Success in saving services for deaf children in Stoke on Trent

In the face of legal action, Stoke on Trent council have made a significant U-turn on cuts to vital services for deaf children, a campaign victory for local parents of deaf children. The case has wide and serious implications for other councils considering or making cuts to help for deaf children. 

After NDCS applied for a High Court legal challenge, the council have now agreed to quash their earlier decisions to cut a Teacher of the Deaf post and to reduce the level of support to over 200 deaf children in Stoke on Trent. The council will now effectively have to go back to the drawing board and ensure parents are fully consulted on any changes. In the meantime, NDCS is asking local parents in Stoke on Trent to get in touch urgently if they experience any reduction to the service.

The legal action followed months of campaigning by local parents of deaf children, including a petition that was signed by nearly 600 people, letters to local decision-makers and speaking to journalists.

NDCS is now urging other councils across the UK to ensure they listen to parents' concerns and follow the proper legal processes in place to protect deaf children. With one in five councils across England having already cut educational support for deaf children, NDCS is continuing to call on parents to let us know urgently if they see any changes to their services. NDCS is also continuing to support parents across the country to challenge these cuts and protect services for deaf children.

To support NDCS’s campaign to save services for deaf children: 

• Contact your council now to confirm their spending plans >
• Visit our map to check the situation in your area and share any intelligence >
• If there are cuts in your area, download our guide to saving services > 

Parents who are concerned about the support their child is getting should contact the NDCS Freephone Helpline on 0808 800 8880 or email helpline@ndcs.org.uk.  

NDCS is very grateful to solicitors, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, and a barrister from 11KBW for the legal support they have provided free of charge to support NDCS’s legal action against Stoke on Trent council. 

More information:

Consent order between Stoke council and NDCS's solicitors (380 kb)

Letter to Stoke council from Freshfields solicitors (Part 1).pdf (3705 kb)

Letter to Stoke council from Freshfields solicitors (Part 2).pdf (2863 kb)

NDCS campaign to save Stoke on Trent services for deaf children

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