Are you a deaf young person?
What we know
Deaf young people are more likely to feel sad and find things difficult, than hearing people of the same age.
Some deaf young people have something called “language deprivation” which can make it even harder because you might not know how to explain what you are feeling.
Not all deaf young people know how to get help or where to go for support that is accessible to them.
The support in schools and colleges can sometimes vary depending on where you live and what type of school you go to.
It can be hard to find other deaf people to admire, encourage you and offer support. These people are called deaf role models.
It can be hard work facing barriers every day and you might be feeling lonely.
What we are doing
We don’t think that the support available to deaf young people at the moment is good enough.
SignHealth are working hard to talk to people in Government, the NHS and other organisations to help them understand what you need. We are looking at lots of different ways to improve the support available for you.
Information and resources
We have some short films in BSL which you might find helpful.
There are also some videos for deaf people of all ages about all health topics here: British Sign Language Health Video Library
Expect Respect
What do good and bad relationships look like?
The Underwear Rule
Advice from the NSPCC for children
Sexting
A short film commissioned by the Home Office
Consent
What does consent look like in a relationship?
Honour Based Abuse
You have rights
Stalking
What is stalking, is it ok?
LGBTQ+ relationships
Examples of abuse
Female Genital Mutilation
What is FGM?
Where you can go for support
It is important that you talk to someone if you are finding things difficult. You could talk to someone in your family or a teacher or wellbeing officer at your school or college. Or perhaps you know someone at a youth club, or a doctor. Below we have listed some organisations that also offer support, if you need it:
Deaf Zone | Childline offer help and resources. You can use VRS or text to talk to a counsellor at Childline.
National Deaf CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) is a specialist service run by the NHS. They provide professional mental health care for Deaf children and young people who need support with emotions, development and behaviour. You can be referred to them by a doctor, audiologist, social worker or a teacher. They will then assess you and decide what treatment you need. Select from the services below.
National Deaf Children’s Society have a helpline who are happy to answer questions and have lots of information and guidance on lots of different topics.
The Mix support young people who are under the age of 25. They have a web chat and email too. There are lots of articles and information on the website about all sorts of topics.
Papyrus offer support for young people under the age of 35 who are feeling suicidal, or are considering doing something that is risky to their life. They also help people who have lost someone to suicide or are worried about someone. Their contact details (including a text number and BSL) are on their website.
SignHealth Young People Violence Advisors are here to support you if you have seen something abusive happen or you think it has happened to you. You can contact us by text 07800 003421 or email da@signhealth.org.uk
Over 18 years old? If you know someone who is an adult (over the age of 18), they can self-refer to therapy here: Psychological Therapy – SignHealth
Young Minds offer a text service if you need urgent help. You can text ‘YM’ to 85258 and someone will reply: Shout Textline | Free 24/7 Mental Health Support Via Text | YoungMinds
We have done our best to make sure that we are only signposting to organisations that we trust will support you properly, however we cannot guarantee this. SignHealth is not responsible for any services provided by another organisation.
Get in touch!
If you have any questions about our service, or if you would like to suggest something to us then we would love to hear from you!
You can email us at cyp@signhealth.org.uk.
Please do not email us in an emergency.
The work of SignHealth’s Young People’s Violence Advisor’s (YPVAs) is proudly supported by The National Lottery.
