'As a deaf social care worker I help people rebuild their lives'

Ali France grew up in a profoundly deaf family, losing her own hearing in childhood. But she has never let her hearing difficulties hold her back, always encouraged by her parents to aim high.

France uses her experience, knowledge and natural exuberance to lead a team of sensory social care workers who help deaf and blind people in Staffordshire to rebuild their lives.

She became deaf aged four and grew up in Sheffield with siblings Richard and Linette, who were born deaf, and a profoundly deaf mother, Valerie.

"My mum [also] went deaf when she was four, both of us through German measles, so there is a weak gene in the family on the female side," France explained.

Her family however, adapted to their circumstances.

"There was no radio in the house, there was no telephone in the house because my dad worked shifts, so he didn't want us to have a phone in the house because nobody could answer it," France explained.

"But it wasn't a quiet household because as deaf children we couldn't hear how loud things were, so it was quite noisy! For example, shutting the cupboard doors was quite noisy because we wanted to actually feel the sound."

Her father, Alan, was the only member of the family who could hear. Now 86, he became hard of hearing in later life.

France now heads up a team of 14 sensory rehabilitation officers in Staffordshire for the Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, helping deaf and visually-impaired people with their daily lives.

She lipreads and to aid hearing has a cochlear implant, an electronic device which is fitted surgically. She also wears a hearing aid in her other ear. If she takes them off however, she can hear nothing.

"When I'm in meetings I do have a BSL interpreter through Access to Work funding, to ensure that I've got the same access to information, communication and language as my peers," France explained.

One of those she has helped is Sarah Forsyth, who lives near Leek in the Staffordshire Moorlands, and fell into a world of silence in 2021.

She had worn hearing aids for 20 years but suddenly lost all ability to hear.

"I couldn't hear a thing other than buzzing in my head," Forsyth said.

"The kids were saying things and they were laughing and joking and I thought, I can't join in and it was a feeling of fear. It was awful."

Her husband, Calum said his wife felt very low after it happened.

"Sarah didn't feel she belonged. So she wouldn't go to the shop on her own, wouldn't go anywhere on her own, for a long time."

Gradually though, France and her team have helped Forsyth to rebuild her life, learning sign language, introducing her to interpreters, supporting her to have a cochlear implant - and ultimately making a return to work.

She has an assistance dog, Chloe - a golden Labrador specially trained to help - including alerting her if a smoke alarm goes off at home.

"Ali has given me the confidence to be in a deaf person's world. To be accepted for what I am," Forsyth said.

She said France and her team had lifted her from her lowest ebb, and given her her life back.

Fighting back tears, she explained: "I will be eternally grateful for that gift that she gave me to say, 'Yes it's fine'. Deafness is beautiful."