Member's statement: Silent Cuts: Sensory-friendly Hair Salon
Member's statement by Mrs Cathy Mason on .
- MLA
- Mrs Cathy Mason
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 10 March 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Silent Cuts: Sensory-friendly Hair Salon
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5436073
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I will highlight the amazing work of Mainstay DRP in Downpatrick and its new social enterprise, Silent Cuts. Silent Cuts offers sensory-friendly appointments for adults and children with sensory needs who may find it difficult to visit a hair salon or barber's. That quiet space with dimmed lighting and minimal distractions is the perfect inclusive and calm environment in which to get their hair cut. It employs fully trained stylists. Those ladies are absolutely amazing, and they are experienced in supporting clients with sensory needs. They offer flexibility and choices for clients, such as opting out of the usual small talk, bringing in their own comfort objects, choosing whether to have the radio on, off or turned down low and sitting in a chair with or without a mirror in front of it. The salon also has sensory lights and toys for children. The salon is closed to the public for a couple of days a week so that training can be provided to its apprentices, who also have special educational needs or disabilities. I was lucky to get to chat to some of them, and it was lovely to hear what working there meant to them.
I was also honoured to be invited along to Silent Cuts' official opening. I was completely blown away by the entire concept and just how truly inclusive it is. Those of us with children know that early-years haircuts can be really challenging, but, for a child with sensory needs, it can be a truly traumatic experience for the child and their parents. I spoke with one mother who had tried on many occasions to take her son to get his hair cut. After so much stress and anxiety, she just had to give up. No matter how patient and good the hairdresser was, the child just could not handle his hair being touched and all the sounds that go along with a haircut. She explained how Silent Cuts came along just as she had resigned herself to the fact that she would never be able to have her son's hair cut in a proper salon. Silent Cuts' entire concept met their needs, from him entering through the door to him leaving with a huge smile on his face and freshly cut hair. It might seem trivial to many, but it certainly is not trivial for parents who have to face those issues. I was delighted to see that Silent Cuts received £2,000 after winning the Social Enterprise Dragons' Den competition, which is supported by Community Finance Ireland. I pay tribute to everyone involved in the project and encourage everyone to check out its services. I wish Silent Cuts the very best of luck in the years ahead.
454 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.15 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 1.00 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:11 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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