Concerns raised over council's commissioning of a new hearing impairment service as closure of Deafconnect is pushed forward
A local councillor has raised concerns that the level of support for the deaf community will be slashed under a new service for the county, as Deafconnect has announced that it will stop all client-based services from the end of March.
The charity initially said it would continue providing its community services up to the end of June. North Northants Council (NNC) is in the process of commissioning a new hearing impairment service provider, which was supposed to take over from July.
However, according to the council, Deafconnect has now said its financial position is more challenging than previously understood and that it is unable to continue delivering the service beyond March 31.
NNC is responsible for commissioning the county’s statutory sensory impairment services, which it funds jointly with West Northamptonshire Council (WNC). The authority is now working to make sure a new information and advice service for deaf people is available from April 2026.
It has warned that there may be a three-to-four week gap in provision while a replacement service is established.
Cllr Eddie McDonald, executive member for adult services at NNC, said: “We recognise that this has been an unsettling and uncertain time for the deaf community. Our aim is to establish a service model that more effectively reflects the needs of the community while reducing reliance on more formal care and support services.
“Given the level of interest from appropriate and capable organisations, and subject to following a robust governance and grants process, a new replacement service could realistically be mobilised by mid to late April 2026.”
The new service will receive grant funding from both North and West Northamptonshire councils of around £22,000 per year in total, however concerns have been raised that the grant would not adequately cover the needs of the deaf community, especially to enable a new organisation to get going.
WNC councillor Sally Keeble (Labour, Dallington Spencer) said the council’s required level of support under the new service would also be substantially reduced from the current offer with Deafconnect.
The council’s new contract requires the service to provide an online or remote information and advice service, a social events offer for the Deaf and hard of hearing community, and just one face-to-face drop-in or booked appointment service in West and North Northants each month.
In contrast, the Deafconnect charity has provided a wide range of services, including sign language interpreters, BSL training, advice, and social support for adults and children, and is accessible from its base at the Spencer Dallington Community Centre in Northampton five days a week.
NNC has said that the new hearing impairment service is ‘intended to fund a targeted information, advice and community support offer, rather than a like‑for‑like replacement’ of the Deafconnect model.
While the level of grant funding from the councils has not been reduced, the 150-year-old charity was previously able to leverage substantially more funding through external grant income and other donations to maintain its wide offering.
Cllr Keeble told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The needs of the community are much too substantial and to think you can meet them with £22,000 is complete nonsense. That doesn’t even employ a member of staff.
“If the council wants to replicate services in any way, they need to do some sort of scoping exercise so they can work out exactly what’s needed. They should be able to afford a bit more to enable a new service to get going.
“People are entitled to a level of support and a level of service and this seems like a really retrograde step. There needs to be some indication of a reasonable way forward, otherwise what’s been built up over many years will all be lost.”
A North Northamptonshire Council spokesman said: “We are pleased that we have received three expressions of interests from organisations [for the new hearing impairment service contract], which is an excellent response.
"All of these organisations have indicated that they are able to deliver the required service within the allocated funding.
“The funding for the new hearing impairment service has been deliberately set to reflect the scope of the service being commissioned. The grant is intended to fund a targeted information, advice and community support offer, rather than a like‑for‑like replacement of the previous charity’s wider operating model.
“The service specification has been designed around what the council is legally required to provide, alongside wider council information and advice provision and ongoing engagement with the deaf community.
“It’s also important to be clear that council funding for support has not been reduced. The previous provider’s financial difficulties were driven by the loss of external grant income, not a withdrawal of council funding.
“The new grant level has been set to ensure a sustainable, proportionate service that can be delivered within available resources, while we continue to engage with the community and monitor demand as the new service is established.
“We will of course be working closely with a new supplier and if there is a case to review the level of funding based on demand etc then we would of course do that.”
Deafconnect has been contacted for comment on its new closure date.