Improving local services
A range of professionals support deaf children on their journey from diagnosis to adulthood. They should be consistently meeting the needs of all deaf children.
What to expect from local services
Parents and carers have the right to expect:
- an early diagnosis for their child
- technology such as hearing aids to be provided (where appropriate)
- information and support for their family
- the role of each professional supporting their deaf child to be clearly explained
- involvement in key decisions about their child’s health and education
- regular opportunities to provide feedback on the services they receive
- professionals working well together across health, education, and social care.
What happens when services are reduced
Reductions to funding, resources and investment in the specialist workforce at the government and local level can have a serious impact on services for deaf children. This can result in:
- fewer staff such as Teachers of the Deaf
- reduced access to specialists
- smaller budgets for services to provide technology
- longer waiting times for audiology and speech and language therapy
- restructures within the local authority, health trust, or resource provision
- staff having reduced access to specialist training.
How we can help you to improve your local services
Support for parents
We encourage families to engage with us when issues arise in their local area. This enables action to be taken as early as possible. There are many ways that families can bring about change for deaf children.
What we can do:
- work together with families when issues arise
- bring key people together to discuss the issues
- challenge reductions to services
- bring parents together to support each other, for example via local Deaf Children’s Societies
- support parents to be a part of their local Children's Hearing Services Working Groups (CHSWGs)
- share reliable information with families to support their understanding of the issues
- work with parents to get their views when there are changes affecting their deaf children
- provide online sessions where parents can share their views
- provide feedback to parents so they know the difference their actions have made.
Support for professionals
We encourage professionals to engage with us when issues arise in their local area. This enables action to be taken as early as possible.
What we can do:
- provide a safe space for professionals to raise issues in confidence
- act on information where there is a potentially negative impact on services
- share information and resources to support improvement
- work in partnership with local professionals to improve services
- share and influence best practice.