COLLEAGUES at a St Helens vets practice have been learning sign language to help provide the best service for clients as well as pets.

Rutland House Veterinary Hospital teamed up with the Deafness Resource Centre in St Helens, which offers deaf awareness sessions to help improve communication and remove barriers.

Rutland House Vets cares for a number of pets belonging to clients who are deaf, and the team has been working on ways to make the practice even more welcoming and inclusive Practice manager Janie Clare said vets, veterinary nurses and receptionists had gained a greater understanding of the challenges faced by people with hearing loss from the session – and the team is now looking at doing further disability awareness training.

Janie said: “The course aimed to raise awareness of the issues faced by deaf people in everyday life and to introduce people to different ways of communicating, including finger spelling and basic sign language.”

Rachel Sutton has been a receptionist at Rutland House Vets in Abbotsfield Road for nine years and signed up to do a British Sign Language Level One course after taking part in the session.

The 26-week part-time course is being paid for by Rutland House Vets as part of Rachel’s professional development.

Rachel said: “Rutland House has been really supportive, moving my shifts around so that I can do the course, which is wonderful. We see a lot of guide dogs and hearing dogs, so we do have quite a few clients who are deaf. As a receptionist, it is my job to help everybody, and having someone on reception who could possibly do some sign language might make it easier and a nicer experience for deaf people if they are struggling.”