New deaf service working out what support needed

Support for people who are deaf and hard of hearing is continuing while a "bigger conversation" about the future of the local service goes on, councils in Northamptonshire have said.

Last month Northamptonshire-based Deafconnect announced it would close due to lack of funds after 150 years in operation.

But north and west Northamptonshire councils appointed Cambridgeshire-based RJ Community CIC (community interest company) which took over the running of the service on 1 April.

Matthew Jenkins, who is overseeing the service for the county, said the councils would "work with RJ Community to work out what support [deaf] people need".

Jenkins, the assistant director of adults and health partnerships at North Northamptonshire Council, said he "acknowledged the concern that the closure has had on the deaf community".

He said that an initial grant of about £22,000 had been given to the CIC by the councils to "ensure continuity" while "wider support that may be required in the future" had been assessed.

Deafconnect supported about 300 people annually and the councils previously said they expected the same to be replicated by the new provider.

RJ Community CIC will initially run Northamptonshire services for 12 months, and started by holding social groups for deaf people in Northampton and Corby.

Ruth Godden, from the CIC, which is based in Whittlesey, said she was "really excited" to be running "information and advice services across Northamptonshire".

"We will be helping people to access interpreters, give advice around benefits, housing, equipment, as well as some advocacy and looking at emotional wellbeing."

Godden said the CIC also aimed to increase its offer of face-to-face sessions, with one per week currently held in both west and north Northamptonshire.

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