How we support families

NDCS represents the interests and rights of all deaf children and young people. We support the deaf child through the family as well as directly. We provide to following to do this.

Our Freephone Helpline gives clear, balanced information and support on many issues relating to childhood deafness, with specialist advice on audiology and technology. Interpreters are available to use with this service.

The Freephone Helpline number is 0808 800 8880 (voice and text), and the email address is helpline@ndcs.org.uk.

You can find out more about the Freephone Helpline here.

We provide a wide range of publications for families of deaf children. They cover many topics relating to childhood deafness, including parenting, communication, technology, health and education matters.

These publications can be ordered through the Freephone Helpline, or can be downloaded from the Family support section of the website.

This service gives deaf children and their families throughout the UK the opportunity to borrow a wide range of technology, including radio aids, equipment for watching TV, and alarm clocks, to try out in the comfort of their own homes or schools. We also work losely with local education and social services, who will often provide equipment to children on a long term basis after a loan through our service. You can find out more about this service here.

The NDCS equipment fund supported by Thales UK is a fund for providing deaf children aged 4-18 years of age who are in full time education with computer equipment to enable them to access the internet. You can find out more about it on the NDCS Equipment Fund page.

Parent place is an online forum for parents of deaf children to share experiences and opinions. Parent Place can be accessed from the Homepage.

Our Listening Bus is equipped with the latest technology designed to help deaf children with communication and learning, and in the home. The Bus visits schools, community events, audiology centres, local deaf society events and many more places.

You can find out where the Bus will be by downloading the schedule map:
Listening Bus Schedule Map (806 kb)

If you would like to book the Bus, or would like to find out more about it, you can contact our Freephone Helpline.

Family Officers can help parents with the personal and practical challenges of raising a deaf or partially hearing child. They have excellent knoledge of local services, benefits and education rights. You can find out more about them here.

If families of deaf children need legal help with education and support issues, such as help with tribunals, our Legal caseworkers can help. You can find out more about the legal casework service through the Freephone Helpline.

We have a specialist advisor who can help parents with benefits claims and Disability Appeals Tribunals. Parents can find out about this support through the Freephone Helpline.

We run a range of family events, including weekends for families of newly identified children and family fun days throughout the UK. These events have information sessions for parents and activities for children. You can find out about our events programme in our What's on section.

We run activity days and holidays, covering arts themes, sports and other outdoor activities, where deaf children and young people can socialise, have fun, build their confidence and learn new skils. You can find out about these on the Whats on pages.

Families who are members of NDCS recieve an award winning quarterly magazine, packed with information and articles, and age appropriate handbooks. The email Updates inform families of current events and news to do with childhood deafness. You can find out more about this on the Membership page.

NDCS supports over 100 local deaf children's societies, based all around the UK. They exist to give emotional and social support to parents with deaf children, and to give deaf children the chance to meet outside of school.

Groups often work very closely with the health and educational professionals in their local area. Many were started by a professional who saw a need for more social support in their area.

If you would like to support the start-up of a local group please contact katy.mccoy@ndcs.org.uk. You can also find out where your closest group is, and about local groups in general here.