Together with Deaf people; creating a better future

Transcription

1 Royal Association for Deaf people Together with Deaf people; creating a better future ANNUAL REVIEW 2014 Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. Founded Registered Charity No A company limited by guarantee registered in England No

2 OUR VISION: Together with Deaf people; creating a better future OUR MISSION: We promote equality for Deaf people through the provision of accessible services OUR VALUES: WE: > Take the time to understand what matters to Deaf people > Respect Deaf language, identity, community, heritage, and diversity > Develop services and partnerships that Deaf people need > Acknowledge the contributions our staff and volunteers make > Always deliver on our promises > Promote continuous improvement in all we do > Communicate clearly > Are honest with ourselves and our stakeholders 10 THINGS WE WILL ACHIEVE THIS YEAR (2014/15) > Work with the Deaf Community to draw up a clear plan for the development of services for Deaf people using the funds ring fenced from the sale of RAD property > Plan and implement a growth strategy based upon collaborative working arrangements > Grow our Quality Mark services > Expand the use of our Video Relay Services (VRS/I) > Expand our portfolio to include more training services > Implement an electronic system of recording and developing rotas for our social care team > Grow our social care service in London > Develop our employment services across our current geographical footprint and beyond > Develop our profile, increasing our presence outside of London and the South East of England > Continue to maintain and develop our relationships and links with the Deaf Community, thus ensuring that RAD is responsive to need and expectation 2 3

3 WELCOME I am very proud to welcome you to the Royal Association for Deaf people annual review. Founded in 1841, we are the oldest national organisation for Deaf people. Our focus, wherever possible, is to work with mainstream organisations to help them to become more accessible to Deaf people. Our vision is together with Deaf people, creating a better future ; we believe in working in partnership with Deaf people. The current economic climate is proving challenging for most charities including the Royal Association for Deaf people. We have to work harder and smarter simply to stand still; any growth or new development takes a greater level of resources and commitment than ever before. However, we have a dedicated and totally committed team of staff and trustees and we have worked together to ensure that our organisation continues to thrive and move forward. During 2013/14, we received recognition at a national level for our social care work undertaken in partnership with [sonus]. We were delighted that Norman Lamb the Minister for Care and Support launched our Deaf-Aware Care quality mark at the House of Commons. All of our teams have done excellent work; including our back office teams (e.g. finance, marketing, IT, HR and administration), sometimes support teams receive little recognition but at the Royal Association for Deaf people we know how vital they are to our smooth running. Left to right: Roger Beeson, Chair of RAD and [sonus]; Jan Sheldon, Chief Executive of RAD; Leslie Key, care home resident; Norman Lamb, Minister for Care and Support; Liz Jones, Chief Executive of [sonus]; Alys Young, Professor of Social Work Education and Research, University of Manchester; Stephen Lloyd, MP for Eastbourne and Willingdon (our host at the House of Commons) The following pages of our annual review will give you a real taste of the work we have undertaken during 2013/14. We have also identified some of the achievements we are aiming for in the forthcoming year. I hope you enjoy reading the annual review, please do not hesitate to let me know if you would like further information about our work and our future priorities. Dr Jan Sheldon Chief Executive Royal Association for Deaf people 4 5

4 OUR PROPERTY RAD has owned a number of properties across London and the South East for many years. These buildings have been the places where Deaf clubs meet and they have been important to the Deaf Community for many years. A recent buildings survey told us that the cost of repairs over the next five years was almost one million pounds. RAD is a service delivery charity not a charity which preserves buildings. This year the Trustees and Directors took the very difficult decision to sell most of RAD s properties and to support the Deaf Clubs to relocate or to agree leases with the buyers of RAD properties. This has not been an easy process; we have had to work hard to maintain good relationships with the Deaf Community and we know in some places it will take many years for trust and relationships to be rebuilt. We have consulted with the Deaf Community about how we spend the funds that we get from the sale of our property; our Trustees are very clear that this money will be used only to deliver services to Deaf people. Some of the ideas Deaf people have told us about how we spend the funds include: > Supported living flats for older Deaf people > Residential care for older Deaf people > Somewhere for young deaf people to meet > A café/hub for services for Deaf people Our Trustees are listening to what Deaf people are saying about what services they would like in the future; we will do our best to meet the needs of the people who need our services. 6 7

5 INFORMATION, ADVICE AND GUIDANCE OUR OBJECTIVE Provide information, advice and guidance services to Deaf people in British Sign Language in areas such as welfare benefits, housing, employment, debt, family/ matrimonial Lead Caseworker, Paul Lennon presenting an advice workshop What we have achieved > Supported 275 advice cases (to 170 people) on subjects such as benefits, housing, discrimination and employment > Provided 100 money advice sessions through partnership with A4E/The Money Advice Service > Commenced work towards achieving the AQS (Advice Quality Standard), previously the CLS (Community Legal Service) quality standard > Secured funding to continue our county-wide advice service in Essex > Provided Energy Best Deal training to 97 clients those on a low income achieved a 130 reduction on their annual bill > Recouped a record 10,770 for one client (see case study) CASE STUDY Disability Living Allowance James* originally contacted RAD in relation to his Disability Living Allowance (DLA). He was in receipt of the low rate care component but felt that this was not correct. Following a year-long appeal, his award was successfully backdated totalling approximately Sadly, as James was receiving advice under a Legal Aid project, RAD could not continue to support him due to recent cuts in Legal Aid funding. However, RAD s Directors decided to continue to provide benefits advice for a transitional period through an unfunded webcam advice service. As James and his wife were now both receiving the middle rate component of DLA, RAD advised them that they were entitled to what is known as Severe Disability Premium as part of their Employment and Support Allowance. RAD applied to the Department of Work and Pensions to have this implemented into his award. As a result, James weekly income has increased and a backdated payment was made, totalling 9,270. *name has been changed 8 9

6 ADVOCACY OUR OBJECTIVE To take action to help Deaf people say what they want, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain the services they need What we have achieved > Secured funding through a partnership with SEAP and other local providers to deliver independent formal advocacy (including health complaints) to Deaf adults in Essex > Began developing a domestic violence/abuse support service with funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex > In partnership with Essex Police and the Be Safer Project, RAD is now a Hate Incident Reporting Centre. Staff are trained to accept reports of hate crime from Deaf people living in Essex > Established RAD s first advocacy service in Stevenage, Hertfordshire in partnership with POhWER > Secured funding from Essex County Council to deliver family sign classes to 20 families > Delivered 1360 hours of formal advocacy; supporting 212 cases such as housing, benefits, care reviews, health and safeguarding > Continued to work towards achieving the Quality Performance Mark > With funding from the Chiron Fund/Essex Community Foundation, we delivered six health workshops attended by a total of 87 people on topics such as cancer, diabetes, stress management, autism and stroke. Advocacy Services Manager, Susan Marsh (right) meeting with a client CASE STUDY Supporting Families A family with a child on the Child Protection List was referred to RAD by Social Services. Upon meeting the family, RAD s advocate was concerned that the Deaf parents had no appointed social worker. Previously no BSL interpreter had been provided through meetings with the child s social worker and health/educational professionals. The child s school had also never provided an interpreter for parents evenings or meetings; the teachers had relied on written communication which had been ineffective. Since RAD s involvement, the parents now have an appointed adult social worker and interpreters are provided at all meetings relating to the child. RAD s advocate continues to support the parents to ensure that their voice is heard and that they are fully informed about their child s current situation and plans for the future. The family s communication has improved, the child has settled considerably at school and interpreters are provided at school meetings

7 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OUR OBJECTIVES > Support families with a deaf parent or child by providing information, family events and support groups > Enable deaf children to access mainstream activities, giving parents a short break > Recruit and train volunteers to support families and deaf children at various activities and groups > Work closely with schools by providing advocacy where children are disengaged or parents require improved access 12 What we have achieved > Successfully achieved all contracted targets for the year across our services > Secured funding from Activities Unlimited to develop and deliver services to children and young people in Suffolk, an extension of our previous geographical reach > Supported 263 children and young people through a variety of fun, challenging, social activities; building confidence, social networks and skills > Held 133 events for children and young people, some residential > Secured framework agreements in three London boroughs: Sutton, Waltham Forest and Barking and Dagenham offering short break opportunities for young deaf people. Children enjoying a family activity day CASE STUDY Family Sign When there are varying communication preferences within a family, communication can easily break down. This often leads to significant distress and disfunctionality within the family unit. We deliver one-to-one family sign, supporting individual families to learn sign language in order to establish effective communication. Below is feedback from one family who have benefitted from family sign classes: Since our son was diagnosed with deafness it has been difficult. I discussed my feelings of helplessness with our speech and language therapist, she suggested I contact RAD. We are so grateful for our weekly sessions within our home. I have been surprised how quickly both my boys have picked up the signs and they are now teaching their dad. I am confident and feel prepared for whatever the future holds. My son now understands my instructions and he can use his sign language to communicate with other Deaf children. Our sessions have been a total success and have enhanced our communication skills considerably. Our family is very grateful and feel blessed to have been given this opportunity to develop skills to empower us all. The Devey Family 13

8 YOUTH AND TRANSITION OUR OBJECTIVE Organise youth-led activities for young deaf people which provide them with the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to progress into adulthood What we have achieved > Secured funding through a partnership network lead by 3SC to deliver Talent Match; providing transitional support to those aged 18-24; supporting young people to realise their aspirations and career goals through one-to-one support, workshops and training > Our London Youth Hub - a central London club for young deaf people is growing in size and currently attracts an average of 22 young people per week, accessing social groups, workshops and one-to-one specialist support > Received continuation funding from Essex County Council to offer on-going support with accessing mainstream activity provision and social groups for deaf children > Received continuation funding from Medway Council to support young people both in/out of area through events and activities Young deaf people took part in educational activities including driving skills CASE STUDY Talent Match An active member of RAD s London Youth Hub since its opening in 2012; 18 year old Harry* built up a good relationship with the Youth and Transition Co-ordinator. When he expressed confusion about what job he d like to do in the future, the Co-ordinator referred him to Talent Match a RAD project focused on helping young people into work. RAD s Regional Support Worker helped Harry to better understand his aims for the future. He was supported to set achievable goals and make a realistic and informed plan towards realizing his dream job of a chef. Suitable training was identified and Harry has since attended a variety of associated workshops and youth board meetings. He has also met with potential training providers and employers. Harry now offers encouragement and reassurance to other Deaf children/young people attending The Hub. The Youth and Transition Co-ordinator says, Harry has flourished into a focussed, confident, positive thinking and supportive young man. *name has been changed 14 15

9 87 people attended health workshops on topics such as cancer, diabetes, stress management, autism and stroke A 1,000 settlement was achieved on behalf of a client who faced discrimination through a job application process 30% of English sounds are visible on the lips, so a lot of lip-reading is guesswork (John Tracy Clinic, Los Angeles, California) A client and his disabled wife claimed back-dated benefits totalling 10,770 British Sign Language was officially recognised as a language in its own right by the British Government in We worked with Deaf people in Essex to help them find jobs. 58% found work and 15% gained a volunteer role 263 children and young people took part in a variety of fun and challenging social activities Our social care team continue to change people s lives: You re a star for what you have done for Kirsty*. She is a different person now because of you. I cannot find the right words to say thank you. *name has been changed 70% of Deaf people who haven t been to their GP recently wanted to go but didn t mainly because there was no interpreter (SignHealth - Sick of it Report, 2014) 16 17

10 EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS OUR OBJECTIVES > Seek and assist the employment market (mainstream providers and employers) to better understand the unique needs of Deaf people through specialist employability support, advice and Deaf Awareness training > Work with clients to improve their confidence and motivation to approach and achieve employment > Assist clients with Train to Sustain enabling them to remain in the workplace through In Work Support and mentoring What we have achieved > Recruited a National Employment and Skills Manager to drive forward RAD s employment service > Secured funding from Essex County Council to deliver employability workshops within the county > Developed a unique employability support package for Deaf people delivered in BSL or the client s preferred communication > Delivered a highly successful employability support programme for deaf people under the Right to Control trailblazer in Essex and the London borough of Newham - 58% of clients secured paid employment and 15% gained voluntary work. We provided a total of 271 sessions to 26 clients with an attendance rate of 99% Natalie Creevy, Employment Support Consultant advising a client attending the Chelmsford Job Club Robert s story My local Job Centre referred me to RAD s specialist Employment Support. I met with Natalie, an Employment Support Consultant, once a week. She helped me to create my CV, explained how to search and apply for jobs. Natalie supported me to apply for the vacancy at Anglia Crown and arranged for a BSL interpreter to be present at the interview. Thanks to RAD, I was offered the job and with their on-going support I am still with Anglia Crown and very happy there! The employer s feedback: RAD introduced Robert to us at Anglia Crown and arranged for a sign language interpreter to support him at his interview. They explained the Access to Work (AtW) Scheme and their In Work Support available to both of us. Thanks to them, we have gained a valuable employee in Robert. I would strongly recommend for other employers to look to RAD when considering recruiting deaf employees. Mark - Training and Recruitment Co-ordinator Paul - Section Manager Anglia Crown Left to right: Natalie, Paul, Robert and Mark 18 19

11 SOCIAL CARE OUR OBJECTIVES > Provide community support services for Deaf adults with learning disabilities, mental health challenges and other support needs > Provide information, advice, and respite for Deaf carers > Support older Deaf people to achieve the health and care services they want What we have achieved > Successfully passed a Care Quality Commission inspection and continue to develop and improve how we work in order to meet the new inspection regime in 2014/15 > Developed a Deaf-Aware Care quality mark for care homes in partnership with [sonus] which was launched by Norman Lamb, the Minister for Care and Support, at the House of Commons. > Reviewed and improved quality assurance/feedback systems > Delivered a total of 27,282 social care support hours to 72 people > Began work to re-develop a robust continuous professional development plan for social care staff > Restructured the social care management and subsequently recruited two new Team Leaders (Surrey and London) in order to better manage and grow the services > Signed up to The Social Care Commitment; demonstrating RAD s promise to deliver high quality support services to the people we work with > Continued to develop sustainable partnerships in order to achieve the best outcomes for the people we work with > Commenced working in Thurrock; a unitary authority outside our current Essex funding arrangements Community Support Worker, Sally Pamment (right) teaching a client Makaton signs 20 21

12 SOCIAL CARE COMPLIMENTS RECEIVED BY THE SOCIAL CARE TEAM Robert* has been very proactive in labelling medication, keeping written records of health appointments and implementing all the recommendations I have made around road safety awareness and accessing the cash point safely. Many thanks for the professionalism and kindness shown to Sarah* by your very capable staff they brought so much to her. The Colchester Life Skills Group enjoying a barbecue Staff are always friendly and professional. Staff treat clients with respect and dignity. *names have been changed. CASE STUDY Improving health and wellbeing Marie*, a Deaf woman with a learning disability was referred to London s social care team. When first introduced, Marie was heavily dependent on family support, underweight, not taking her medication as prescribed by the GP and had an unstructured daily lifestyle. Initially, Marie was reluctant to change her routine but RAD was determined to help her succeed. By following a step by step approach, Marie has since attended regular support sessions and begun to connect with other support services. Gradually, Marie has begun to turn her life around. Almost immediately her confidence began to grow and with time she has shown she has a great personality and a sense of humour to match. An important milestone for Marie has been for her to take her medication. She now has a labelled date system in place as a reminder and she has gained healthy weight over the last month. Marie is continually supported to explore options which motivate her to achieve more independence and to focus on the future. She has a skilled team of staff who support her every week to improve her life skills such as communication, learning about healthy eating and the importance of attending health professional appointments. Staff also provide opportunities (and encourage) Marie to meet, develop and share her interests and to use local resources to gain social opportunities within the community such as the library, parks, cafés and a Deaf club. Marie now welcomes the support she receives from the London social care team in improving her health and preventing social isolation. The success is evident when Marie signs her communication book by drawing a smiley face and writes the words happy and thank you! *name has been changed 22 23

13 COMMUNICATION SERVICES: RAD INTERPRETING OUR OBJECTIVE To continue to provide exceptional communication services across a wide variety of settings What we have achieved > Worked closely with professionals across several domains to ensure that the communication needs of clients in highly sensitive areas were fully met > Maintained excellent customer satisfaction by remaining responsive to customer need and expectation through our unparalleled levels of feedback, engagement and customer service > Developed our partnership working - we are proud to deliver co-ordination services on behalf of [sonus] > Demonstrated our commitment to improving the quality of communication services for d/deaf and Deafblind people by increasing the standard of interpreting skill within the staff team via our excellent Continuous Professional Development programme > Sustained our excellent links with local Deaf communities and our freelance Communication Professional colleagues via regular meetings and consultation sessions > Hosted a three-month work placement for a Spanish Sign Language Interpreting student, as part of the ERASMUS programme > Furthered our commitment to the development of the Sign Language Interpreting Profession - in addition to providing mentoring and support to freelance Communication Professionals, we worked in partnership with London-based training provider, Signamic and provided shadowing opportunities for student interpreters > Re-established our service provision in Essex and Kent; we were proud to secure the contract to deliver services to Essex County Council and Essex Probation Service via the INTRAN Framework Contract, and to renew our Kent Framework Contract > The implementation of our Video Relay Services (VRS) was delayed due to resource constraints however our Video Relay Interpreting service has launched (internally) and we are working with our provider to roll this out to all customers in 2014 BSL/English Interpreter, Siobhan Dodd (right) interpreting at a health workshop 24 25

14 COMMUNICATION SERVICES: RAD INTERPRETING CASE STUDY Social Haptic Communication RAD Interpreting has hosted training in Social Haptic Communication designed to aid and support those who are Deafblind, Deaf or have Ushers. One major problem of having a dual-sensory impairment is the difficulty in perceiving and interpreting people s body language or the environmental surroundings. All too often Deafblind people miss out on this information. alongside Deafblind manual, Hands-on-Signing, Body Signs and Signals etc. As the techniques can be quickly learnt, it is suitable for use with families, friends and professionals. Lynn Ovens, Senior BSL/English Interpreter working with Deaf and Deafblind people General overview: Using Social Haptic with my Deafblind clients has enabled me to make communication flow more easily without the need to stop and interrupt. The nonverbal communication i.e. nods that cannot be seen by my client, are communicated via touch (usually on the knee or shoulder) as the client signs the response which I voice. This enables the conversation to flow without delays for affirmations and nonverbal facial expressions that mean yes, I understand, please continue. It also means that environmental information can be imparted seamlessly, subtly and without interruption to the conversation i.e. the meeting participants are laughing or your child is crying. Use of Social Haptic to convey music: One of the most successful and emotional uses of Social Haptic is to convey music. At the RAD annual carol service, the client is able to access everything, most poignantly the hymns, songs and the children s movements during the nativity. Whilst one interpreter uses BSL Hands-On to share the words and rhythm of the music the haptic interpreter (positioned behind the client) describes the beat, story, movements and reactions of the audience/congregation. It allows them to express the depth, power or subtlety of the music and the client can fully engage in the deep emotion that hearing people respond to. Catherine Field, Deafblind Client of RAD Interpreting Service I have never been introduced to music and have never heard a sound in my life. Social Haptic and BSL together gave me the opportunity to actually learn and understand what musical sounds are really like. Through BSL and Social Haptic I realised straight away that by not experiencing music I have been missing out. Two BSL Hand- On interpreters are essential to make it work - one to interpret the words into BSL and at the same time the other to interpret the sound of the music through Social Haptic. The first time I felt emotion stimulated by music it aroused my senses and made me feel like I was floating and flying in the air it was like a dream which I never knew existed! Social Haptic uses touch and body movements to provide real time non-verbal information such as room layout (mapping) and The use of Social Haptic and gives feedback on emotions and BSL together is so important for behaviours. It can be used either musical events like RAD s Carol individually or implemented Social Haptic Communication uses Service. touch and body movements 26 27

15 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OUR OBJECTIVE To work closely with the Deaf Community to provide services which meet the needs of Deaf people Lunch club at Romford Deaf Club What we have achieved > Developed excellent links and communication with Deaf Clubs, improving RAD s presence in the Deaf Community and ensuring that RAD is aware of and responsive to the needs and expectations of Deaf people > Worked closely with all Deaf Clubs affected by RAD s property strategy, ensuring that RAD has been able to find alternative accommodation that is in line with what Clubs have requested > Introduced regular BSL news updates about the sale of buildings on the RAD website and YouTube Channel > Proudly hosted RAD s second User Conference, in partnership with Essex Working Together Day > Worked with the Deaf Chaplaincy team to host the annual carol service at Chelmsford Cathedral > Worked to increase societal awareness of the needs of Deaf people by developing an excellent Deaf Awareness and Equality Act training package > Established a new Training and Development Service that will deliver courses to professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind people An interview with Medway Deaf Club Russell Cooke, RAD s Community Development Manager met with Graham Warren, Chairman of Medway Deaf Club to discuss RAD s relationship with the Deaf Club. When Jan (RAD s Chief Executive) told us the news about selling the building last year, we were all shocked and some members were naturally angry. Russell and Amanda from the Community Development team visited us to show their support for the Deaf Club and explained the financial reasons behind the sale. I want to say many thanks to Russell and Amanda for all the help and support they have given us if it wasn t for them, we wouldn t have had a clue where to start, how to look for alternative premises and what funding is available to us. We have now found alternative premises at Medway Hospital Social Club and are discussing our requirements and how we can work together. Russell Cooke (left) with Graham Warren 28 29

16 ABBREVIATED ACCOUNTS VOLUNTEERING WITH RAD INCOME 3,557,142 Voluntary income ,693 Investment income ,817 Advice, Advocacy, Employment and Legal Services ,420 Social Care ,180 Children, Youth and Families ,122 Education and Training. 20,156 Interpreting fees ,831 Other services... 50,774 Disposal of fixed assets ,149 EXPENDITURE 3,285,529 Deaf centres and community development ,613 Advice, Advocacy, Employment and Legal services ,041 Social Care ,841 Children, Youth and Families ,504 Interpreting... 1,247,945 Governance costs... 44,573 Fundraising... 34,443 Training and other services... 1,596 Janice Crabb has worked as a RAD volunteer since January 2014 I chose to volunteer with a deaf charity because I work with deaf children and I thought I could use my skills to help others while improving my signing at the same time. I enjoy volunteering for RAD because I like helping and encouraging people to engage in activities that may be a little challenging. The people I have worked with have been welcoming and fun and it has been a thoroughly enjoyable time for me. Could you give some time regularly for RAD? If you are fluent in sign language or have a BSL level 2 qualification or above, we can use your help working with deaf families, children and young people, or older people. (A Disclosure and Barring Service check will be needed). If you have limited BSL skills but would like the opportunity to improve your signing, you may be interested in working as a Volunteer Admin Assistant - providing support in our Colchester or Dorking office. The above information is derived from the full audited financial statements, copies of which can be obtained from RAD, Century House South, Riverside For more information on volunteering volunteer@royaldeaf.org.uk Office Centre, North Station Road, Colchester, Essex CO1 1RE 30 31

17 CONTACT DETAILS RAD Head Office Century House South Riverside Office Centre North Station Road Colchester Essex CO1 1RE Voice Phone: Fax: Text Phone: SMS: Website: Advocacy Text Phone: SMS: Children and Families, Youth and Transition SMS: Employment SMS: Information, Advice and Guidance SMS: RAD Interpreting Voice Phone: Fax: Text Phone: SMS: (24 hour emergency service) Community Development SMS: royaldeaf.org.uk Social Care 316 High St Dorking Surrey RH4 1QX Voice Phone: Fax: Text Phone: SMS: Our Community Support Service is regulated by the Care Quality Commission.