The team at a Shrewsbury business have been getting expert tips on how to communicate effectively with customers who may be deaf or hard of hearing.

The people at Howden Insurance received the guidance from Shrewsbury-based independent lip-reading and deaf awareness tutor, Sally Joyner, who established her business, In The Loop Hearing, 10 years ago.

Staff were given advice on the importance of being patient when dealing with people who are hard of hearing, as well as thinking about what it’s like to live with hearing loss.

Sally said: “I am passionate about spreading the word about lipreading, deaf awareness, good communication and how to treat a person with hearing loss.

“A lot of people are aware of sign language, but little emphasis is put on lipreading, which is actually a very effective way for people with hearing loss to understand what others are saying.

“However, it relies on people enunciating properly, slowing down a little and not over emphasising words, which can change natural language and make it unrecognisable.

“Raising your voice or shouting also shows little patience for the person you are communicating with. There are many simple ways to communicate with a person who has hearing loss, but patience is the most important thing.

“It was great to spend time with the team at Howden to help them understand how they can support any customers who may be hard of hearing.”

Ellie Cole, Howden branch manager, said the partnership came about due to a quirk of fate related to the firm’s In The Loop campaign to support businesses in Shrewsbury town centre.

She said: “Our campaign is called In The Loop because we wanted to highlight the businesses based within the loop of the river, and Sally contacted us because we shared the same name.

“When Sally explained what her business did, we thought it was a great opportunity to build a relationship with In The Loop Hearing, so we invited her to talk to our staff.

“We pride ourselves on being welcoming for face-to-face conversations in our High Street office, so being able to communicate effectively with people who may have hearing difficulties is really important.

“We would like to say a big thank you to Sally for sharing her knowledge with our team.”

To learn more about Howden Insurance, simply give your local Shrewsbury branch a ring on 01743 455900 or visit in person and speak with a member of the team.