1 in 4 councils have no specialist units for deaf children

• New interactive map shows shocking disparities in support for deaf children.
• 40 of England’s 150 councils now have no specialist teaching units.
• One in ten have closed in the last five years.
• Charity says the situation has become “a postcode lottery and some people don’t even get a ticket.”

One in four councils (27%) have no specialist teaching units for deaf children and they have plummeted to the lowest level on record, a new online map has revealed.

The new figures, taken from an interactive map launched today by the National Deaf Children’s Society, show that 40 out of 150 councils across England now have no specialist units at all for deaf children.

Almost one in 10 (9%) have closed in the last five years, with just 237 now remaining, compared to 260 in 2016 when records began.

Specialist units are an important option for parents to have available when deciding where to send their deaf child to school.

They offer deaf children an opportunity to be educated alongside their hearing peers and get additional support in a mainstream school. This can include one-to-one teaching, help from specialist teachers and ongoing advice with their technology, such as hearing aids.

Yet the charity’s map shows huge disparities in the numbers available for England’s 45,000 deaf children.

In Devon, there is one unit for every 525 deaf children in the area, significantly above the national average of one per 190. Dorset (843 deaf children) and Staffordshire (763) don’t have any units at all.

The map also highlights lots of areas with low numbers of Teachers of the Deaf, who visit deaf children, families and schools to provide crucial support.

The national average is one for every 62 deaf children, but in Hillingdon, London, it’s one per 212. Outside London, the highest is in Derby (1:151).

Although specialist units are closed for a variety of reasons, the National Deaf Children's Society is concerned that in too many cases, local authorities and schools don’t do enough to invest in them or make parents aware that they’re available.

As a result, the charity says that support for deaf children has become a “postcode lottery” and is calling on the Department for Education to act.

It’s launching the online map to give parents key information at the click of a button, such as the number of specialist units, deaf children and Teachers of the Deaf in their area. They can also get a direct comparison to the national average.

The map also offers them a direct link to local Ofsted inspection reports, plus the opportunity to get involved in local campaigns and contact their MP or education service directly.

Mike Hobday, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said:

“Specialist units can give deaf children in-depth support, help with their technology and the chance to be educated alongside their hearing peers. They also offer a group of deaf friends, which some deaf children don’t find until adulthood.

“Every time a unit is closed, families in that area have fewer options for the future of their deaf child’s education and this is just one aspect of the shocking disparities that now exist. Support for deaf children has become a postcode lottery and some people don’t even get a ticket.

“The Department for Education and local authorities must urgently look into and address this injustice, but until they do, it’s crucial that parents and deaf young people can find out about support in their area.

“This map will provide some of that vital information so they can make informed decisions about their deaf child’s future.”