How our Sensory Service helped Rhianne prepare for motherhood

"I have a few friends that are deaf and they advised me to go to the Council to get the support I needed.

Paul’s support has been brilliant. He made me feel comfortable and able to talk openly. I needed support with the use of equipment - due to being hearing impaired, I need help to ensure I wake up in the night or in the morning when my baby cries, or if I’m doing chores downstairs. I now have a pager that vibrates to tell me my baby has woken up.

I’ve also had smoke alarms put in that are linked up to my pager and vibrating pad, to alert me in the case of a fire. Paul contacted the fire brigade to insert the alarms and checked in on me to ensure these were done before I had my baby.

This has made a huge difference to me, not having to worry about not being able to hear my baby wake up. It has helped me so much. She is now 5 months old, and it has been amazing being able to have the use of this equipment throughout this time.”

By helping residents to increase their independence and reduce the risk of accidents in the home, the Sensory Service helps to reduce the need for care.

More than 70% of our budget is spent on supporting vulnerable adults and children. Following COVID, more and more residents are needing our help.

Find out how we plan to protect those needing our care and support Sutton’s recovery over the next 12 months: www.sutton.gov.uk/budget.