This is intended to clearly set out the purpose of SDCS grants, the rules for obtaining a grant, and give guidelines on how much should be given for particular requests. This will ensure that our grants are provided fairly and consistently.
We currently have a sub committee for grant applications – to streamline the process and allow for a quicker turn-around of application requests. The sub-committee is made up of 3 serving committee members. The sub-committee will change every twelve months.
Purpose
To provide SDCS members with financial assistance for the additional costs associated to having hearing loss.
Who is eligible?
SDCS is able to give grants to Deaf and Hearing-Impaired children and their families for equipment or other forms of assistance. These grants usually cover a percentage of the cost and each individual application is considered on its own merit and is submitted to the committee for consideration.
To be eligible for a grant the following criteria must be met.
- The family must be current SDCS members.
- The child must have a permanent sensorineural hearing loss.
- The grant must be relevant to the child’s needs as a Deaf/Hearing impaired child.
- The grant should be for something that could not reasonably be paid for by Education or Social Services. Parents should be aware that the Deaf Services Team, which is part of SCC Social Services, does provide a number of aids for use in the home. The Health Authority can also supply some equipment.
- A grant request hasn’t been fulfilled in the last 12 months by SDCS.
If your child has an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP), the Education Authority or the school under the Code of Practice should ensure that your child’s educational needs are met at school throughout the school day and therefore SDCS cannot consider grants for aids or ancillary services that should reasonably be included in your child’s EHCP or cover things that should be provided by the school or Authority under the Equality Act 2010, such as access to school clubs, trips and buildings.
If your child does not have an EHCP, maintained schools have a delegated budget to meet the educational needs of special needs children and can provide aids and ancillary services from that budget. Under the Equality Act 2010 independent schools should do the same.
We therefore ask that each application should be supported by a letter from a relevant professional explaining why the application does not meet the above criteria and what the advantage will be to the child.
If the application is for something outside of school this could be from the child’s Teacher of the Deaf, NDCS representative, social worker or relevant professional. If it is at school, the application may be supported by a letter from the Teacher of the Deaf or SENCO saying why it doesn’t meet the above criteria.
Grant Process
- SDCS receive grant form & supporting letter
- Sub-committee check above criteria met, then decision made on grant application (accepted/declined)
- Sub-committee agree on monies granted
- Treasurer/assigned committee member responds to parent
- If grant agreed, payment made by treasurer.
Examples of types of grant
These are based on typical grant requests and could be subject to change.
Private tuition -typically Maths/English weekly tuition
A contribution to tuition for a set time (typically six months) subject to agreement by the grant committee If agreed in advance, tutor invoices can be sent direct to the treasurer and SDCS pay tutor directly. Otherwise, it is the parent’s responsibility to pay tutor fees, SDCS then reimburse the parent.
BSL courses
Level 1 – Typical maximum 2/3rds of full course fee
Level 2 – Typical maximum 2/3rds of full course fee
Speech & Language therapy –
A six week block of therapy- SDCS can support you to find an professionally registered SALT therapist if you haven’t found one. The SDCS treasurer will liaise with chosen therapist to arrange contract and invoicing. Parents/carers will arrange sessions with therapist.
Play Scheme therapy – Typical maximum 2/3rds of full course fee
A copy of the course payment should be sent to the treasurer and then the grant payment will be made to parent.
Leads/cables/alarm clocks/vibrating watches etc
Refreshment costs for external agencies
SDCS will fund refreshments or events for deaf children and their families run by external agencies (ToD led student/family events, SALT parent’s meeting).
Assessments for to support EHCP where local authority will not fund.
This is intended to clearly set out the purpose of SDCS grants, the rules for obtaining a grant, and give guidelines on how much should be given for particular requests. This will ensure that our grants are provided fairly and consistently.
We currently have a sub committee for grant applications – to streamline the process and allow for a quicker turn-around of application requests. The sub-committee is made up of 3 serving committee members. The sub-committee will change every twelve months.
Purpose
To provide SDCS members with financial assistance for the additional costs associated to having hearing loss.
Who is eligible?
SDCS is able to give grants to Deaf and Hearing-Impaired children and their families for equipment or other forms of assistance. These grants usually cover a percentage of the cost and each individual application is considered on its own merit and is submitted to the committee for consideration.
To be eligible for a grant the following criteria must be met.
- The family must be current SDCS members.
- The child must have a permanent sensorineural hearing loss.
- The grant must be relevant to the child’s needs as a Deaf/Hearing impaired child.
- The grant should be for something that could not reasonably be paid for by Education or Social Services. Parents should be aware that the Deaf Services Team, which is part of SCC Social Services, does provide a number of aids for use in the home. The Health Authority can also supply some equipment.
- A grant request hasn’t been fulfilled in the last 12 months by SDCS.
If your child has an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP), the Education Authority or the school under the Code of Practice should ensure that your child’s educational needs are met at school throughout the school day and therefore SDCS cannot consider grants for aids or ancillary services that should reasonably be included in your child’s EHCP or cover things that should be provided by the school or Authority under the Equality Act 2010, such as access to school clubs, trips and buildings.
If your child does not have an EHCP, maintained schools have a delegated budget to meet the educational needs of special needs children and can provide aids and ancillary services from that budget. Under the Equality Act 2010 independent schools should do the same.
We therefore ask that each application should be supported by a letter from a relevant professional explaining why the application does not meet the above criteria and what the advantage will be to the child.
If the application is for something outside of school this could be from the child’s Teacher of the Deaf, NDCS representative, social worker or relevant professional. If it is at school, the application may be supported by a letter from the Teacher of the Deaf or SENCO saying why it doesn’t meet the above criteria.
Grant Process
- SDCS receive grant form & supporting letter
- Sub-committee check above criteria met, then decision made on grant application (accepted/declined)
- Sub-committee agree on monies granted
- Treasurer/assigned committee member responds to parent
- If grant agreed, payment made by treasurer.
Examples of types of grant
These are based on typical grant requests and could be subject to change.
Private tuition -typically Maths/English weekly tuition
A contribution to tuition for a set time (typically six months) subject to agreement by the grant committee If agreed in advance, tutor invoices can be sent direct to the treasurer and SDCS pay tutor directly. Otherwise, it is the parent’s responsibility to pay tutor fees, SDCS then reimburse the parent.
BSL courses
Level 1 – Typical maximum 2/3rds of full course fee
Level 2 – Typical maximum 2/3rds of full course fee
Speech & Language therapy –
A six week block of therapy- SDCS can support you to find an professionally registered SALT therapist if you haven’t found one. The SDCS treasurer will liaise with chosen therapist to arrange contract and invoicing. Parents/carers will arrange sessions with therapist.
Play Scheme therapy – Typical maximum 2/3rds of full course fee
A copy of the course payment should be sent to the treasurer and then the grant payment will be made to parent.
Leads/cables/alarm clocks/vibrating watches etc
Refreshment costs for external agencies
SDCS will fund refreshments or events for deaf children and their families run by external agencies (ToD led student/family events, SALT parent’s meeting).
Assessments for to support EHCP where local authority will not fund.