Greater London

Our Family Officer for the Eastern Greater London Region is Alison Marrs (covering Covering Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Havering, Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich).

“I have worked as a speech and language therapist with hearing and deaf children and specialised in working with children with hearing losses for several years.

“After meeting families of deaf children and young people at Family Weekend events, I became interested in working for NDCS in a broader supporting role as a family officer.

“In my role, I seek to get to know and understand what each individual family’s hopes and expectations for their children’s future are, along with deaf children’s views about their own future.

“I will support the whole family to meet the needs of their child and to help them to get access to the same things that their hearing peers can. This may be achieved in lots of ways, by working with professionals in the area, attending meetings and local support groups and giving information to parents and carers about all of the options available for their child, for example.”

Telephone: 0808 800 8880
Textphone: 0808 800 8880
Fax: 020 7251 5020
Email: helpline@ndcs.org.uk

Our Family Officer for the Western Greater London Region is Angela Risner (covering Hillingdon, Merton, Sutton, Wandsworth, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing, Hounslow, Richmond upon Thames, and Kingston upon Thames).

"As a proud parent of a deaf child (now an adult) myself, I am very aware of what having a deaf child means and the challenges that many parents face in getting access to education and other services.

"I also strongly believe that there is no reason why a deaf child cannot achieve at the same level as a hearing child given the right opportunities and encouragement.
A big part of this process involves the family accepting their child as being deaf which is not easy when there is a general lack of deaf awareness in the world. As a result the child and family can often face prejudice and poor access to services. 

"I enjoy talking to parents and giving them advice, information and emotional support where necessary, so that they are in a position to make their own decisions about their child. 
 
"I look forward to continuing with my work with deaf children and their families and to contributing to the family officer team’s overall aim of making sure that every family with a deaf child is aware of and can access our services."

Telephone: 0808 800 8880
Textphone: 0808 800 8880
Fax: 020 7251 5020
Email: helpline@ndcs.org.uk 

Local deaf children's societies are run by parents and carers of deaf children, working together with local health and education professionals. They give emotional and social support to families with deaf children, and give deaf children the chance to meet outside of school.

Our What's on section lists events, family days, signed and interpreted performances, and much more.

There is a team of regional directors whose main roles are to influence key decision makers in local authorities and health services to ensure education, health, social care and other public services meet the needs of deaf children.