Health & Beauty

WALLASEY BARBERS ‘A CUT ABOVE THE REST’ FOR AUTISTIC CHILDREN!

Located on Wallasey Village Road, Northern Barbers have always provided their customers with excellent customer service and brilliant haircuts. It therefore comes as no surprise that Ashley and his team have decided to put on out-of-hour haircuts for children with autism, with the hope of eradicating the fear factor many have when visiting the hairdressers.

Not only is this an attempt to make a haircut a safer, more relaxing experience for those with autism, it is also an attempt to reduce the costs of haircuts, something that seems particularly potent in modern Britain. Therefore, haircut prices have been reduced to a standard £6 for those with autism.

Those who have experience dealing with autism will know that there are various spectrums and each person deals with it differently. This is why it is particularly important to provide a personalised experience – what may work for one customer, may not for another. This is often the biggest issue when getting a haircut, with almost all barbers lacking the necessary education and skills to help provide a comforting experience.

However, Ashley (the director of Northern Barbers) has had a lot of experience working with autism, with his previous job being at Autism Together. It was in fact this previous experience that made him think combining his past job with the present was such a good idea. Northern Barbers provide children with autism out-of-hours appointments at a reduced cost but the actual act of getting a haircut is vastly different too.

Ashley and his team won’t rush a customer, instead waiting for them to get comfortable and relaxed in their environment. They are also open to carrying out the haircut wherever the customer gets comfy, whether that is in the traditional chair, or the more untraditional car park. It’s all about making the customer feel at ease, with an attempt to make the whole experience memorable and worthwhile at the forefront of the business’ mind.

Ashley said: “The service is open to anyone really, whether that’s a carer or a parent. They can bring them here and I’ll give them the haircut in the chair, the car, the carpark, on the floor, anywhere! Sometimes they just come, get a feel for the shop and go. It’s all about building that confidence and security for them and getting a relationship going.”

He continued: “Hopefully this is just the start, and it will get other people doing it. I think it would be great to have the chance to educate other barbers on the issues and how they can support their customers with autism. I don’t want to make it solely my idea. I want it to be shared across the community.”

Ashley hopes that one day, there will be a sticker in the window of every barbershop and hairdressers that signifies their ability to facilitate for those with autism, and that the stigma surrounding haircuts being a chore and being awkward is eventually a thing of the past.

Northern Barbers, 94 Wallasey Village, Wallasey, CH45 3LQ

GET IN TOUCH ON THEIR INSTAGRAM @the_northern_barbers.

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