Our Services
Proud to be celebrating 90 years of supporting sight and hearing loss. 1928-2018 2
Welcome Welcome to Deafblind UK, a national charity supporting those living with sight and hearing loss to live the lives they want. Deafblind UK was set up in 1928 to offer support and understanding to people with combined sight and hearing loss. We have evolved through the years but our aims remain the same. Our services provide practical advice and information as well as emotional support for people living with dual sensory loss, and their families. To make use of any of our services please contact us in any of the following ways: Call: 0800 132 320 (Freephone) Text: 07950 008870 (Freephone) info@deafblind.org.uk www.deafblind.org.uk Facebook: Deafblind UK Twitter: @DeafblindUK 3
Information and Advice Line Our freephone Information and Advice Line is manned by our team of staff and volunteers who are trained to give you emotional support and practical advice when you need it. We are here to talk about anything you want, from coming to terms with sight and hearing loss to finding the number for your local social services department. The Information and Advice Line is free to call and is open from 9am to 5pm Monday Thursday and 9am to 4pm on Friday. 0800 132 320 4
Support at Home Our unique home support service, About Me Care and Support, is available in certain geographical locations can give you all the support you need to live independently at home. We will work with you to create a care plan as individual as you are which is carried out by expert support workers who will come to your home to help with day to day activities. All our staff are trained and experienced in working and communicating with people with dual sensory loss. Our domiciliary care services are available to everyone and can be paid for either through your local authority or, if you don t have a referral or would like additional services, by yourself. 5
Community Outreach Our team of Community Engagement Officers provide face-to-face, bespoke support by visiting you at home and working with you to address any issues you might be facing. To find out what support is available in your area contact us: Call: 0800 132 320 (Freephone) Text: 07950 008870 (Freephone) info@deafblind.org.uk 6
Companionship If you would like to see a friendly face on a regular basis, our volunteers provide companionship and light support at home. Companions could help you to do everyday things such as getting out and about locally or just being there to have a chat. Companions can also talk to you over the phone or by email. 7
Casework Through our casework service, we can support you to explore your options and rights, ensuring your voice is heard. We can help you to access appropriate health and social care, understand options relating to welfare and benefits, access local services, complete forms, and much more! 8
Social Groups Social groups bring people together to: Enjoy activities such as arts and crafts Visit exciting new places Share advice and tips with each other Have fun and meet new people To find out if there is a group near you, contact us using the details on page 3. (Fees may apply for some activities). 9
Digital Support Our digital support service teaches you to make the most of your tablet or mobile phone to enable you to live as independently as possible. Connect with friends and family Do online shopping and banking Discover specialist apps 10
Open Hand Our quarterly magazine, Open Hand, is sent to all Deafblind UK members. It features updates from our members and groups across the country as well as useful help, advice and topical articles. Open Hand is available in: Large print XL print XXL print Audio CD Braille Please let us know how you would like to receive Open Hand using the contact details on page 3. 11
Holidays We have two holiday caravans, in Wales and Norfolk, available to our members so they can enjoy a relaxing holiday in a friendly environment. Our caravans are in: Hopton, Norfolk Prestatyn, North Wales Deafblind UK members are welcome to book either caravan for a week at a time at heavily discounted rates. 12
Wellbeing Your wellbeing is of the utmost importance to us, so we will call you at least twice a year to have a chat, see how you are and ensure we are doing all we can for you. We understand that Christmas and birthdays may not be the easiest time of year so we will also give you a special call on your birthday and you will receive a birthday card and a Christmas card from the Deafblind UK team. 13
Get involved Deafblind UK is a national charity which relies on voluntary support. We need to raise 26,000 every single week to continue to do the work we do. Therefore, we are always keen to hear from anyone who is interested in helping us to raise awareness of dual sensory loss, or to raise money to enable us to provide our services. Here are just a few suggestions of ways you could get involved: Spread the word Why not help us to reach out to the thousands of people living with sight and hearing loss who we don t yet support, by simply putting one of our posters in your local shop or community notice board. Volunteer From helping out at your local social group to giving digital support advice, we have lots of 14
opportunities for our members to get involved by volunteering their time. Collection tins Ask you local shop/café/pub to put a Deafblind UK collection tin on their counter and help us to raise some money. Leave a legacy Leaving a gift in your will to Deafblind UK will help us to continue and expand our services. If you have already left us a gift, please let us know as it helps us to plan our future. Fundraising If you or someone you know is thinking about organising an event, holding a sale or doing any other fundraising activity, then consider doing it for Deafblind UK! For more details on any of these options, contact us using the details on page 3. 15
Information and Advice Line 0800 132 320 Deafblind UK National Centre for Deafblindness John & Lucille van Geest Place Cygnet Road Peterborough PE7 8FD Registered Charity No. 802976