MEMBER of parliament for Stroud, Neil Carmichael, is backing a bid to improve services for deaf children.

Mr Carmichael met Liam O’Dell, a deaf teenager, at this year’s Conservative party conference where they discussed the need to get the right support in place to ensure deaf children don’t fall behind their peers.

A member of the National Deaf Children’s Society’s (NDCS) Youth Advisory Board, Liam spoke of the charity’s calls to the government to introduce mandatory standards for audiology services and to introduce Ofsted inspections for local education services for deaf children, in a bid to drive up standards.

Liam said: “It has been really beneficial and exciting to come to the conference today and meet Neil Carmichael.

“Whilst I consider my audiology service to be really good, I appreciate that not everyone has an audiology service of the same standard.

“Too many deaf children are waiting too long for audiology appointments, are misdiagnosed and do not receive accurately set-up hearing aids.

“Therefore, having mandatory standards gives a sense of assurance to deaf young people like me and my family.

“When it comes to Ofsted inspections, families with a deaf child have no way of knowing if their specialist education support is up to standard unless Ofsted inspects these services. With MPs having the power to make a difference, it was great to discuss these issues with them at the conference.”

Neil Carmichael, chairman of the House of Commons Education Select Committee said: “There is absolutely no reason why deaf children should not fulfil their potential and achieve just as much as their hearing peers.

“To make this happen, we need first rate audiology services and the best quality education support for deaf children throughout their childhood.

“NDCS has set out some simple steps for making this happen and I am pleased to offer my support.”