A Northiam and Hastings based double glazing firm has been praised for its ambition to support families with special educational needs (SEN) children.
D&P Glass Solutions has been awarded Window Installation Company of the Year – East Sussex. The firm was set up by Dan Wright and Paul Hazlewood – the D and P in the company name – almost three years ago.
“Two of our four children are autistic,” said Kerryann Hazelwood. “So we’re really conscious of the impact building work can have on families like ours. If children have problems processing things like sound or change we’ll help with explaining what’s going to happen when work starts. That could be playing a recording of a drill or showing a picture of the van before we arrive.”
The firm supports autistic children and adults, people with ADHD or anxiety, individuals with sensory processing needs, families who prefer structured or visual explanations and carers supporting vulnerable adults.
“We’ve just got a bit more awareness of it,” she said. “Another example might be us fitting a new door where we’ve given the child a pre-warning about it by showing them a picture or a model with the new colour.”
Being aware of the special needs of the clients’ children has gone down well with previous customers. “They were extremely grateful. It’s simple things we do like giving the child a heads up if we are going to use a drill so they can prepare for it.”
“Being SEN parents, getting judged is big thing for us,” said Kerryann. “We get looks, stares and comments so having a company who are a bit more understanding means you don’t have to fear judgement when you invite us into your house.”
You can find more about the company on their website.
Image Credits: D&P .