Andrew Goodwin

Service Manager for Engage @Engage

Developed what was called the Hearing Loss Outreach Service from scratch. We changed the name to Engage in 2024 to reflect the open nature of the service. Creating this project included developing training packages for staff in the care sector, working out how to audit everything from hearing aid maintenance to the environment in the home.The service works with thousands of people with hearing loss every year, living in residential homes; ensuring that they have access to services, receive basic hearing aid maintenance and that care staff receive deaf awareness training. Over 3500 staff members in 36 different care services have received the training so far. This includes Care homes, day centres, assisted living, home care agencies and mental health homes.We work in partnership with care homes across London and further afield in places like Manchester, Brighton and Hertfordshire. I promote the service within the health and care home sectors by attending various boards, such as NHS England and the Office of CCGs. Recently, I have co-authored a white paper on the need for the care industry to take hearing loss seriously.Since the onset of Covid-19, we changed the focus of the service to support those in their own homes. in 2020, we supported over 400 individuals around London, Essex and Hertfordshire all of whom would have been left isolated and desperate for help as all the hospitals shut their doors. The pandemic really hit home how we need to be flexible and clever in our thinking if we are to support as many people as possible around the UK. This seperate service is called Hearing Matters at Home and is still servicing hundreds of people in Barnet and Redbridge.