Decommissioning of Prevention Service for Adult Social Care Service Visually Impaired Services


Currently, Northamptonshire County Council commissions (i.e. buys) a number of services through Northamptonshire Association for the Blind (NAB).

These services offer adults with sight loss advice, help and practical support to overcome the emotional and practical challenges of living with sight loss. This helps them to live as full, active and independent a life as possible in their own home and/or with their family or carer.

The services we buy from NAB helps those adults who require support due to their sight loss to:

  • Receive help to overcome the emotional trauma of sight loss, maintain a positive outlook on life and retain personal independence. This includes advice, guidance and support to:
    • cook safely when they have poor eyesight, and with food storage and preparation
    • get out and about i.e. doing the shopping
    • stay safe in and around the home
    • other daily living skills
    • get advice and guidance on the availability of health, social care, employment and other services, and benefits and entitlements that might help them overcome whatever challenges they might be struggling with as a result of their sight loss
  • Receive advice on the availability, suitability and use of specialist aids and equipment. These range from simple items such as bump-ons, talking watches, talking books and magazines, mobility aids, talking kitchen equipment plus task and other forms of lighting through to assistive technology such as magnifiers and telecare products.
  • Receive advice on the use of suitable ICT equipment such as smart phones, tablets, computers and voice activated devices.
  • Receive help on using the internet including online shopping and social media.
  • Support people to meet and socialise with other people who have similar, or different levels of sight loss at various locations within Northamptonshire.
  • Help people to learn new skills or to enjoy new hobbies, cultural activities, leisure pursuits and sporting activities.
  • Discover how to make use of existing skills or how to enjoy again many of the activities and interests they used to enjoy before their sight loss.

NAB can provide their advice, guidance and support to those that need it at either one of NAB’s sight centres or support within a person’s own home. However, due to its current poor financial situation the Council is now having to consider if the above services should be stopped or provided in a different way.

Have your say

You can give us your views in a number of ways. Please visit our web site for all of the different ways you can give your feedback, including our online questionnaire.

The deadline for this consultation is 5pm on 8th November 2018.