Hearing Impairment Team

Eligibility Criteria

Updated September 2025

This is Rotherham Hearing Impairment Teams Eligibility Criteria created to best meet the needs of Rotherham children and young people (CYP) and provide equity across the borough. It is in line with NATSIP hearing impairment thresholds and takes into consideration additional factors such as recent diagnosis, new to UK etc.

While this criteria identifies the support package provided by the Hearing Impairment Team, it is important to highlight the key role settings play in ensuring access and inclusion for their CYP with a HI. Expectations of settings are listed on the next page.

For all Children with a Hearing Impairment

Setting Responsibility

- Share reports with all relevant staff and ensure HI Team recommendations are being followed - Provide basic specialist resources recommended by the HI Team such as; drapes, music toys, hush-ups - Take up free of charge Hearing Impairment awareness training and free staff up to attend - Effective SENCO communication with ToD’s - Include HI CYP on risk assessments for educational visits and liaise with HI Team - Have a Personal Evacuation Plan for HI CYP, where appropriate - Invite HI Team to attend relevant meetings and reviews - Allow opportunities to access the Specialist Deaf Curriculum Framework – this may mean allowing removal from lessons, assemblies, form times etc. - Input HI needs onto SEN census - To provide a quiet room for HI staff in school when required - To provide an identified quiet space for accessing phonics and speech and language learning, exams & assessments - Share key dates including INSET days and educational visits - Implement recommendations from environmental audits to make school accessible - Provide non-specialist equipment such as visual resources to support access to the curriculum - School IT to engage with HI Teams to ensure specialist equipment, software can be used on site

Eligibility criteria for children and young people with Hearing impairment in Rotherham mainstream Schools

Main Language expressive and receptive	BSL	BSL/ Oral
Support Level	A	B	C	D	E	NFA/ F On Request
Degree of HI (Based on the average hearing threshold levels 250-4000Hz in the better ear)	Profound loss/ CI presenting as profound	Severe loss/ CI Presenting as severe	Moderate loss/ CI Presenting as Moderate	Mild loss (aided) / CI Presenting as Mild	Mild loss (unaided) / Unilateral loss (aided / unaided) Hearing aids prescribed but not worn, with mild conductive loss or mild sensori neural loss	Does not meet min threshold. Under review with audiology or ENT fluctuating conductive `watchful wait`.
	95 dBHL+	71 - 95 dBHL	41 - 70 dBHL	21 - 40 dBHL
Support from a Qualified Teacher of the Deaf (QToD)	2 sessions a week Annual assessment, report with recommendations Staff training on request	Weekly visit Annual assessment, report with recommendations Staff training on request	Half Termly Annual assessment, report with recommendations Staff training on request	Termly visit Annual assessment, report with recommendations Staff training on request	Annual visit Annual assessment, report with recommendations Staff training on request *Those completing exams will get biannual check for normal ways of working for exam access arrangements	Does not meet eligibility criteria unless they have a degenerative HI condition, in which case would be annual. Normal hearing levels – but remaining under the care of ENT - On request
Support from a Communication support worker (CSW) * While every effort is made to cover CSW support within the HI Team on occasions where this is not available, school will need to cover	Daily support which will include at least one lesson with the pupil. Other lessons may include creating resources, and brief check ins with pupil/ teacher. As children’s independence, skills, and advocacy increase, this may reduce as appropriate. For some pupils BSL interpretation may always be needed.	Support in up to 3 lessons a week. As children’s independence, skills, and advocacy increase, this may reduce as appropriate.	Blocks of support for a minimum of 6 sessions. This will be to work on a specific and pre planned skill. Further blocks of support may be offered if further skills are needed.	N/A	N/A	N/A
Schools input Schools should be sharing reports and ensuring all staff are following recommendations	Provide school support staff who have been trained in the needs of the HI CYP and where appropriate BSL Provide planning with 2 weeks’ notice for pre-teaching and resources Allow removal from lessons by negotiation to access specialist curriculum	Provide school support staff who have been trained in the needs of the HI CYP and where appropriate BSL Provide planning with 2 weeks’ notice for pre-teaching and resources Allow removal from lessons by negotiation to access specialist curriculum	Provide school support staff who have been trained in the needs of the HI CYP Provide planning with 2 weeks’ notice for pre-teaching and resources Allow removal from lessons by negotiation to access specialist curriculum	Allow removal from lessons by negotiation to access specialist curriculum
BSL Instructor	BSL lessons for pupil in school as per communication needs Family sign course as needed Access to Parent BSL Level 1 &2 course	BSL lessons for pupil in school as per communication needs Family sign course as needed Access to Parent BSL level 1 &2 course	BSL lessons for pupil in school as per communication needs Family sign course as needed Access to Parent BSL level 1 &2 course	Any requests for BSL input from the BSL Instructor will be considered on a case-by-case basis
Audiology	- Hearing aids and cochlear implants will be checked by the Teacher of the Deaf according to the pupil’s frequency of visit. - Training will be provided for the pupils, families and teachers to successfully look after hearing aids, CIs and radio aids and understand their hearing loss. - The Teacher of the Deaf will explain audiological information provided by Health and the impact of this on access to learning to teachers, parents and pupils. - All HI children will be considered for a radio aid and where needed, will be loaned by the Hearing Impairment Team. - Radio aids will be provided Radio aids will be balanced and verified on set up and annually. - Environmental audits can be provided to settings to advise on adjustments to improve the listening environment, such as; advice on flooring, additional soft furnishing, acoustic boarding, trial of a sound field system, hush-ups, lighting, reduction of background noise sources.
Family Support worker	Blocks of family support can be provided where needed. Support is arranged by referral from Teacher of the Deaf.
Pupils	- Take care of equipment and inform HI Team of any problems promptly (where appropriate) - Use self-advocacy skills to identify what they need say when something is not working - Take responsibility for charging own equipment (where appropriate) - Remember, take care of and clean hearing aids (where appropriate) - Follow instructions, particularly when there is risk involved such as; carrying out experiments, learning independent living skills or travel skills - Use recommended adapted resources and equipment

Alterations to Provision Indicated

· Children who are new to country and/or awaiting further audiological testing move up a band

· Children who are awaiting a Cochlear Implant or in early stages of post-operative rehabilitation move up a band

· Children who are in a transition year (Year 2,7 & 11) will be provided with a transition package based on their level of need

· The degree of hearing impairment in the better ear normally has the determining impact on level, however if a child is experiencing greater difficulties than the better ear level determines, the child can move up a band. (e.g. mild/moderate, moderate/severe or with fluctuating hearing loss)

· Children with ANSD can move up a band where appropriate

*Any children needing greater support than their bracket, this should be submitted with reasoning to Team Manager, Claire Edginton-Boutle

Early Years Home visits Criteria

All new Early Years referrals will have monthly involvement until a management plan for hearing loss is established. If aided, this level of involvement will continue until consistent hearing aid use is established. (EYM)

Support Level	A (EYA)	B (EYB)	C (EYC)	D (EYD)	E (EYE)	NFA
Degree of HI (Based on the average hearing threshold levels 250-4000Hz in the better ear)	Profound loss	Severe loss	Moderate loss/ Mild loss (aided)	Unilateral loss (aided)	Mild loss/ Unilateral loss (unaided)	Any referrals made outside of Audiology will be directed to Audiology for assessment
	95 dBHL+	71 - 95 dBHL	41 - 70 dBHL/21 - 40 dBHL		21 - 40 dBHL
Support from a Qualified Teacher of the Deaf (QToD)	Fortnightly involvement	Monthly involvement	Half Termly involvement	Termly involvement	Twice Yearly involvement

Early Years Nursery Criteria up to and including Foundation stage 1

All new Early Years referrals will have monthly involvement until a management plan for hearing loss is established. If aided, this level of involvement will continue until consistent hearing aid use is established.

Support Level	A (EYA)	B (EYB)	C (EYC)	D (EYD)	E (EYE)	NFA
Degree of HI (Based on the average hearing threshold levels 250-4000Hz in the better ear)	Profound loss	Severe loss	Moderate loss/ Mild loss (aided)	Unilateral loss (aided)	Mild loss/ Unilateral loss (unaided)	Any referrals made outside of Audiology will be directed to Audiology for assessment
	95 dBHL+	71 - 95 dBHL	41 - 70 dBHL/21 - 40 dBHL		21 - 40 dBHL
Support from a Qualified Teacher of the Deaf (QToD)	Monthly involvement	Monthly involvement	Half Termly involvement	Termly involvement	Annual involvement
Input from Communication support worker (CSW)	2x Weekly visit	1x Weekly visit	Block of support where required

Special Schools Criteria from Foundation 2

Support Level	A (SS)	B (SS)	C (SS)	D (SS)	E (SSE)	NFA
Degree of HI (Based on the average hearing threshold levels 250-4000Hz in the better ear)	Profound loss	Severe loss	Moderate loss/ Mild loss (aided)	Unilateral loss (aided)	Mild loss/ Unilateral loss (unaided)	Any referrals made outside of Audiology will be directed to Audiology for assessment
	95 dBHL+	71 - 95 dBHL	41 - 70 dBHL/21 - 40 dBHL		21 - 40 dBHL
Support from a Qualified Teacher of the Deaf (QToD)	Annual assessment Half Termly Hearing Aid/ Radio Aid/ CI monitoring	Annual assessment Half Termly Hearing Aid/ Radio Aid/ CI monitoring	Annual assessment Half Termly Hearing Aid/ Radio Aid/ CI monitoring	Annual assessment Half Termly Hearing Aid/ Radio Aid/ CI monitoring	Annual assessment
Additional 6 week teaching blocks may be given to develop a particular strategy or outcome. (Support plan issued)	Examples of block focuses; Recent setting transition Increase hearing aid / Cochlear implant use Communication strategies Language development- (Is language in line with Cognitive development) Listening behaviours- (Has listening had time to develop with HA/CI worn consistently) Preparation for audiology testing – (Development of waiting behaviours) Assessment of the speech sounds and/or clarity of speech or number of words being used Personal Understanding of Deafness
Input from Communication/ Inclusion support worker (C/ISW)	Half Termly Hearing Aid/ Radio Aid/ CI monitoring	Half Termly Hearing Aid/ Radio Aid/ CI monitoring	Half Termly Hearing Aid/ Radio Aid/ CI monitoring	Half Termly Hearing Aid/ Radio Aid/ CI monitoring

Further Education Provision Grid (This is a chargeable service agreed by individual Post 16 settings)

Support Level	Bespoke Support Offer FB	Additional Support Offer FA	Universal Offer
Level of HI	Severe HI	Moderate HI	Mild HI
Support from a Qualified Teacher of the Deaf (QToD)	Annual assessment Direct teaching of communication, access and independence skills Written advice – transition/access/EHCP/placements Relevant training Liaison with college staff Support to develop advocacy skills	Attendance at meetings Monitoring of hearing levels if degenerating/fluctuation condition Written advice – transition/access/EHCP/placements Annual assessment Staff training if appropriate	Written advice – transition/access/EHCP/placements Training/awareness raising Annual assessment and report Liaison with relevant staff