SHSS - Suffolk Hearing Support Service

MISSION STATEMENT: “To support and advise anyone experiencing difficulties with hearing loss. Empowering people to function in a positive and valued way.” BACKGROUND HISTORY: Suffolk Hearing Support Scheme started life as a countywide team in Ipswich in 1989. The Scheme is attached to the Suffolk Deaf Association providing a free service to NHS hearing aid users; maintaining hearing aids, giving support and advice. Around 1996 the growth and recognition of the scheme grew and it gained joint funding from Suffolk County Council Social Services and the Health Authority. It was recognised that the service provided by the Scheme fell inline with the Community Care Plan. The year 2000 saw a slight name change and became Suffolk Hearing Support Service. The service provides carefully selected and trained volunteers, who visit people in their own homes. These visits allow for routine maintenance of NHS hearing aids and give a one-to-one personal service for instruction of fitting the hearing aid mould as well as a friendly face to talk to about any concerns or effects that hearing loss has. Hearing Aid Clinics are run throughout the county. This enables clients to drop in to have their hearing aids maintained and gain advise on how to get the most from the aid. Equipment Clinics are also run around the county giving clients the opportunity to try out various pieces of equipment such as amplifying telephones and flashing lights doorbells. Some equipment is available for the client to take home and “try before they buy”. Equipment can also be purchased on the spot. 2006 saw the Service winning “The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service”, a huge honour of which we are all extremely proud.
	Marie Waller – Manager, Suffolk Hearing Support Service Technical and Rehabilitation Officer for Deaf People Marie worked in Hospital and clinical environments for many years before transferring into the voluntary sector. After 4 years in the voluntary sector Marie was appointed Manager of SHSS and has held the position for nearly five years. During that time she has trained as a Technical and Rehabilitation Officer for Deaf People (TROD) one of only three qualified TRODs in the county, and the only qualified TROD working outside of Social Care Services. Marie provides a very knowledgeable and friendly personal service to our clients and is able to use her wealth of skills and knowledge to assess and suggest an individually tailored package to suit each client. Marie has also passed Level 1 Deaf Awareness and Level 1 BSL.
	Ellen Kaye, Technical and Rehabilitation Assistant. Ellen comes from a long and prestigious hospital background, working in clinical environments for many years. She recently came to SHSS from Whips Cross Hospital in London bringing many years of valuable experience in both clinical and administrative knowledge. Ellen joined SHSS this year and is proving to be a major asset. She is working hard on her in-house Technical and Rehabilitation Assistant (TRA) course, drawing on her vast experience in the health sector to provide a top class service to our clients. Ellen enjoys mixing with people and her forte lies in her personable ability to really understand her client’s situation whilst providing a professional consultation which really targets the client’s needs.
	Dee Payne, Hard of Hearing Clubs Co-ordinator. Dee has many years experience in the commercial and health sectors and is extremely diligent and thorough in her work. Dee is very well travelled and communicates passionately with people of all ages and walks of life. Dee’s varied and exciting role involves travelling throughout the county visiting existing HoH clubs, researching and setting up new ones, investigating transport, and by no means least, explaining the benefits of the services Hard-of-Hearing Advice Centres and Clinics offer. Her energy and enthusiasm ignites! HoH clubs provide a social outlet for hard of hearing people to meet and enjoy talks, activities and friendship. Using the latest communication techniques, speech to text and an inductive loop system, clients are assured of total inclusion in club activities no matter how severe their hearing loss.