support groups
Providing training on communication and independent living skills
Providing mobility training to develop and increase safe and independent movement both indoors and outdoors such as using public transport
Demonstrating the use of equipment to support independence
Linking people in to their community
Assessing care and support needs using Self Directed Support.

We can visit you at home or at one of our drop-in clinics held in various locations throughout South Ayrshire. Contact the team for further information on where and when our drop-in clinics are held

Contact details

If you or someone you know would benefit from our services, contact us for more information:

Phone: 01292 616637
Text: 07977 540721
Email: sensory@south-ayrshire.gov.uk

British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us via Contact Scotland BSL - Scotland's online BSL interpreting video relay service (VRS). If you have hearing or speech difficulties use Relay UK when contacting us.

Our office hours are Monday to Thursday 8.45am to 4.45pm and Friday 8.45am to 4.00pm.

emergencySMS

Did you now if you cannot make voice calls, you can now contact the 999 emergency services by SMS text from your mobile phone.

Emergency SMS is part of the standard 999 service which has been designed specifically for people with hearing loss or difficulty with speech.

Please use the link below to register for this service -

https://www.emergencysms.net/files/3649_esms_6.pdf

Drop in clinics

A member of the Sensory team will be available to provide information and advice for people who are deaf or have a vision or hearing loss at the following drop in clinics.

Book N Bun, 28 Newmarket Street, Ayr - First Thursday of the month 1-3pm
Maybole library - Second Monday of the month 1.30-2.30pm
Age Concern, 2 Duff Street, Girvan - Second Monday of the month 3-4pm
Prestwick - 65 Club, Main Street - Third Wednesday of the month 10-11am
Troon Library - Third Wednesday of the month 12-1pm

Visual Loss Support Group

South Ayrshire Sensory Team and SISG hold a support group for people with visual loss. This is an informal goreup where we hope to offer practive and emotional support. This group meets on the last Tuesday of the month from 2pm - 4pm at the SISG Headquarters in Ayr. There is no cost to attend this group. For more information please click here. (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)

Macular Group

Join Macular Scotland for their local support group, this group provides information and support to those with macular disease, their family and friends. This group meets every fourth Thursday each month from 2pm to 3.30pm in Prestwick. For more information on this group, click here.

Walking Groups

Please find the link below for Paths for All which is national project to help people of all ages and abilities to be able to enjoy short walks. If you would be interested in joining a health walk or would like to start a walk in your area please use the link below or contact the Sensory Team who can help.

Paths for all website

Health Walk for people with a hearing loss

Every Tuesday at 10.30am meeting on Ayr Promenade adjacent to the Horizon Hotel. It is a gentle walk along the promenade and suits all abilities as people can stop for a rest and then we can pick them up on the way back along the promenade. People should dress for the weather and bring their own refreshments. More details can be provided by telephoning Fiona at SISG on 01292 266791 or Karen at the Sensory Team on 01292 616637 or email Sensory@south-ayrshire.gov.uk or text 07977 540721.

British Sign Language Local Plan

View the BSL Local Plan here

Sensory Impaired Support Group (SISG)

Sensory Impaired Support Group (SISG) provide practical and emotional support to older people with sight or hearing loss including a number of short video clips to help older people who are struggling with hearing and/or sight loss. They include:

How to clean your hearing aid
How to change your hearing aid battery
How to re-tube your hearing aid
Sight loss hints and tips
Good communication tips - hearing loss
Stress management tips

Please visit the SISG website to get more information about Hearing Battery Pick Up Points, Community Hearing Support Hubs for help to maintain your hearing aid and the support groups available for people with hearing loss: www.sisg.co.uk

Alternatively contact the team by email at denise@sisg.co.uk or telephone 01292 266791.

The South Ayrshire Sensory Team and SISG