DATA POLICY Expand This policy sets out how Auditory Verbal UK (AVUK) uses and protects your personal information, including data from your use of our website. AVUK is the Data Controller for personal data about supporters, event attendees, training participants, service users and newsletter subscribers. For the purpose of this document we will use the group term ‘supporters’ to describe any one of these groups. Our ICO registration number is Z8932751. We do not trade personal data for commercial purposes and will only disclose it if required by law, if it is necessary to arrange your event attendance or deliver services to you, or if it is with your consent. This policy was updated in May 2018 to show that we are adhering to the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into force on 25 May 2018. This policy is updated at regular intervals. Use the Contact Us form for any data protection queries.
SUBSCRIBERS Expand If you subscribe to our mailing list, you will be automatically subscribed to receive our quarterly newsletter. You will also have the opportunity to opt in to receive occasional emails about specific areas of interest, for example fundraising events, training courses or AVUK’s research projects. You will only receive information that you have opted in to receive and you can change your preferences at any time. We currently use Campaign Monitor to manage our email marketing who secure, and keep private all data. We transfer all subscribers’ details to our own database. We are in the process of transferring all subscribers’ details from the eTapestry database to a custom-built version of SalesForce. Our database is kept updated with your marketing preferences. You can change your email marketing preferences at any time, by clicking ‘unsubscribe’ or ‘manage preferences’ on any of our emails or by contacting: [email protected]
SERVICE USERS Expand When families contact us to find out more about our programme, whether that is in person, by phone, email or our website, we will take some contact information in order to process their enquiry. We will also record some basic information about their child’s medical and hearing history so that we can advise whether or not an initial appointment would be appropriate. At the initial appointment families may be asked to provide further information about their child’s hearing history along with contact details for their local team, ie speech and language therapist, teacher of the deaf and audiologist. We will keep all of this information in a clinical database built securely and with restricted access in the SalesForce platform. If the family decides not to join our programme their child’s clinical file will be destroyed 12 months’ after their last contact with us. At the same time the information on the clinical database will be anonymised and only used for statistical purposes. When families join our programme we will hold information about them and their child on our databases and on the child’s clinical file. We will only share information with third parties where we have the parents’/legal guardian’s consent to do so, unless there is a safeguarding issue, in which case our safeguarding policy will take precedence. Any financial information we collect as part of providing our service to families, for example bank details, payment history, bursary applications and awards, are kept separately from the clinical data, on our accounts systems. Parents on our programme are automatically subscribed to receive our newsletter and will have the opportunity to opt in to additional mailing lists and our closed Facebook group for families. Parents can unsubscribe or change their preferences at any time.
TRAINING COURSES Expand Generally AVUK runs a variety of different training courses for professionals, from short 90-minute online webinars to inset training and longer, distance-learning programmes. We maintain an electronic record of participants who have enrolled on our training courses (their name, contact phone/email address, geographic location) and a register of attendees for individual courses in order process their enrolments and deliver their training. The minimum length of time that we retain these records is three years; for courses that carry CPD we may retain these records for longer. Any financial information we collect as part of providing our training, for example fees charged, payment history, bursary applications and awards, are kept separately on our accounts systems and are retained in accordance with financial regulations. AVUK’s Foundation & Advanced training courses We keep an electronic register of all enquiries specifically relating to our foundation and advanced training courses (name, contact phone/email address, geographic location). Entries on this training register will be anonymised after 7 years. We will continue to use anonymised data for statistical purposes, for example how the professional heard about us, geographic spread, conversion of enquiries to enrolments, etc. For our Foundation and Advanced courses, where participants are routinely required to submit both written and video assignments for assessment, we will use AVUK’s training site in SharePoint to create an individual folder for each course participant. Access to each of these secure electronic folders will be password protected and restricted to the course participant and AVUK's training team (course tutors and specific members of staff responsible for IT/Operational support). These folders will be used for the transfer of assignments, video clips and marked assessments back and forth between the course participant and their course tutor except where a participant’s employer has its own system for secure data transfer that it requires us to use. As part of their training, course participants are required to submit a variety of short 5-minute clips for discussion with their cohort during webinars, and longer full-session videos of them delivering therapy for formal assessment. The purpose of this is to enable course tutors to provide feedback and help participants reflect on their practice and embed their training into their therapy. Alongside each video, the course participant may need to share limited personal information, eg first names of child and adults participating in the session, age of child, hearing history of child (eg level of hearing loss, type of hearing technology etc) and any other medical conditions that may have an effect on the child’s learning and/or behaviour, eg SI indicators, Oro-Motor difficulties, etc. Foundation and Advanced course participants are notified of these requirements prior to being enrolled on their course and are responsible for obtaining the necessary consents from their employer and service users. Ahead of each webinar a member of AVUK's training team uploads the video clips from that cohort's individual SharePoint folders into a PowerPoint presentation so that they can be played to the group during the webinar. The webinars take place using Skype for Business, Teams or Zoom. Access to the webinars is via a secure link, by invitation only and is restricted to that cohort's participants, the course tutor and, if required, a member of the IT/Operational support. Participants are held in a virtual lobby prior to the webinar starting and are required to be “on camera” during all webinars so we can see as well as hear everyone. The webinars are not recorded. At the end of each webinar the PowerPoint presentation, including the participants' video clips, is deleted and participants are advised to delete their clips from their SharePoint folder. The full session videos that course participants are required to submit for formal assessment are not played in webinars. Once they have been downloaded from SharePoint to AVUK’s server they are watched by the course tutor and moderator in order to complete the assessment and are then deleted. Once marked, the assessment is returned to the participant via SharePoint and the participant is advised to remove the video from their SharePoint folder. We do not keep any participants' videos on our own servers or for longer than necessary. Copies of the marked assessment forms will be retained in secure folders on AVUK’s server and will be destroyed no later than 5 years after the training course has been completed. An electronic log of course participants and results is maintained. Our course accreditation requires us to share this information with the AG Bell Academy. In order to manage participants’ training and keep them informed of appropriate training in the future, information on this log will be updated but will not be deleted unless we receive a request for erasure.
EVENTS Expand Each year AVUK organises a variety of fundraising, awareness raising, training and outreach events. When you accept an invitation or register to attend an event we will need your name and email address. In some cases, particularly for training and outreach events we may need additional information, for example your job role and payment details. We will use this information solely for the purpose of administering the event, this may involve sharing your details with third parties who are involved in the organisation or hosting of events in conjunction with or on AVUK’s behalf. For some events we use Eventbrite to manage event registrations. They may contact you about other events that may be of interest to you, but only if you opt in when you register with them. Read Eventbrite's privacy policy. For most events we will not keep your information for more than 12 months but for some training we will need to keep your information for up to five years and we are required to keep details of financial transactions for seven years. Event attendees will be given the opportunity to subscribe to our mailing list if they wish but it is not a pre-requisite of participating in any AVUK event. If you are a speaker at an AVUK event, we will publically promote your involvement via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and emails to our supporters. This data may continue to be processed by those platform providers after the event has ended.
FUNDRAISING Expand As we get to know you, we will collect the following types of information: Name, title/s and postal address Bank, credit card and payment details – we will only use these for the purpose of processing your donation and will destroy them afterwards Contact details such as email addresses, social media links and telephone numbers Your date of birth Information relating to events you may organise or participate in such as the event date, the donation collection method, records of the money raised If you support our Loud Shirt Day Campaign Contact notes relating to your involvement with AVUK or are considering having with our cause, including How you heard about us What kind of connection you have with our charity Your motivations How much of this information we collect depends on the type of relationship you have and the information we build in the course of your relationship with us. We do not store sensitive personal information that you share with us unless there is a clear and valid reason for doing so. We will store your information on our SalesForce database.
WE WILL USE YOUR INFORMATION TO: Expand Provide you with the services, products or information you asked for Administer your contact details and give you the opportunity to change your preferences as well as amend errors and update your data Manage donations (including processing Gift Aid) Support your fundraising activities Help with your activities online. Keep a record of your relationship with us Ensure we know how you prefer to be contacted Flag your data record– for example if you request to be removed from certain mailing lists, opt out of any specific data processing, or if you have special requirements We need to keep the details of financial transactions for 7 years after the financial year of a donor’s last gift, in the event of a tax or banking enquiry. We will only contact you to thank you. If you say that you would like to hear from us, you will be added to our email subscriber list and will receive our quarterly newsletter. You will also have the opportunity to opt in to receive occasional emails about specific areas of interest, for example specific fundraising events, training courses or AVUK’s research projects. You will only receive information that you have opted in to receive and you can change your preferences at any time.
WEBSITE VISITORS Expand We use Google Analytics (GA) to track site user interaction. We have GA code installed on our site which creates one or more text files on your computer (called a “cookie”). The cookies contain an ID number which is used to uniquely identify your browser and track each site you visit that has GA enabled. We use this data to determine the number of people using our site and to better understand how they find and use our web pages. With this information we can continually improve the information that we provide on our site and the processes for actions such as contacting us and donating. We can also use it to increase the number of new people finding our site. Google analytics stores the following data: Time of visit, pages visited, and time spent on each page of the webpages Interactions with site-specific widgets Referring site details (such as the URL a user came through to arrive at this site) Type of web browser Type of operating system (OS) Flash version, JavaScript support, screen resolution, and screen colour processing ability Network location and IP address Document downloads Clicks on links leading to external websites Errors when users fill out forms Clicks on videos Scroll depth Google also collects information about you from its Doubleclick tracking and profiling service, from ad-supported apps on your Android or iOS device, from your YouTube and Gmail activity and from your Google account. This data is put together and used to make inferences about your age, gender, interests, hobbies, shopping habits and living circumstances. Your rights If you already have GA cookies, they will be updated with the latest information about your visit to the site. As we cannot access any personal data about you ourselves, we are not the Data Controller for your Google Analytics or Doubleclick profile data. You would need to contact Google directly for this information. You have the right to object to this tracking and to stop it happening. If you would like more details about the methods used however, please get in touch at [email protected] How do I prevent being tracked by Google Analytics? If you are uncomfortable with this tracking, you can take the following actions: Use a tracking-blocker, such as Privacy Badger Clear cookies after every browsing session Install the Google Analytics opt-out extension Third party websites This privacy policy only governs our websites and we are not responsible for the privacy policies that govern third party websites even where we have provided links to them. If you use any link on our website we recommend you read the privacy policy of that website before sharing any personal or financial data. We operate a number of social media pages ([including Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and Instagram]). Although this policy covers how we will use any data collected from those pages it does not cover how the providers of social media websites will use your information. Please ensure you read the privacy policy of the social media website before sharing data and make use of the privacy settings and reporting mechanisms to control how your data is used.
EMPLOYEES AND JOB APPLICANTS Expand If you apply to work at AVUK we will only use the information you give us to process your application. If we want to disclose information to someone outside AVUK, for example if we need a reference, or need to get a DBS disclosure, we will make sure we tell you beforehand, unless we are required to disclose this information by law. If you are unsuccessful in your job application, we will hold your personal information for 6 months after we’ve finished recruiting the post you applied for. After this date we will destroy or delete your information. If you begin employment with us, we will put together a file about your employment. We keep the information in this file secure, and will only use it for matters that apply directly to your employment. Once you stop working for us, we will keep this file according to our record retention guidelines. You can contact us to find out more about this.
YOUR RIGHTS Expand As an individual whose personal data is processed by AVUK you have the following rights: the right to be informed – which is what this privacy notice is for the right to access the data we hold about you the right to object to direct marketing – either use the ‘unsubscribe’ button on our emails or contact us directly the right to object to processing carried out on the basis of legitimate interests the right to erasure (in some circumstances) the right of data portability the right to have your data rectified if its inaccurate the right to have your data restricted or blocked from processing To exercise any of these rights, please use the Contact Us form to get in touch. If you are not happy with the way we have handled your data, and are unable to resolve the issue with us personally, you can complain to the ICO.
Gwen Carr Expand Gwen Carr BA (Hons), Dip Ed Deaf, FRCA Gwen Carr is an Independent Consultant in Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) and an Hon. Senior Research Associate at the University College London Ear Institute. A qualified Teacher of the Deaf specialising in Early Years communication development and pre-school family support, she was for many years Head of Sensory Services in a Metropolitan Authority, before becoming Director of UK Services and Deputy CEO at the National Deaf Children’s Society. Passionate about the opportunities for deaf children afforded by early identification and intervention, Gwen then joined the NHS as Deputy Director of the England Newborn Hearing Screening Programme and subsequently became National Programmes Lead for antenatal and newborn screening for Public Health England. Following retirement from PHE, Gwen now works as an EHDI research and training consultant at home and overseas. She currently serves as a member of the Wales Newborn Hearing Screening Quality and Clinical Governance board, the Executive Committee of FCEI (Family Centred Early Intervention) International, The Coalition of Global Hearing Health Care Pathways Working Group and the Global Research on Developmental Disabilities Collaborators Group.
Dr Carol Flexer Expand PhD, CCC-A; LSLS Cert. AVT Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Audiology, The University of Akron, Ohio Carol Flexer received her doctorate in audiology from Kent State University in 1982. She was at The University of Akron for 25 years as a Distinguished Professor of Audiology in the School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Special areas of expertise include paediatric and educational audiology. She continues to lecture extensively nationally and internationally and has authored more than 150 publications. Dr. Flexer’s talks, seminars, and workshops focus on the development and expansion of listening, speaking and literacy skills in infants and children, including those with all degrees of hearing loss. She is licensed as an audiologist and holds the CCC/A and the LSLS Cert. AVT.
Professor Andrew King Expand MA, MMath, PhD Andrew King is a Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow and Professor of Neurophysiology at the University of Oxford. He heads the Auditory Neuroscience Group in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics and is also the Director of the Wellcome Trust Doctoral Training Programme in Neuroscience at Oxford and a Fellow of Merton College. He received his undergraduate training in physiology at King’s College London and a PhD from the National Institute for Medical Research. He then moved to Oxford, where he has been supported by fellowships from the Science and Engineering Research Council, the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine and the Wellcome Trust. He has also been a visiting scientist at the Eye Research Institute in Boston. He is a past winner of the Wellcome Prize in Physiology and, in 2011, was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Andrew’s research employs an interdisciplinary approach to investigate the neural basis of auditory perception and multisensory integration. He is particularly interested in the adaptive processes that take place in the brain to allow accurate hearing to be maintained in different acoustical conditions. This involves studying both short-term changes that help to compensate for the presence of background sounds and the longer-term plasticity induced at higher levels of the auditory system as a result of learning or by hearing loss.
Andrew King is a Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow and Professor of Neurophysiology at the University of Oxford. He heads the Auditory Neuroscience Group in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics and is also the Director of the Wellcome Trust Doctoral Training Programme in Neuroscience at Oxford and a Fellow of Merton College. He received his undergraduate training in physiology at King’s College London and a PhD from the National Institute for Medical Research. He then moved to Oxford, where he has been supported by fellowships from the Science and Engineering Research Council, the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine and the Wellcome Trust. He has also been a visiting scientist at the Eye Research Institute in Boston. He is a past winner of the Wellcome Prize in Physiology and, in 2011, was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Andrew’s research employs an interdisciplinary approach to investigate the neural basis of auditory perception and multisensory integration. He is particularly interested in the adaptive processes that take place in the brain to allow accurate hearing to be maintained in different acoustical conditions. This involves studying both short-term changes that help to compensate for the presence of background sounds and the longer-term plasticity induced at higher levels of the auditory system as a result of learning or by hearing loss.
Graham Louden-Carter Expand BA Hons MBPsS, Executive Fellow, Henley Business School Graham Louden-Carter is an experienced international leader, coach and developer of people. He retired in 2008 after a long career with Diageo PLC as a senior Human Resources executive, having held roles as a member of business leadership teams in Europe, USA and Latin America. Graham now runs his own leadership development and coaching company and is also an Executive Fellow in executive education and member of the visiting faculty at Henley Business School.
Graham Louden-Carter is an experienced international leader, coach and developer of people. He retired in 2008 after a long career with Diageo PLC as a senior Human Resources executive, having held roles as a member of business leadership teams in Europe, USA and Latin America. Graham now runs his own leadership development and coaching company and is also an Executive Fellow in executive education and member of the visiting faculty at Henley Business School.
Dr Josephine Marriage Expand PhD MSc BSc RHAD, Director of Chear Josephine Marriage is a clinical scientist in audiology and registered hearing-aid dispenser. Dr Marriage has worked with children with hearing loss and cochlear implants for 20 years. She was head of paediatric audiology at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, from 1993 to 1999. For the past eight years she has worked with Brian Moore, professor of auditory perception at Cambridge University, devising new ways of assessing hearing and programming hearing aids to suit the needs of adults and children. She is also involved in training hearing professionals throughout the UK and teaches at University College London. Dr Marriage was awarded a PhD in hyperacusis in Williams Syndrome from Manchester University. She also has an audiology MSc from the University of Southampton and a Speech Sciences degree from University College London. She received the George Harris Award for her contribution to hearing aid audiology in 2009 and is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council as a hearing aid dispenser. Chear share our London office.
Josephine Marriage is a clinical scientist in audiology and registered hearing-aid dispenser. Dr Marriage has worked with children with hearing loss and cochlear implants for 20 years. She was head of paediatric audiology at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, from 1993 to 1999. For the past eight years she has worked with Brian Moore, professor of auditory perception at Cambridge University, devising new ways of assessing hearing and programming hearing aids to suit the needs of adults and children. She is also involved in training hearing professionals throughout the UK and teaches at University College London. Dr Marriage was awarded a PhD in hyperacusis in Williams Syndrome from Manchester University. She also has an audiology MSc from the University of Southampton and a Speech Sciences degree from University College London. She received the George Harris Award for her contribution to hearing aid audiology in 2009 and is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council as a hearing aid dispenser. Chear share our London office.
Samantha Pryke Expand Sam is profoundly deaf in both ears and wears a cochlear implant. Sam did a first degree in Sociology at the University of Nottingham, Masters in Disability Studies at the University of Leeds and a further post graduate degree in management and leadership in the public sector, also at the University of Leeds. Sam joined the board to advise on strategy/policy, using her policy background in Government of 18 years, covering a range of diverse issues such as early years education, cyber security, abuse of learning disabled people in care homes, access to NHS gender reassignment services, NHS employment and cancer policy. Sam also has experience of voluntary sector work, advocating for the rights of disabled people, including work at a women’s refuge and women’s prison to raise awareness of the need for supporting those less able to access services. Sam cares passionately about inclusive environments, working with others to overcome barriers and realise potential. Sam has also joined AVUK to make a difference based on her personal experience of special educational needs and mainstream education. She wants to see all deaf children have the tools they need, to be whatever they wish to be, and to lead happy, fulfilling lives.
Dr Kaukab Rajput Expand FRCS, FRCP, MSc Consultant Audiological Physician Dr Kaukab Rajput is an expert in diagnosis of hearing loss in children with complex problems. She has worked at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) for over twelve years and currently leads the cochlear Implant Department. After completing her training in ear, nose and throat surgery and obtaining FRCS in 1992, Dr Rajput took a training post at the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital, initially as a registrar and then senior registrar in audiological medicine. Dr Rajput obtained her MSc in audiological medicine in 1995, and became a consultant in 1999. In 2009 she was granted FRCP by the Royal College of Physician London.
Alexandra Rehak Expand MA, BSc Data Advisor Alexandra is an independent strategy consultant with over 20 years of experience in innovative data analysis and strategy development, primarily for the communications and ICT sectors. She has extensive expertise in data usage and statistical modelling, database design and data collection methodologies, and data presentation and interpretation. She first linked up with AVUKthrough ‘big data’ charity DataKind UK, and is currently working with us to develop our approach to using statistics and analysis to deepen understanding of AV therapy outcomes. Alexandra was most recently a Partner and Head of Research at international consultancy Analysys Mason, and prior to that held senior roles at companies including PA Consulting Group and Motorola. She started her career as a Research Assistant to Dr. Howard Gardner at Harvard University, working on experimental neuropsychology initiatives around language and cognition in stroke patients and primary and middle school pupils. Alexandra holds an MA in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.Sc. in Cognitive Science from Brown University.
Dr Peter Savundra Expand FRCP DCH MA MSc Dr Peter Savundra is a consultant Audiovestibular physician at The Portland Hospital, London. Peter’s special interests include Vertigo & Dizziness, Hearing loss & Tinnitus and well and Balance & Gait Disorders. We’re very pleased to have Dr Savundra on board our team of advisors.
Mariavittoria Vallarino, Auditory Verbal Therapist Expand BSc (Hons) Speech and Language Therapist, certified Auditory Verbal Therapist LSLS Cert. AVT® Mariavittoria qualified as a speech and language therapist from the University of Genoa, in 2001. Since her bachelor degree dissertation on cochlear implants in children in 2001, she focused her work on giving the best service to families with deaf children. She worked in Italy for 13 years as a part of a Paediatric Rehabilitation Centre and Audiology teams in hospitals in Genoa, Rome and Modena, working on diagnosis and rehabilitation. The one day Workshop “Creating Auditory Learning Environment for Children who are Deaf or Hard of hearing” in 2005 was her first encounter with Auditory Verbal Therapy. Since then, she has realised that there are no limits to what a deaf child can achieve. In 2014, she moved to London to start her training to become LSLS Cert AVT with Auditory Verbal UK. She decided to start volunteering for Auditory Verbal UK in order to learn as much as she could. To her, their work was hugely inspirational and still is. After five years of training in December 2019, she passed her exam and she was given the title of Listening and Spoken Language Specialist Auditory Verbal Therapist (LSLS Cert.AVT) by the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language, and now she is the first Italian and the first in Scotland to be LSLS Cert. AVT. Becoming an AV therapist helped her to re-examine her beliefs and to adapt what she does in order to serve all families and children. She learnt to think critically and to analyse thoroughly her practice. As a bilingual therapist, she developed an interest in bilingual language acquisition in both hearing and deaf children, studying the best way to support families in their linguistic choices. She was delighted to join AVUK in May 2021. She is based in Glasgow and works locally, remotely and in London Tuesday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm.. Email:[email protected] Instagram:Mariavittoria Vallarino
Do's for Letter Campaign Expand Include your name and address MPs will often reply to the letters and emails they receive. So be sure to include your name and address, so they know where to send a response. Tell your story It’s important that you tell your family’s personal story and how AVUK has supported you. Including this helps promote your cause as MPs are sent hundreds of letters a week from constituents and it’s important that yours stands out! .Paint the full Picture It’s also important to highlight the great work that AVUK does across the UK and highlight what AVUK is trying to further achieve. We’ve put together some sample text that illustrates what we do that you might like to include: “All deaf children should have the same opportunities in life as hearing children. Early support should be available for all deaf children whether their parents choose to communicate with spoken language, sign supported spoken language, British Sign Language or both. It is vital that support is family-centred and that parents/carers are able to make informed choices about the communication approach for their child and to be able to access the support that is right for them. There are around 7,200 deaf children under the age of 5 in the UK who face a lifetime of disadvantage without access to skilled early support. At current estimates, they are predicted to have lower academic achievement, lower employment prospects and to be at higher risk of bullying, social exclusion and poor mental health. By ensuring families have access to support they need, we can tackle the root causes of this disadvantage and transform outcomes for thousands of deaf children across the UK.” Link them to the Hear Us Now Homepage In addition to the facts and figures you could include below, you can link them to the Hear Us Now homepage (https://www.avuk.org/hearusnow) and the campaign's launch video (https://youtu.be/f-6bqb8BKnQ). Let us know! Be sure to let us know that you contacted your MP at [email protected] Follow up Do follow up with your local MP if you don't get a response.
Dont's for Letter Campaign Expand Don’t paint other options in a negative light There are many options available to deaf children and it’s important to recognise that Auditory Verbal therapy is just one of these options. However, we insist that every child should have the opportunity to access Auditory Verbal therapy should their families consider it the right option for them, and lawmakers can help make this a reality. Don’t make your letter too long Try to be concise, aiming for no more than two pages. If your letter is too long it will increase the chances that it won’t be read, or that it will simply be skimmed over.
Key Facts Expand It might help to include some statistics which highlight the work of AVUK. You can link MPs to our facts and figures here- https://www.avuk.org/facts-and-figures However, if you’d like to mention some yourself here are some key examples: 80% of all children who spend at least two years on our programme achieve age-appropriate language. . 97% of children without additional needs on our programme achieve at least age-appropriate language. . AVT is a cost-effective approach. For every £1 invested in AVUK’s early intervention programme there is a £4 return on that child’s future. . There are approximately 7,200 deaf children under the age of 5 in the UK . They currently face the prospect of lower academic achievement, lower employment, and are at higher risk of poor mental health, bullying and social exclusion. . When children and families have access to effective, early support, deaf children can get an equal start at school and opportunities transformed.
Example Structure Expand Start by telling your story. What have been the challenges and successes you and your deaf children have faced? At what cost have they come? For example, mentally, financially, practically. If you are a professional who works with deaf children, explain your background. Explain that Auditory Verbal UK is a national charity that wants all deaf babies and children to have the opportunity to listen and speak as equals alongside their hearing peers. If you wish to quote our mission statement, you could include: “We work to increase awareness, understanding and access to Auditory Verbal therapy by providing services directly to families and sharing our expertise with health and education professions so that many more families can access Auditory Verbal therapy close to where they live”. If you’re writing via email, you could link them to the Our Mission and Values page on our website here- https://www.avuk.org/our-mission-and-values Describe the role Auditory Verbal UK had in supporting you and/or your family. What was your experience of AVUK? What was your relationship with those who work for AVUK like? How do you think Auditory Verbal UK has helped your family, and what do you think your experience would have been like if you hadn’t discovered Auditory Verbal therapy? State how your MP can help us to ensure that all those who want a listening and spoken language outcome for their deaf children can access Auditory Verbal therapy close to where they live. For example, by standing up for the unlimited potential for what deaf children can achieve.
Meet your Representative Expand If you'd prefer to meet your MP in person then most MPs hold surgeries in their constituency to give people an opportunity to discuss matters of concern. MPs usually hold surgeries once a week and advertise them locally or online. Find your MP
Jorge Villon Expand Jorge is the father of a 5-year-old girl who has now graduated from the AVUK programme after being bilaterally implanted at the age of 8-months. Jorge understands the impact that AVT can have on children that are born with hearing loss. Jorge spent most of his career in financial markets, including roles as CEO of MKM Longboat and Polygon Investment Partners, before retiring in 2012. His interest is now mostly in philanthropy, specifically as founder of Rwanda Hope Foundation, a social impact organisation working in Rwanda and Grace Saves, which supports wildlife conservation projects. He joined the AVUK board in October 2018 and retired from the board in June 2022.
Amanda Wilkinson Expand Amanda is lending her fundraising skills to AVUK to help to support the charity to build voluntary income to reach its organisational ambitions in the longer term. Amanda brings with her over 19 years’ experience of successful fundraising and of leading target-driven fundraising teams for national and international children’s and disability charities, including Sense, EveryChild and ChildLine. Amanda became CEO of Motivation in January 2017. Amanda became a trustee in January 2015 and stood down after 8 years in November 2022.
Justine Womack Expand Justine is the mother of a daughter who was deafened by bacterial meningitis as a 1 year old and attended AVUK when she was young. She has a background in journalism and PR prior to completing an MBA and moving into NHS management. The attraction of trying to prevent people from becoming ill unnecessarily proved too great, and her next step was moving into public health. She completed her MSc and the portfolio route of accreditation as a registered, non-medical public health specialist while in her roles as Associate Director of Public Health in the former Government Office for the South West and NHS South West, the former strategic health authority. She is a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health. Justine now works for Public Health England, an executive agency of the Department of Health.