This factsheet is part of RNID’s your area range. You will find it useful if you want to find out about services for deaf people in the Stockport 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 think you need a hearing aid, ask your GP to refer you to the audiology department at Stepping Hill Hospital.

If you have a problem with an NHS hearing aid, there is a clinic at the audiology department, Monday-Friday, 8.15am-6.00pm. Appointment only.
Audiology Department, Stepping Hill Hospital, Poplar Grove Stockport SK2 7JE
Telephone: 0161 419 4183 
Fax: 0161 419 5411

Benefits

As a deaf person, you may be able to claim a range of benefits. You will 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)

Stockport Sensory Loss team (details later) or Stockport Advice (see below) can offer advice about rights, benefits and entitlements.

Benefit Enquiry Line (BEL)

This is a free advice line run by the DWP. 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.
Telephone: 0800 882 200
Textphone: 0800 243 355
Monday-Friday 8.30am-6.30pm, Saturday 9am-1pm

Stockport Advice

Ponsonby House, Edward Street, Stockport SK1 3PT
Telephone: 0161 474 3093
stockport.advice@stockport.gov.uk

Tax Credits helpline

Help and advice about claiming tax credits.
Tax credits office, Inland Revenue, Preston PR1 0SB.
Telephone: 0845 300 3900
Textphone: 0845 300 3909
Open 8am-8pm, seven days a week.

British Sign Language (BSL) classes

Level 1 classes are held at Stockport College and Level 1 and 2 classes at Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College.  Classes are also run at other centres.  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 northwest.

Children and young people

Education Service for the Sensory Impaired (ESSI)

Headteacher, Mrs Ruth Le Lohé
17 Greek Street, Stockport, SK3 8AB
Telephone: 0161 474 3905/6 
Fax: 0161 477 3571
headteacher.essi@stockport.gov.uk

National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS)

NDCS provides information and advice on many issues relating to childhood deafness.
Bob Davies, regional officer, northwest England.
Telephone: 0151 546 9042 
Fax: 0151 546 9042
The NDCS website (external link, opens new browser window)

Royal Schools for the Deaf Manchester

A non-maintained special school for deaf and deafblind children and young people who have additional or complex special education and residential care needs.
160-166 Stanley Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle SK8 6RQ
Telephone: 0161 610 0100
The RDS Manchester website (external link, opens new browser window)

Communication support

If you need communication support, such as a BSL/English interpreter or lipspeaker contact Stockport sensory loss team or RNID communication services north.
Aeroworks, 5 Adair Street, Manchester M1 2NQ
Telephone: 0161 276 2307
Textphone: 0161 276 2308
Fax: 0161 276 2328
csumanchester@rnid.org.uk

Employment

If you are looking for work and would like help and advice visit your local Jobcentre Plus (external link, opens new browser window). You can ask for an appointment to see a disability employment advisor (DEA). They will help you draw up an action plan to find a job or training and tell you about the access to work scheme.

RNID Employment, Training and Skills Service (ETSS)

ETSS  employment advisers cover the north west, including Stockport.
Aeroworks, 5 Adair Street, Manchester M1 2NQ
Telephone: 0161 276 2315/2321 
Textphone: 0161 276 2316/2322
Fax: 0161 274 3606

Pure Innovations Ltd - Worklink

Supports disabled and disadvantaged people to gain and maintain employment.
Sanderling Building, Bird Hall Lane, Cheadle Heath, Stockport SK3 0RF
Telephone: 0161 474 5926

Equipment

Stockport Disabled Living Centre

Offers solutions to practical difficulties in daily living for disabled people and provides a place for demonstration and advice.
St. Thomas’s Hospital, Shawheath, Stockport SK3 8BL
Telephone: 0161 419 4476

RNID Products

Visit RNID shop or contact the RNID Information Line for a copy of our Solutions catalogue, full of products for deaf and hard of hearing people.

RNID Products, 1 Haddenbrook Business Centre, Orton Southgate, Peterborough PE2 6YX
Telephone 01733 361199
Textphone 01733 238020
Fax 01733 361161
solutions@mid.org.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 bringing legal action, you should get legal advice immediately.  You can get legal advice from the following organisations.

Citizens Advice Bureaux

Marple Citizens Advice Bureau, Council Offices, Hollins House, Memorial Park, Marple, Stockport, SK6 6BB
Telephone: 08701 204040
Fax: 0161 427 1716
cab@marple1.freeserve.co.uk

Stockport Citizens Advice Bureau, 39 Greek Street, Stockport, SK3 8AX
Telephone: 08701 20 4040
Fax: 0161 480 4447
cab@stockport1.freeserve.co.uk

The Disability Law Service

Available between 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm, Monday-Friday
Telephone: 020 7791 9800
Textphone: 020 7791 9801
Fax: 020 7791 9802
advice@dis.org.uk
The DLS webiste (external link, opens new browser window)

Disability Rights Commission (DRC)

DRC Helpline, Freepost MID02164, Stratford upon Avon CV37 9HY.
Telephone 08457 622 633 Textphone 08457 622 644
Fax 08457 778 878
enquiry@drc-gb.org
The DRC website (external link, opens new browser window)

The Law Society

For general and public enquiries.
Telephone: 020 7242 1222
Textphone: 0870 600 1562
The Law Society website (external link, opens new browser window)

Community Legal Service

The Community Legal Service can help you find the right legal information and advice to solve your problems.
The CLS website (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. 
Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College, Hibbert Lane, Marple SK6 7PA
Telephone: 0161 484 6600
info@camsfc.ac.uk

Social activities

Stockport centre for the deaf

Social Club every Thursday 10am-2pm, Friday 7pm-10.30pm
First Floor, Walthew House, 112 Shaw Heath, Stockport SK2 6QS
Telephone: 0161 480 4054 (Thursday 10.00am-2.00pm)

Stockport hard of hearing club

Meets at the Millbrook Centre, Millbrook Street, on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 7.30pm.Contact Mrs S Heywood, honorary secretary.
Telephone: 0161 429 6009

Theatres

To find out about BSL interpreted performances in northwest England contact SPIT (Signed Performances in Theatre),
1 Stobart Avenue, Manchester M25 OAJ
Telephone: 0161 773 1715
Textphone: 0161 773 1715
Fax: 0161 773 1715
sarah@spit.org.uk 
The SPIT website (external link, opens new browser window)

To find out about captioned performances in northwest England contact
STAGETEXT, York House, Empire way, Wembley, London HA9 OPA.
Telephone: 020 8903 5566
Textphone: 020 8903 5566
Fax: 020 8903 8647
enquiries@stagetext.org  
The STAGETEXT website (external link, opens new browser window)

Social and healthcare services

Stockport sensory loss team.

The sensory loss team are part of disability services and they provide a social care assessment and information about the support services available to people with a visual impairment or hearing loss.
Regal House sixth floor, Duke Street, Stockport SK1 3DA
Telephone: 0161 477 3700
Textphone: 0161 474 1019
Fax: 0161 476 3521
social.care@stockport.gov.uk

Other organisations

British Tinnitus Association (BTA)

Information and details of local groups and contacts.
BTA, Ground Floor, Unit 5, Acorn Business Park, Woodseats Close, Sheffield S8 OTB
Telephone: 0800 018 0527
Textphone: 0114 258 5694
Fax: 0114 258 2279
info@tinnitus.org.uk 
The BTA website (external link)

Hearing Concern

Hearing Concern provides advice, support and training.
Telephone: 0845 074 4600
Textphone: 0845 074 4600
info@hearingconcern.org.uk
The Hearing Concern website (external link, opens new browser window)

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People

The Grange, Wycombe Road, Saunderton, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire HP27 9NS
Telephone: 01844 438100
Textphone: 01844 438100
Fax: 01844 348101
info@hearing-dogs.co.uk 
Hearing dogs website (external link, opens new browser window)

The LINK Centre for Deafened People

Contact LINK for details of support available.
LINK, 19 Hartfield Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 2AR
Telephone: 01323 638230
Textphone: 01323 739998
Fax: 01323 642968
The Link Centre website (external link, opens new browser window)

National Association for Deafened People

Information and support for deafened people through helpdesk and publications.
Secretary, PO Box 50, Amersham HP6 6XB
Telephone: 01227 379538
Textphone: 01227 762 879
Fax: 01227 379538
enquiries@nadp.org.uk 
The NADP website (external link, opens new browser window)

Sign - The national society for mental health and deafness

Offers a range of services, including advocacy, outreach, and supported living to any deaf person in need of emotional support.
Sign Charity, 5 Baring Road, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire HP9 2NB
Telephone: 01494 687600
Textphone: 01494 687626
Fax: 01494 687622
information@signcharity.org.uk 
The Sign website (external link, opens new browser window)

RNID Manchester office

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

Acknowledgement

Thanks to Anne Dolan at Stockport Libraries for her help in writing this factsheet.