Welcome To Wirral

Deafness ranges from mild hearing losses through to severe or profound deafness and can affect one or both ears. Some deaf children/young people may not have any other disabilities, whereas for others, deafness may be part of other complex additional needs. All children with any degree of deafness/hearing loss are supported or monitored by our service.

The majority of children are referred to the service by Paediatric Audiology (Health), often due to the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme which screens all newborn infants in Wirral for deafness/hearing loss. However there is an open referral system for any parent/carer or professional who may be concerned about the hearing of a child/young person who is under their care. Thus, referrals may come from schools’ SEN (Special Educational Need) Co-ordinators, school nurses, other special educational support staff, local authority professionals, health professionals and parents/carers. In all cases, to ensure that parents/carers are given informed choice, referrals made require the written consent of parents/carers before our service can become involved.

Wirral Hearing Support Service (Deaf Education Services) offers a range of services to deaf children and young people aged 0 – 19 and their families.

Members of staff have expertise in language and communication development (spoken language and British Sign Language), social development, audiology and other issues arising from deafness.

The Service provides flexible support for families, Early Years settings and schools which is reviewed regularly.

Service staff work in three areas: Early Years, Primary and Secondary.

• Early Years staff work alongside Health professionals in the national Newborn Hearing Screening (NHS) Programme. They offer support to families after diagnosis, working in homes, Audiology clinics and Early Years settings. Staff provide parents/carers with information about language and communication options, and empower families to provide a stimulating environment in which their deaf child’s language and communication skills can flourish.
• Primary staff can provide training and information to teachers at Key Stage 1 and 2, in-class support and individual sessions with the deaf child to promote, assess and review language and communication development – thus supporting inclusion and access to the Primary curriculum.
• The Secondary team can provide training and information to teachers, and tutorial and in-class support to enable access to the curriculum at Key stage 3 and 4. They also offer support during transition when deaf young people may be transferring to further training or employment.

Primary and Secondary staff offer advice and support regarding special arrangements for school examinations and assessments.

Specialist Teaching Assistants work in Early Years settings, Primary and Secondary schools under the direction of teachers of the deaf.

Services are delivered via a peripatetic centrally based team who are dedicated to supporting children within their local setting/school wherever this is appropriate. The team consists of:

• Teachers who have additional qualifications in the teaching of deaf children and young people, audiology, special needs, early years, and British Sign Language
• Specialist Teaching Assistants who have additional skills and experience in working with deaf children and young people, including qualifications in British Sign Language

There is also a Hearing Support/Deaf Base located at Townfield Primary School which offers support to deaf children who have particular needs, including that of regular Sign Supported English/British Sign Language input, to enable access to the curriculum.

Direct contact with parents/carers is maintained throughout our Service’s involvement, enabling support/advice to be provided as appropriate. Staff liaise as necessary with other agencies including: Paediatric Audiology; other Health professionals; other Special Education Support Services; Social Care; Speech and Language Therapy and Voluntary Organsations, ensuring a holistic approach.

Wirral Hearing Support Service (Deaf Education Services) staff have technical competence with regard to the management and evaluation of hearing aids and cochlear implants and are involved with the Modernisation of Hearing Aid (MHAS) project.

For further information, please contact:

Head of Service; Hearing Support Service(Deaf Education Services)

Tel: (0151) 637 6165 (general office – sms/text messages can be sent to this number)