About this factsheet

This factsheet is part of RNID's North range. You will find it useful if you want to find out about services for deaf people in the Hartlepool area. We use the term 'deaf' throughout to refer to all types of hearing loss.

We give a brief description and contact details for every service, which are listed under the following headings:

Audiology

If you have any concerns about your hearing aid or think you need a hearing aid, ask your GP to refer you to your local audiologist.

The Cleveland audiology centre provides a range of audiology services to hospitals in the area.
Cleveland audiology unit, The James Cook University Hospital, Marton Road, Middlesbrough TS4 3BW
Telephone: 01642 850850
Fax: 01642 823574

Benefits

You may be able to claim a range of benefits as a deaf person. You need to fill in a claim form for each type of benefit you want to claim. You can get these from the Benefit Enquiry Line or download them from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) website www.dwp.gov.uk (external link, opens new browser window)

Benefit Enquiry Line (BEL)

A free advice line run by the DWP.
Telephone: 0800 882 200
Textphone: 0800 243 355
Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6.30pm, Saturday 9am to 1pm.
The BEL can help you fill in your form. They will normally call you back within five days of your request for help to fill in the form.

Tax credits helpline

Help and advice about claiming child tax credit and working tax credit.
Tax Credits Office, Inland Revenue, Preston PR1 OSB
Telephone: 0845 300 3900
Textphone: 0845 300 3909
Open 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.

Benefits Agency

Ward Jackson House, Wesley Square, Hartlepool TS24 8EZ
Telephone: 01429 253 703

British Sign Language (BSL) classes

Level 1 classes are run at Hartlepool college of further education and at Hartlepool Deaf Centre. Classes are also run at several regional colleges and other organisations. For details, search the Council for Advancement of Communication with Deaf People (CACDP) website www.cacdp.org.uk (external link, opens new browser window).

Go to 'find a course' then click on the interactive map and the north east.
Telephone: 0191 383 11 55

Children and young people

CHILD Deaf Youth Project

Youth provision for deaf children who live in the Tees Valley area.
Middlesbrough Deaf Centre, 3 Park Road South, Middlesbrough TS5 6LD
Telephone: 01642 852165
Textphone: 01642 826775
Email: contact@cdyp.co.uk

Education Hartlepool

Regional Hearing Impaired Service
Telephone: 01642 247286

Northern Counties School

A special residential school (non maintained) for children who are deaf and for those with other disabilities.
Great North Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 3BB
Telephone: 0191 2815821
Textphone: 0191 2815821
Email: info@northerncounties.newcastle.sch.uk

National Deaf Children's Society

Provides information and advice on many issues relating to childhood deafness.
Wendy Westgarth, regional officer – north & north east England
Telephone: 0191 258 4667
Textphone: 0191 258 4756
Fax: 0191 258 4667
Email: wendy.westgarth@ndcs.org.uk

Communication support

RNID Communication Services North East
Telephone: 0161 276 2305 Textphone: 0161 276 2306
Fax: 0161 276 2328
Email: csunortheast@rnid.org.uk

North east interpreters

A web page resource is available listing nationally registered BSL/English interpreters in the north east. Search www.northeast-bslenglish-interpreters.co.uk (external link, opens new browser window)

Deafsign

www.deafsign.com (external link, opens new browser window) provides information, contacts and discussion on issues related to deafness and sign language.

Tees Valley and Durham Communication Support Service

Starts August 2005. Aims to provide free BSL/English interpreting and lipspeaking support (health and social services) for people living in Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton, Darlington and Durham.

Employment

If you are looking for work and would like help and advice, go to your local Jobcentre Plus. You can ask for an appointment to see a disability employment adviser (DEA). A DEA is part of the disability service team. They will help you draw up an action plan to find a job or training and tell you about the access to work scheme.

Employment Link

Support for people with disabilities, including sensory problems, to seek and secure employment and training opportunities.
PO Box 190, Hartlepool, TS24 OWZ
Telephone: 01429 282400

Equipment

The Independent Living Resource Centre

Provides information and advice to disabled or older people about equipment and adaptations that will help them to be more independent. The ILRC is a department of Disability North.
Disability North, The Dene Centre, Castle Farm Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 1PH
Telephone: 0191 2840 480
Email: reception@disabilitynorth.org.uk

Sarabec Ltd

Products for deaf people.
15 High Force Rd, Middlesbrough TS2 1RH
Telephone: 01642 247789
Textphone: 01642 251310
Email: mail@sarabec.co.uk

Legal

There are time limits for bringing complaints under the Disability Discrimination Act. The time limit starts from the date when the discrimination took place. If it is an employment issue, you have three months (minus one day) to bring a complaint to the Employment Tribunal. If it is to do with goods, services or education, you have six months (minus one day) to bring a case to court. If you are thinking of taking legal action, you should get legal advice immediately. You can get legal advice from the following organisations.

The Disability Law Service

Telephone: 020 7791 9800
Textphone: 020 7791 9801
Fax: 020 7791 9802
Email: advice@dls.org.uk

The Law Society

Textphone: 0870 600 1562
Website: www.solicitors-online.com (external link, opens new browser window)

Community Legal Service

Website: www.justask.org.uk (external link, opens new browser window)

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

87 Park Road, Hartlepool, Cleveland TS26 9HP
Telephone: 01429 273223
Fax: 01429 868803
Website: www.hartlepool-cab.co.uk (external link, opens new browser window)

Lipreading classes

Many deaf and hard of hearing people benefit from joining a lipreading class. A qualified teacher can show you how to recognise words by their shape on the lips rather than by sound. This can increase your confidence so you can take part more fully in conversations. Classes are held at Hartlepool college of further education, Stockton Street, Hartlepool TS24 7NT
Telephone: 01429 295000
Fax: 01429 292999
Email: enquiries@hartlepoolfe.ac.uk

Social activities

Hartlepool Deaf Centre

Provides deaf awareness, sign language and communication tactics training. Also hosts social events and a darts league.
26 Stockton Rd, Hartlepool, TS25 1RL
Telephone: 01429 222206
Email: contact@teesdeafnetwork.org.uk
Website: www.teesdeafnetwork.org.uk (external link, opens new browser window)

Teeside Deaf Football Club

Eleven and five a side football for male and female players with any level of deafness.
David Robinson, c/o Hartlepool Deaf Centre
Email: ddrobbo26@hotmail.com

Hartlepool borough libraries

Provide a small lending collection of subtitled videos and some lipreading videos for learners, in addition to their other lending, reference and IT services. Some staff have BSL training.
Central Library, 2 York Rd, Hartlepool TS26 9DE
Telephone: 01429 272905

Cinemas

To find out about subtitled screenings of films in Hartlepool check www.yourlocalcinema.com (external link, opens new browser window)

Theatres

To find out about BSL interpreted performances in Hartlepool, contact SPIT (Signed Performances in Theatre), 1, Stobart Ave, Manchester M25 0AJ
Telephone/Textphone: 0161 773 1715
Email: sarah@spit.org.uk
Website: www.spit.org.uk (external link, opens new browser window)

To find out about captioned performances in Hartlepool, contact STAGETEXT, York House, Empire Way, Wembley, London HA9 0PA
Telephone/Textphone: 0208 903 5566
Fax: 0208 903 5566
Email: enquiries@stagetext.org.uk
Website: www.stagetext.org.uk (external link, opens new browser window)

Social and healthcare services

Social services

Provide an assessment of needs to identify areas where support or specialised equipment is needed.
Elizabeth Cannon, The Havelock Centre, 1 Havelock Street, Hartlepool TS24 7LT
Telephone: 01429 869028
Textphone: 01429 221580

NHS Direct

A telephone helpline staffed by nurses and professional advisers, giving confidential healthcare advice and information.
Telephone: 0845 4647
Textphone: 0845 606 4547

Other organisations

British Tinnitus Association (BTA)

Provides information about tinnitus, encourages and finances research and has details of local groups and contacts.
Ground floor, Unit 5, Acorn Business Park, Woodseats Close, Sheffield S8 0TB
Telephone: 0800 018 0527 or 0845 4500 321
Fax: 0114 250 9933
Email: info@tinnitus.org.uk
Website: www.tinnitus.org.uk (external link, opens new browser window)

Hearing Concern Active

Campaigns for improvements for working age adults with a hearing loss.
Telephone: 0845 074 4600
Textphone: 0845 074 4600
Email: info@hearingconcern.org.uk
Website: www.hearingconcern.org.uk (external link, opens new browser window)

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People

Trains dogs to alert severely and profoundly deaf people to important sounds such as the doorbell, telephone and smoke alarm.
The Grange, Wycombe Road, Saunderton, Princes Risborough, Bucks HP27 9NS
Tel/Textphone: 01844 348 100
Fax: 01844 348 101
Email: info@hearing-dogs.co.uk
Website: www.hearing-dogs.co.uk (external link, opens new browser window)

LINK Centre for Deafened People

Link has a network of volunteer outreach workers who provide support and information to deafened people and their families.
LINK, 19 Hartfield Rd, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 2AR
Telephone: 01323 638230
Textphone: 01323 739998
Fax: 01323 642968
Website: www.linkcentre.org (external link, opens new browser window)

Tees Deaf Network

Promotes equality and accessibility for deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people in the Tees Valley area.
Middlesbrough Deaf Centre, 3 Park Rd South, Middlesbrough TS5 6LD
Fax: 01325 257975
Email: contact@teesdeafnetwork.org.uk
Website: www.teesdeafnetwork.org.uk (external link)
(site currently under construction)

National Association for Deafened People

Secretary, PO Box 50, Amersham, HP6 6XB
Telephone: 01494 723613
Fax: 01494 431932
Email: enquiries@nadp.org.uk
Website: www.nadp.org.uk (external link, opens new browser window)

Forest Books

Supplies books, videos and CD ROMs on deafness.
The New Building, Ellwood Rd, Milkwall, Colefield, Gloucestershire GL16 7LE
Tel/Textphone: 01594 833858
Fax: 01594 833446

Further information from RNID

RNID Manchester office

RNID regional communication and information officers provide information, give talks and demonstrations of equipment to lipreading classes and hard of hearing clubs, and attend exhibitions and events.
RNID North, Aeroworks, 5 Adair Street, Manchester M1 2NQ
Telephone: 0161 276 2301
Textphone: 0161 276 2302
Fax: 0161 274 3606
Email: information.north@rnid.org.uk

Find out about news and events in your area, see What's happening in the north of England on RNID's website.

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank Eileen Tourret at Hartlepool Borough Libraries for her help in writing this factsheet.