A new advice service has launched to improve support for people with sensory loss across the Forth Valley, aiming to make it easier for those with hearing or sight loss to access guidance on issues such as debt and benefits.

The Forth Valley CAB Sensory Loss Advice Service (SLAS) is a collaborative project between Stirling and Forth Valley Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB), the Forth Valley Sensory Centre (FVSC), and is backed by the National Lottery Community Fund.

The service will be run by Stirling CAB, which has employed two specialist sensory officers, one of whom is a competent British Sign Language (BSL) user. The officers, Campbell and Fiona, said their goal is to “remove the barriers that, historically, people might have met when trying to access our advice” and to “support and empower the hearing and sight loss communities”.

Jacquie Winning MBE, chief executive of the FVSC, described in-person welfare advice as a “gamechanger for people with sensory loss”, adding that face-to-face support ensures everyone has an equal opportunity to navigate a complex system. “We value this service not just for its practical impact, but for the dignity and confidence it restores to so many lives,” she said.

The project’s official launch will be held at the FVSC’s base in Camelon, with attendees including Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart MSP.

Craig Anderson, CEO of Stirling CAB, added that the service will ensure households experiencing sensory loss have “inclusive access to holistic advice that informs, enables, and empowers”.