Loss of council contracts could sink charity

A charity which supports 1,800 deaf and hard of hearing people in Aberdeen is facing closure after losing contracts with north-east councils.

Aberdeen and North-East Deaf Society criticised the region’s local authorities yesterday after revealing it could be forced to close down in June.

The 115-year-old society’s failure to win new contracts with Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray councils has led to its Smithfield Road headquarters being put up for sale.

A questionmark was last night hanging over the future of the charity’s 19 members of staff.

One service user in Aberdeenshire, who asked not to be named, branded the group’s plight “scandalous”.

Chairman Bill Griffin said the society’s difficulties began to mount about 18 months ago when it lost out on a tender to provide Moray Council’s services for deaf and hard of hearing people.

It was then revealed earlier this month that Aberdeenshire Council had appointed Edinburgh-based Deaf Action to take over its services on April 1.

Mr Griffen said Aberdeen City Council subsequently wrote to the society to inform it that its contract would be terminated on June 9.

“Come June 10, the society will find itself without any income stream,” he said.

Chief executive Rosie Burt said: “It is extremely disappointing that Aberdeenshire Council has ‘decommissioned’ a much-valued specialist social work service for deaf and hearing-impaired people.

“They will no longer have access to the deaf society’s specialist qualified and experienced social work staff, who have in-depth knowledge in all aspects of deafness, deaf culture and British sign language skills.”

A spokesman for Aberdeen-shire Council said a review of the service concluded little had been done to modernise services for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. The review highlighted the needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing people and based on this, a different model of service provision was developed,” he said.

“Deaf Action will work closely with the council to ensure that the priorities identified are delivered.”

It is understood Aberdeen City Council had hoped that services for deaf people could be combined with those for blind people to save the local authority money.

Mr Griffen would not comment on any negotiations between the society and any groups which support blind people.

An Aberdeen City Council spokesman said: “We are in the process of securing a new service level agreement with a third party to provide a single sensory service.

“There will be no detriment at all to service users.”