Family officers and appeals advisers

NDCS believes that the family is the most important influence on a deaf child’s development.

We believe that families have the right to make informed choices on behalf of their deaf child. We aim to empower deaf children, young people and their families to determine what happens in their lives and shape the services they receive.

Our family support team includes -

Our Freephone Helpline team have a wealth of knowledge and experience. They will listen to the caller’s questions and concerns and offer clear and balanced information and support on many issues relating to deafness including education, benefits, audiology and technology.

Our team of family officers are based across the UK. Their role is to empower and support families to make informed choices. They have local knowledge and can provide information, support and advice to families covering a wide range of topics and issues to do with deafness.

Our team of benefits appeals advisers have extensive knowledge of deaf-related disability benefits. They can support and sometimes represent families with appeals to the tribunal in relation to Disability Living Allowance.

Our team of specialist education appeals advisers have knowledge and experience of how education and disability law works. They can offer support with appeals to the tribunal in relation to your child’s special educational needs or disability discrimination in education.

They will provide you with information and advice about your case to empower you to make informed decisions on behalf of your child and move your case forward. Depending on the situation, they may be able to offer representation at tribunal hearings.

Families and professionals should initially call the NDCS Freephone Helpline. In many instances, the helpline staff will be able to answer your query. If more specialist or individual support is needed for families, the helpline staff will pass on your details to  other members of the family support team as appropriate (detailed above). There may be occasions when we would refer you on to an organisation with specialist knowledge.

The type and level of support will vary from family to family ranging from one-off telephone advice through to representation at a hearing* where appropriate.

*The hearing is the last stage of an appeal. During the tribunal hearing an independent tribunal panel made up of qualified members, one of whom is a lawyer, considers the evidence and makes a decision on your appeal, based on the law.

When you first call the Freephone Helpline, if you prefer to speak a language other than English, tell us the language of your choice and your phone number (in English). We will call you back with an interpreter within a few minutes.

When meeting with our staff, if you use British Sign Language or a language other than English we can arrange an interpreter in the language of your choice.

Where possible, we can have formal written correspondence available in other formats and languages.

To ensure our service is always of a high quality we will ask you for your views on the support we have provided you with.

For more details see NDCS Complaints and Feedback Policy.