Compass Assistive and Rehabilitation Technology Service

Compass Specialised AAC Service – COVID-19 response

We are doing all we can to continue providing our service during the current situation.

Please read our eligibility criteria and continue to refer to our Specialised AAC Service.

If you have a fault with your equipment, please call our technical support line 020 8780 4500 ext 5965 or email compass@rhn.org.uk.

If you have any other ideas about how we can support you, or have any questions please contact us.

Visits and remote support

As lockdown eases, we are starting to carry out visits. However, we recognise how vulnerable our patients are and therefore we are continuing to offer as much support remotely as we can. We will still offer the following support measures where we can:

Remote support over the phone/video call.
Remote diagnosis and fixing of faults through our Log Me In remote support tool (this should already be on your machine).
Sending or dropping off equipment that we have pre-setup for use.
Providing resources to try and support immediate needs.
Supporting local services with resources and equipment to support immediate needs.

Face to face Visits

If we do offer to visit you, we will plan this with you and we will wear the appropriate protective equipment when we visit. We will be unable to visit if there is evidence of COVID-19 symptoms or diagnoses in your home. This document details how we will manage a visit and the types of precautions we will be taking:

What to expect from a face-to-face visit

Unfortunately, it is unlikely that we will be able to visit you if you live in a residential care home as many of these have strict visitation guidelines in place at present.

Together with our colleagues in AAC services around the UK, we are providing as many useful resources as we can to help you manage your communication systems. We are grateful to them for sharing their resources.

Downloadable resources

Useful techniques (videos)

Supporting communication in hospital

Supporting communication with patients who have COVID-19
Free English tools
Cue cards

Easy read documents on COVID-19

Other specialised services resources

NHS Specialised Assistive Technology Services – for information on services in your area and downloadable resources
Local AAC Services Commissioning Toolkit – for help with developing your local services
Communication Matters – for all you need to know about Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Assistive technologies can enable disabled people to carry out everyday tasks they would otherwise be unable to do.

Tasks such as communicating, using a computer, getting around in a powered wheelchair, controlling the television, lights or other household equipment.

An iPad adapted with assistive technology so that a brain injured person can communicate is an example of augmentative and alternative communication.

Rehabilitation technology can assist someone to achieve their goals as part of their rehabilitation programme. For example, computer games can be used to help someone with a brain injury to improve their concentration or work on their problem-solving abilities. Specialist equipment can be used to support physical rehabilitation eg biometric measurement equipment and games that allow interaction in alternative ways.

Compass is our assistive and rehabilitation technology service. The Compass team includes specialists in electronic assistive and rehabilitation technology. These include speech & language therapists, occupational therapists, clinical technologists and technology support workers.
They work with patients at the RHN on the wards and in the computer therapy room, as well as working with people referred from the community, other hospitals, nursing homes and other settings.

To contact us, please email compass@rhn.org.uk (please note this is not a secure email address so should not be used to send any personal information).