Quarter of councils plan cuts to deaf children's support services

Freedom of Information requests sent to all 152 local authorities and answered by 103, revealed that one fifth of councils are planning to reduce educational support for deaf children.

Half of councils said they were planning to review the way they help deaf children at school and 16 areas confirmed cuts to speech and language therapy services.

Jo Campion, deputy director of policy at NDCS, said: “For a second year, deaf children across England are seeing the support they rely on to learn and communicate taken away.

"We will continue to fight every bad decision we uncover, but until councils are made to abide by the law and stop hoodwinking parents, our efforts will be hampered.

“The government has set out ambitious reforms for special educational needs support, including for deaf children, but these are inconceivable given the reality of local cuts.  

“The long-term impact of denying deaf children the support they need will be felt for decades to come – ministers must act now to make sure that deaf children have the bright future they deserve.”

NDCS said no council planning cuts could produce an assessment of the impact on deaf children as required by the Equality Act.

The charity also voiced concern that two-thirds of councils failed to provide information about when budget decisions were being made and how families could participate in them.

NDCS is calling on ministers in the Departments for Education, Communities and Local Government and Health to use ministerial powers to hold councils to account over cuts that affect deaf children.

The charity has also launched a petition calling on the government to encourage greater transparency from councils on the support they provide to deaf children.