BLIND and deaf people using social services departments should notice a big difference in the way staff help them in the future.

Blackburn with Darwen social services have introduced a new training scheme designed to help staff understand the specific difficulties encountered by members of the public who are deaf or blind or both.

Assistant director of social services, David Kerambrum, said: "Up to 50 per cent of our service users have some impairment in hearing or sight, particularly the elderly.

"There are not many people over the age of 70 who don't have some sort of sensory impairment."

He said the aim of the course was to show social services' staff how to help people maintain their independence. He said: "It's all about quality of life."

Among those to be trained first are social services reception and customer care staff as well as others who deal most with members of the public.

The course includes an opportunity for people to get some idea of how it feels to have a range of eye conditions using glasses specially adapted to simulate complaints such as cataracts or glaucoma.

The course also aims to use those attending to increase awareness among their colleagues in their own workplaces when they return. Training officer Helen Jones said: "One of the key points is action planning when they go back to work to ensure that things change."

Councillor Sue Reid, executive member for social services, said: "By establishing a network of staff across the department who can promote understanding of the needs of people who have a wide range of sensory impairments, we can help to reach our goal of fully accessible services." Hilary Swarbrick, group manager for sensory impairment, said: "What people ask for time and again is that staff should have a greater awareness of how to communicate with them.

"From the course people will learn about sensory impairment and what is available locally to help people. It can be quite small things like having the subtitles always on the television, or colour contrasts in decorating."

It is hoped the course will also be made available to private sector staff in the future, as well as children and family services and education and health trusts if further funding is secured next April.