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SCoDBulletin January 2016
www.scod.org.uk | www.youtube.com/deafscotland | www.scod.org.uk | www.youtube.com/deafscotland
Scottish Council on Deafness Bulletin | The Monthly Magazine for Members by Members
Scottish Council on Deafness, Central Chambers, Suite 62, 93 Hope Street, Glasgow, G2 6LD | SC016957
Tel: 0141 248 2474 (v), 0141 248 2477 & 1854 (t), 0141 248 2479 (f), 07925 417338 (sms), [email protected] (email), www.scod.org.uk
CONNECT & THRIVE – CONNECT AND COMMUNICATE
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome back everyone after the New Year! I hope you are all looking forward to 2016, restored and energized after a turkey, chocolate and wine-filled festive Christmas break! We have an exciting and events-packed year ahead, from the SCoD annual conference, the Sensory Impairment Awards in February, the upcoming appointment of representatives to the BSL National Advisory Group and the Holyrood parliamentary elections in May.
Staffing
We are still looking for nominations for SCoD Board of Trustees. For more information please contact: [email protected] or see our vacancies page below.
NAG Recruitment
Applications are now open for the BSL National Advisory Group (NAG) and will close at 11.59pm on Thursday 28th January 2016. Successful applications will be invited to interview on 23rd and 24th February 2016 on Victoria Quay in Edinburgh.The BSL NAG will aim to inform and assist eight national public bodies as they work to implement the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015. More detailed information can be found on the Deaf Sector Partnership website here. Applications in English or BSL welcome.
Events
The Cross Party Group will take place on the evening of Wednesday 20th of January 5.30-7pm at the Scottish Parliament.
The first Scottish Sensory Awards “Love Sensory Impairment” are scheduled for Monday 15th February 2016, 1pm till 4pm at Stirling Court Hotel. Formerly Stirling Management Centre. For more information please visit: www.sensoryawardscotland.co.uk.
SCoD Conference, Thursday 10th of March. We are organising the workshops, market place and speakers. Thanks for all the offers to fill the space. There will be some problems juggling all the offers and providing a good spectrum of topics! Thanks to all our Partner organisations for distributing information. For BSL version click here. To book a stall in market place please contact: [email protected].
We are looking to raise money to help us pay for our merchandise, audio-visual equipment and entertainment. To find out more information please visit our Crowdfunding page. Every penny
you donate frees up resources from our budget to support the rest of the conference.
To place adverts or provide sponsorship please email [email protected]
This Year’s calendar will include:
The See Hear Strategy Leads meetings, the “Love Sensory” Awards in February, the SCoD Conference in March, the National Advisory Group “N.A.G” recruitment and group induction and meetings commencing, the SCoD policy group and National Council meetings, the Cross Party Groups reconvening after the Scottish Elections, a BSL “Assembly” of some sort around
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September to feed into the BSL National Plan, Scottish BSL Recognition Day (Sept), SCoD AGM, linked to BSL Royal Assent (Oct), SCoD Stars Blue Carpet Awards in November.
We have also planned in prompts over the next year to help you all promote and support a number of relevant recognition days, weeks and events around topics such as Deafness, BSL, Tinnitus, Lipreading, Volunteering, Disability and Rights!
Research in Angus
SCoD won the contract from Angus Council to carry out consultancy work with children and adults who have a sensory impairment and who use the specialist services provided by the Council. These people will live in Angus and be Deaf, Deafened, Hard of Hearing, Deafblind, Blind, and /or Partially Sighted. The consultation is also for their carers or parents. We are coming up to Angus later this week to host a number of meetings for service users and their carers/families. For more information about the consultation, please contact Mandy at [email protected] or Anthony at [email protected].
Membership
We have a new Organisational Associate Member, eCom Scotland Ltd are welcomed to SCoD. Our efforts to increase the membership continue and we are slowly but surely expanding on our range of membership expertise.
Manifesto
At the last National Council meeting, we had an interesting discussion on what members would like to see in the SCoD Manifesto for the Scottish Parliamentary elections in May 2016. This is being drafted at the moment and will be available in late January 2016.
Deaf Sector Partnership
With the launch of the National Advisory Group recruitment on 18th December there are a number of behind the scenes things ready to share:
The Deaf Sector Partnership is providing support to national public bodies in implementing the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015 through offering advice about how to make services more accessible to deaf people through technologies, interpreter provision and other adaptations. The letter from Hilary Third of the Scottish Government Equalities Unit to Scottish public bodies regarding the implementation of the BSL Bill is available on the Deaf Sector Partnership website and can be found here. For more information please visit the DSP website. If you have any further questions please contact us at [email protected]
We are now developing the website and information services through Eilidh and colleagues. Eilidh will be looking for volunteers, including representatives from public bodies, from deaf organisations and from the third sector particularly, to act as a reference group as the communications develop. Are you interested? Drop Eilidh McEwan an email on [email protected].
Finally, please keep us up to date with any information you would like to share and what is happening over the following months.
Janis McDonald
Chief Officer
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News:General
Personal Independence Payment: aids and appliances descriptors A public consultation launched into how the use of aids and appliances is accounted for during assessments for Personal Independence Payment.
The UK Government has launched a public consultation into how the use of aids and appliances is accounted for during assessments for Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
PIP is designed to help people with the extra costs associated with their disability, so it is necessary for the assessment criteria to be able to identify correctly the support that a claimant requires.
A recent independent review of PIP highlighted concerns that the current policy on aids and appliances might not be working as well as possible. Further recent analysis by DWP found that of those who qualify for PIP solely on the basis of their use of aids and appliances, the vast majority receive their weekly rate of £55 despite having low or minimal additional costs arising from their disability – with some having no identifiable costs.
In addition, recent judicial decisions have broadened the scope of what is considered to be an aid or appliance. For example, courts have found that everyday items such as a bed or chair could be considered an aid or appliance if a person uses them to help dress themselves. This means that the definition of aids and appliances includes articles that are unlikely to be a reliable indicator of extra costs, as they are widely available and commonly used irrespective of the level of need.
The government is therefore seeking views on a range of options to ensure that PIP is meeting its original policy intent – which is to provide support to people with the extra costs associated with their disability. The consultation document outlines 5 broad options for making changes and the government is keen to hear the views of disabled people and their organisations.
For more information, go to https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/personal-independence-payment-aids-and-appliances-descriptors
The closing date for responses is 29 January 2016. If you would like to contribute to the SCoD response, please email Mandy at [email protected] before Wednesday 13th January 2016.
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Contracted-out DWP health and disability assessments The Department for Work and Pensions has strengthened its oversight and management of contracted-out health and disability assessments, but it has not yet achieved value for money according to the report from the National Audit Office. The Department uses health and disability assessments to help decide if people are eligible for benefits or to help those on long-term sick leave back into work. Between April 2015 and March 2018, the Department expects to carry out around 7 million assessments which it estimates will cost a total of £1.6 billion. The report found that the cost of providing assessments is rising and providers are still struggling to meet expected performance standards.
To read the report, click here. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Communications for people who are deaf or have hearing loss: market review
DWP is leading a review of the market for British Sign Language (BSL) and communication support for people who are deaf, deafblind or have a hearing loss. We are working in collaboration with other government departments, support organisations and the communications and language profession.
This call for evidence supports the review by:
seeking to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the market identifying factors that may affect future provision of these services
Watch a BSL video of the consultation.
Email to: [email protected]
Write to: BSL and Communications Market Review Disabilities and Work Opportunities Division Ground Floor Department for Work and Pensions Caxton House Tothill Street London SW1H 9NA
The deadline for submissions is 4 March 2016.
For more information please click here
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Health and Safety Executive Facebook Group Launches The Health and Safety Executive launched a Facebook page in December 2015. For further information about health and safety, please check out our Facebook page or the website. Also available in video format.
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Glasgow Life - Museum Welcome videos.
For the past year and a half, Glasgow Life have had on their website welcome videos
in BSL and IS for potential museum visitors. They are looking to find a deaf person
who has used the videos to come to a photoshoot and be interviewed for a press
release which is about how Glasgow museums gives good customer service to
individuals.
Glasgow Life are looking to find one person who can say they have looked at the
video and it has encouraged them to visit a museum. These are the videos.
http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/about-glasgow-
museums/Pages/Welcoming-Deaf-Visitors.aspx
The person needs to be available on Friday 15th January 2016, 10am till 11am at
St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art.
For more information please contact Caroline Currie,
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ScotRail Alliance launches biggest-ever train improvement programme
The ScotRail Alliance today announced the start of its largest-ever train improvement programme which will deliver thousands of extra seats, new trains and enhanced facilities such as at-seat power points and better wifi. Over the next three years, the improvement programme will result in:
180 carriages will be added to the fleet – bringing the total to almost 1,000
Two-thirds of current ScotRail trains will be refurbished by 2018
More than 17,000 at-seat power points will be added to trains
346 more trains will be equipped with free wifi, and:
Seven Class 320 trains will be introduced in Scotland from early 2016.
By the end of the multi-million pound programme, 75% of ScotRail’s train fleet will be either new or fully refurbished. The works are being carried out by Eversholt Rail, who will also be providing the additional Class 320 trains. All 21 of ScotRail’s Class 318s are being fully refurbished inside and out, with new, accessible toilets, wheelchair spaces and companion seating, while power sockets are being fitted for the first time, with cycle storage, CCTV and free wifi to follow next year. These trains are used on various Strathclyde routes linking Balloch/Milngavie/Dalmuir to Airdrie/Cumbernauld/Lanark/Larkhall via Glasgow Queen St and Glasgow Central Low Level. The first extra rolling stock that will be delivered on Scotland’s railways will be seven Class 320 trains, which will phased in from early 2016. Then the first of the 70 new Hitachi electric fleet will start to operate in autumn 2017 on the Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk High line with the remainder appearing across the Central Belt the following year. In addition, 27 fully refurbished HSTs are being introduced onto inter-city routes during the second half of 2018.
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I know that one of the biggest issues concerning our customers is busy trains. I hope, with the programme we are announcing today, people will see we are taking action. Alongside the massive projects we are currently delivering, this programme will bring more seats, shorter journey times and a rail service that is better for our environment. We are not just about running metal boxes up and down tracks. We want to connect people with jobs, business with customers and tourists with destinations. Our vision of Connecting Scotland is about using the railway to help our country to grow and prosper. The transformation of our fleet in the next few years will help deliver that.
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Chairman of Hearing Link wins Points of Light award The daily Points of Light awards are selected by 10 Downing Street and recognises outstanding individual volunteers - people who are making a change in their community. Nigel Williams, 59, was inspired to support adults with hearing loss and their families after becoming deaf at the age of 16, due to meningitis. Nigel believed that more could be done to assist the hearing impaired and wanted to use his personal experiences to help adults cope with the impact of hearing loss. Nigel is currently the Chairman of Hearing Link, a leading UK charity tailored purely to helping adults and their families cope both emotionally and practically through a support network of volunteers. Nigel has volunteered at Hearing Link for over 12 years and, under his steer as chairman, the charity has grown and developed ways of helping all those who rely on them. Nigel Williams said, “I am surprised and thrilled to receive this award which I hope will encourage everyone who is dealing with hearing loss, which often impacts on far more than your ability to hear. The consequences of hearing loss often affects a person’s confidence and self-esteem and through practical support from people who live with hearing loss themselves people soon see that this need not be a barrier to leading a full and rewarding life. It’s a privilege to work with an organisation such as Hearing Link and I am grateful to everyone involved who provide so much help and support to others.”
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Free sensory awareness training courses for care home workers
A North-east charity is offering free training courses to help improve the care of
people in residential care. North East Sensory Services (NESS), which has offices in
Aberdeen, Dundee and Elgin, is holding free sensory awareness training in
Aberdeen funded by the Scottish Government’s See Hear strategy. The courses are
specifically aimed at care home, sheltered housing and residential care home staff,
who encounter a high proportion of people living with visual and/or hearing
impairment.
The Scottish Government invested £2 million to implement the new See Hear
strategy for sensory impairment – the first of its kind in the UK. See Hear sets out
seven recommendations for improving services for sensory impaired people in
Scotland. As part of the review, the Scottish Government reported that sensory
impairment was a major factor in falls and subsequent admission to hospital, which is
the largest contributory factor to admission to care homes. One in two people over
90 have a significant sight loss*.
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Research carried out revealed a lack of awareness of sensory impairment issues in
staff across a range of services, and that can have a direct impact on the
appropriateness of care plans for people, and the ability of staff to provide simple but
effective solutions. Significant sight loss affects over 180,000 people in Scotland and
that figure wills double by 2013, the vast majority being older people. According to
its See Hear framework document, early identification of sensory loss can have a
positive impact on reducing negative outcomes, such as falls and social isolation.
NESS has also put together basic questionnaires for frontline staff at elderly people’s
accommodations to enable them to establish if a sight or hearing loss could be
helped by further intervention, such as sight tests, hearing tests or assistive
equipment. Graham Findlay, chief executive of NESS said: “All too often people will
put their sight or hearing loss down to old age, and find ways to cope, which can end
up with them feeling isolated and frustrated. On average, it takes someone 10 years
to get help for hearing loss. The See Hear strategy recommends an extension of
formal and informal training, with sensory impairment checks built into regular
screening and care pathways.
“The NESS sensory awareness training programmes which can take place at our
centre in Aberdeen, or delivered at individual premises, enable care workers, families
and colleagues to gain a greater understanding of the needs of those with a sensory
impairment, and how to help them to lead happy, independent lives.”
* http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0044/00448444.pdf
For more information on NESS visit: www.nesensoryservices.org
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Healthier Scotland Engagement Fund.
As part of the national conversation about the future of health and care services in Scotland (Creating a Healthier Scotland – What matters to you?) VAF is delighted to announce the launch of the Scottish Government’s new Healthier Scotland Engagement Fund. From August 2015 to Spring 2016 the Scottish Government is holding a national conversation on improving the health of the Scottish population and the future of health and social care services in Scotland. With £26,000 to give out in grants the Healthier Scotland Engagement Fund is part of this conversation. It aims to help small voluntary organisations and community groups in Scotland run an event or engagement activity to gather views of people who would not normally participate in a consultation of this nature. Grants of up to £500 (or exceptionally up to £1,000) are available to support an event or engagement activity with a group of five or more people. We are particularly keen to fund events or engagement activities that will involve seldom heard or hard to reach groups or communities. Applications that will gather the views of these groups will be considered a priority as will applications from groups with an income under £100,000. Applications should be received by VAF by 5pm on Friday 11 December 2015. Applicants will hear the outcome of their application by Thursday 7 January 2016. A short report on the event or activity should be returned to Voluntary Action Fund by Thursday 18 February 2016.
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Further information, including the guidance and application form, is available on the VAF website at www.voluntaryactionfund.org.uk or click on this link: http://www.voluntaryactionfund.org.uk/funding-and-support/healthier-scotland-engagement-fund/
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Commencement of the regulation of independent clinics - 1 April 2016 Regulation of Independent Clinics from April 2016 In April 2016, Healthcare Improvement Scotland will start regulating independent clinics in Scotland. Who is being regulated? Independent clinics are defined in the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 as clinics that are not part of a hospital and from which a medical practitioner or dental practitioner provides a service, which is not part of the National Health Service. The term ‘service’ includes consultations, investigations and treatments. If you are the provider of an independent clinic (as defined above), you will need to, register your service with us from April 2016. If you are a provider of an independent clinic and a registered nurse, midwife or dental care professional (clinical dental technician, dental hygienist, dental nurse, dental technician, dental therapist, orthodontic therapist), you will also have to register from April 2016, following the proposed amendment to the definition of independent clinics. What happens next? To receive regular information about next steps, please complete the contact form on our website: http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/our_work/inspecting_and_regulating_ca re/independent_healthcare/regulation_of_clinics.aspx You can also find Frequently Asked Questions on our website to guide you through the key points. The Frequently Asked Questions are available at: http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/our_work/inspecting_and_regulating_care/independent_healthcare/regulation_of_clinics/regulation_of_clinics_faqs.aspx
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Every Wednesday January - March 2016 Time: 11am to 1pm at BDA Scotland - Glasgow With Helen Morgans-Wenhold, Access and Inclusion (Engagement) Officer. There will be DIFFERENT topics about the BSL (Scotland) Act Developments. Drop in on any Wednesdays and find out about National Advisory Group (NAG), BSL National Plan, Authorities’ Plans, Progress Reports and BSL (Scotland) Act. Interested? Come and find out more!! If you want to drop in on another day, please email to make an appointment. For more information, contact Helen Morgans-Wenhold: BDA Scotland, Suite 58, 1ST Floor, Central Chambers, 93 Hope Street, Glasgow, G2 6LD. Email: [email protected] Text/Facetime: 07885 367674 ooVoo: helenmorgans-wenhold Download a flyer copy here. Start: 6th January, 2016 at 11:00am End: 30th March, 2016 at 1:00pm. Location: BDA Scotland, Suite 58, 1st Floor, Central Chambers, 93 Hope Street, Glasgow, G2 6LD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scottish Law Commissions Report on Adults with Incapacity
The Scottish Law Commission is calling for people to complete a survey about specific matters raised in the Commissions report, with particular reference to the Commissions draft Bill and how that would work alongside the existing legislation.
It also takes the opportunity to seek general views on wider aspects of the 2000 Act that may benefit from review. The report and survey can be found here.
In October 2014, the Scottish Law Commission ( ‘the Commission’) published a report on Adults with Incapacity which focussed on the question of deprivation of liberty as it relates to persons who may be subject to the Adults with Incapacity legislation and associated issues.
The report made a number of recommendations and contained a draft Bill, amending the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 (‘the 2000 Act’) and the Mental Health (Care and Treatment)(Scotland) Act 2003 (‘the 2003 Act’).
We should advise people they can make their own response to the consultation on the website and/or contact SCoD at [email protected] with any relevant points before 31st March.
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Vacancies
Scottish Council on Deafness Board of Directors
The Scottish Council on Deafness (SCoD) invites nominations from the membership (only full members can nominate) to the Board of Trustees. If you have an interest in governance and the strategic work of SCoD, you may like to consider becoming a Trustee/Director. The Board is responsible for the leadership and governance of SCoD, support to the staff team and monitoring and evaluation of SCoD’s work, in conjunction with the Chief Officer. It meets a minimum of 4 times a year: generally an average of 6 x 2 hour meetings plus a development day. This booklet covers the key parts of the recruitment process and includes the role description and code of conduct information applicable to all Board Members. SCoD is committed to a culture of continuous improvement and the survey at the end illustrates the areas the Board will focus on to improve its effectiveness. Process In accordance with our governing documents Trustee/Directors must be nominated by an organisation, which is a full member of SCoD. The nomination form must be signed by a very senior person within that organisation. The form must also be ratified by a current active SCoD Board member in order to support and validate the nomination. Each SCoD Board member can only validate one nomination. (Nomination form pages 4-8 inc). A completed skills audit form should be attached. We openly advertise across our network. Full member organisations can nominate ANYONE they feel is suitable for the role. You will then be asked to come along for an informal meeting to discuss the expectations, from both ourselves and you, of being a Trustee/Director; examine what skills and/or experience and interests you could bring to this position; note any barriers, preparation or training needs; discuss the potential for conflict of interests; and ensure you are aware of the role and relationship with the nominating body. The other paperwork can be completed at this stage. If there are more nominations than places on the Board then SCoD will hold an election across the full membership: one member, one vote. These are unpaid positions, but any travel costs will be reimbursed upon submission of an appropriate claim form. Still Interested??………then please complete the nomination form and skills audit form and return them to SCoD. You can obtain a nomination form from our Office Manager By email: [email protected] or via our website: www.scod.org.uk Click here BSL Version If you want more information please contact [email protected] for in informal chat.
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Active and Independent Living Improvement Programme Engagement Event When: Tuesday 12th January 2016, 9.30am-2pm Where: Renfield St Stephen’s Church, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4JP As you may be aware, the Allied Health Professions National Delivery Plan is currently being renewed, and thus they have been holding a series of consultation events with various professionals and practitioners and other stakeholders. However, they are particularly keen to get more feedback from individuals, as so far, the ‘patient perspective’ has not been gathered as fully as might be possible, and they want to ensure that feedback from this group is included going forward. The event will be similar in style to the National Conversation events, but with a particular focus on the work of Allied Health Professionals (e.g. speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, radiographers, podiatrists, occupational health therapists, etc.) It will be of particular relevance to those who are interested in self management, living longer in their own homes, and being active in the community into later life. If you would like to give your views on the Active and Independent Living Improvement Programme but cannot attend this event, please complete this survey and we will collate your views. Thanks for any assistance you can provide in this matter to ensure that the voices of people who are disabled, those living with long-term conditions and unpaid carers are heard and acted upon. Full details of the event and registration available through Eventbrite or by emailing [email protected]. See their website here. Reasonable travel expenses will be provided.
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Dumfries and Galloway Hard of Hearing Group Recruitment of New Co-ordinator
We are looking to recruit a new co-ordinator and if you are interested or know someone else who may be interested in the post please email [email protected] for an application pack. Closing date 22 January 2016. Need to contact us? After the 8th of January, until we have a new co-ordinator in post, if you need to get in touch with us regarding our drop-ins please contact: Dennis Arnold: [email protected]
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- British Sign Language/English Interpreter (Full-Time & Part-Time)
Job Description Sign Language Interpreter Purpose of the Post: This is a key post within Deaf Connections’ Communication Services Unit. This service provides Sign Language Interpreting, Lipspeaking, Notetaking, Deafblind communication and on line interpreting. As well as playing a major role in the delivery of the service, the post holder will also be expected to support his/her colleagues who may be undergoing training as well as promoting the wide range of services provided by Deaf Connections to potential service users. Accountability: The post holder will be directly accountable to the Director of Operations through the Commercial Services Manager with functional responsibility to the elected Board of Directors. Principal Responsibilities: (1) To undertake a wide range of interpreting assignments as agreed with the Communication Services Manager through the CSU Administrator. (2) Provide support and mentoring opportunities for colleagues who may be undertaking training. (3) Identify service development opportunities. (4) Undertake relevant administrative tasks as required as part of an inclusive and busy team. Click here for the application form or for more information please visit the Deaf Connections website. Please submit your CV and a brief statement explaining what you could bring to both
this post and to Deaf Connections to: [email protected] Closing date Friday 22nd January, 12 noon.
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Modern Apprenticeships at Skills Development Scotland
GET A JOB. GET PAID. GET QUALIFIED. Becoming a Modern Apprentice (MA) is a great way to kick start your career. How else could you learn on the job, receive invaluable practical experience and work towards an industry recognised qualification whilst getting paid? Our Modern Apprenticeship programme is a paid, work-based training programme aimed at young people aged between 16 and 24 years of age. The MA programme takes up to eighteen months and will lead to an industry approved qualification.
About you If you are enthusiastic, hard-working and committed to the challenge of work and study for up to eighteen months then this could be the opportunity for you. To qualify you must meet the aforementioned age criteria and not have previously undertaken an SVQ in Business and Administration or Creative and Digital Media. Formal qualifications are not essential, but a good standard of literacy and numeracy is required. Most importantly you should have good communication skills, be able to work as part of a team, strong attention to detail and a willingness to learn. Skills Development Scotland is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and
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we are working towards our employee profile reflecting that of the Scottish working population. We therefore welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented, including disabled people or those with additonal support needs, care leavers and those from a BME background. SDS will be flexible on age criteria for applicants who are care leavers or disabled. For full adverts and job descriptions for each of the opportunities please visit: https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/current-vacancies/
Events
Invitation to Carers Trust Scotland’s Young Adult Carer - Showcase and Learning Exchange We would be delighted if you would join us for the first Young Adult Carer - Showcase and Learning Exchange in Scotland taking place at the Glasgow Science Centre, 50 Pacific Quay, Glasgow, G51 1EA from 10.00 - 16.00 on Tuesday 26th January 2016. This event will exhibit and share practice and learning from current local and national young adult carer work in Scotland. It will examine the impact that dedicated services have had from the young adult carers who have benefited. There are an estimated 30,000 young adult carers in Scotland who care, unpaid, for a family member or friend who could not cope without their support. It is also one year on from the launch of Time to be Heard for Young Adult Carers, the national campaign initiative in Scotland. This event will also showcase the journey of the campaign so far and will provide an opportunity to explore this. Additionally at the event, there will be opportunities to consider research and consultation data, which provide an insight into the experiences for young adult carers in Scotland. This event will aid in informing national and local government, health and education providers on how to better support young adult carers. Young adult carers will be presenting at the event and will be in attendance to discuss their experiences of services. Please RSVP by Wednesday 13 January 2016 to Please RSVP by Wednesday 13 January 2016 to [email protected] or call us on 0300 123 2008.
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To celebrating the supper and the historic BSL (Scotland) Act. Venue: The Carlton Hotel, North Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1SD. Date: Saturday 23rd January 2016 Time: 7pm till late. Price: £30
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Let Me Tell You! Story and Narrative Development in Pre-School Children with a hearing loss Tuesday, 2nd February, 2016
This course will be of interest to teachers, classroom assistants, nursery nurses, speech & language therapists, educational psychologists, parents and all who support babies and young children with a hearing impairment. Presenter: Diana Harbor, Speech Therapist and Audiologist, the Ear Foundation, Nottingham. Content: Many children with hearing loss are now acquiring short phrases with relative ease; but what skills do they need to use spoken language to tell stories and narrative? Focusing on the pre-school years this course will explore the foundations including: memory, theory of mind, social scripts, thought structures and language. Learn a developmental assessment framework for monitoring progress in narrative development and consider the different types of language children need for storytelling. Young children with cochlear implants are learning to listen and talk but what are their challenges and needs, and how do we manage them. This course will provide information and practical strategies Course Restriction: 25 places available Course fee: £110 Applications are available to download from the following link: http://www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk/courses/deaf/dfeb16a.html
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Art and Creativity for Children and Young People with Complex Needs Date: Friday, 5th February 2016 Time: 10 am - 4 pm Venue: SSC, Edinburgh Cost: £110 NOTE - closing date for course is 15th January 2016 This course will look at how Art can open up opportunities for children and young people with complex needs. The course will consist of workshops and presentations by Visual Artists who work with Artlink Edinburgh. Artlink is an arts and disability organisation established in 1984 that believes participation in the arts has an important role to play in realising personal and social change. Their aim is to increase opportunities to take part in the arts for those who experience disadvantage or disability. The day will include:
An Immersive Sound and Perception Workshop How to use the everyday as a material for interaction A making workshop using the strategies of Lygia Clark A talk on the ambitious Artlink Ideas Team using experimental ideas by
learning from individuals with complex needs.
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Target Audience This course will be of interest to all who work with children and young people with complex needs, including teachers, additional support needs assistants, occupational therapists, early years practitioners, voluntary organisations, therapists, social services staff, parents/carers. Restrictions: Maximum of 25 participants. For application form please visit: http://www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk/courses/vi&multi/vfeb16.html
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SSC Course 18: Evaluating Listening Skills and Speech Production Skills after Cochlear Implantation: Thursday, 18th February 2016 This course will be of interest to teachers of deaf children, mainstream teachers, speech and language therapists, support staff, early years works and parents/carers. Course content: In order to support children and families through the process of cochlear implantation (CI) it is necessary to be able to evaluate the level the child has reached in terms of using their listening skills and how this will affect their speech production skills. Normal expected range of development in children with cochlear implants will be looked at and how to identify any mismatch of skills. It is well documented that the 'hearing brain' needs to be used to allow auditory processing which, in turn, will ensure the child's articulation of speech sounds is as expected given their stage of development. This will be looked at more closely as well as factors that may mean speech production is not as expected. How to evaluate what is normal development after CI will be established and what to do if a child is not following this developmental pattern. There will be practise in analysing atypical development of speech. Presenters: Agnes Allen, Jane Gallacher, Janette Joyce and Carolyn McMillan, Cochlear Implant Team, Crosshouse Course fee: £25 Applications are available to download from the following link: http://www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk/courses/deaf/dfeb16.html
SSC Mentoring/Coaching Training: Monday & Tuesday, 22nd & 23rd February 2016 and Thursday, 24th March Earlier in the year we issued an invitation for qualified teachers of the deaf and qualified teachers of visual impairment to take up the opportunity of receiving training in mentoring/coaching. The initial interest has led to most places being allocated but we do have 5 places remaining. The commitment is attending all three training days - see above. If these dates are suitable, please complete the attached application form and obtain your line manager's permission to attend all 3 days (no substitutes permitted). Please note that you and your manager should have a clear understanding that by undertaking this training there is the expectation that you have the experience and will be willing to be a mentor for teachers of the deaf or teachers of visual impairment in other local authorities. On completion of the training this mentoring/coaching would take place out with the working day. This training is free of charge. For application form please email: [email protected]
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Completed application forms should be received by 15th January 2016 at the latest.
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Putting theory into practice
Venue: Dunblane Hydro Date: Monday 22 February 2016 Time: 8:45am – 4.30pm
The aim of this free event is to reach out to the range of health and social care staff from across the sectors to improve and/or enhance their knowledge around continence care and promotion and to challenge beliefs and assumptions on what it’s like to age and to live with a dysfunctional bowel and bladder.
The Care Inspectorate recognised that the first step to improving continence care outcomes is to start viewing continence as the ‘norm’, instead of emphasising incontinence through the routine use of absorbent pads or urinary catheters.
We are working with a range of stakeholders to promote and improve continence care across a range of care settings. It was in response to this collaboration that there was an appreciation that where poor continence care is in evidence, this greatly impacts upon the lives of people living in and accessing care services including those living in the community and across the NHS.
Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health launched the ‘Promoting Continence resource for People Living with Dementia and Long Term Conditions’ on the 5 June 2015. It was felt there was a need for an event that brought together people from across health and social care to share and focus on bowel and bladder rehabilitation approaches and continence promotion strategies that may lead to better continence care outcomes for people who present with a dysfunctional bowel and/or bladder. It is also important to highlight that if good continence care and promotion is not place, it can affect other health and well-being factors. For example, the impact on falls prevention, tissue viability, nutrition, medicines management and the psychological effects on a person.
The conference will promote the ‘continence is everybody’s business’ message and offers a range of workshops to improve outcomes for people living with a dysfunctional bowel and bladder, always on aiming for cure and/or improvement.
Why you should attend
We would like to invite health and social care staff from all care settings who have an interest in taking the bowel and bladder rehabilitation philosophy forward to attend this event.
The programme will have something for everyone as it is looking at the fundamentals of what makes good continence care and management a reality and the impact that it has on the whole person’s health and well-being if continence care is actively promoted and managed.
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An Introduction to smiLE Therapy (Strategies & Measurable Interaction in Live English): Functional communication and social skills for deaf students and students with special needs This course will be of interest to teachers of the deaf, educational psychologists, speech & language therapists, and all other professionals who support deaf students with communication needs. smiLE Therapy is for young people who have communication needs due to Deafness (BSL and English speakers), specific language impairment, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and Autistic spectrum disorders. See below. This introductory course will provide the core information needed to try out smiLE Therapy with pupils/students. Film clips of the range of modules and the range of students who can benefit from the therapy will be shown. By exploring one smiLE Therapy module in detail, all the 10 steps needed in a module will be demonstrated; this will be illustrated with film clips of the therapy in action with a group of students. There will also be time to consider where to start in participants’ own work setting. Course fee: £110 Restrictions: limited to 18 places. Presenter: Karin Schamroth, Independent Speech & Language Therapist, London Applications are available to download from the following link: http://www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk/courses/deaf/dmar16.html
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Scottish Sensory Awards To highlight the good practice and promote the rights of people living with sensory impairment a small group of interested people decided to develop an awards programme which would showcase some of the good work across the sectors. Love Sensory Impairment is the branding we have chosen as our glitzy awards ceremony is on February 15th close to Valentine’s Day and it aims to celebrate the good work and good news we know is happening in relation to world of Sensory Impairment. The creation of sensory impairment awards for Scotland was to recognise the extent of the range of work with deaf, deafblind and visually impaired people and to raise awareness of the work of statutory, third and independent sector services with people with sensory impairment. The awards provide a focus for all organisations and individuals involved in the dynamic world of sensory impairment and to build on the impetus of the recently published See Hear Strategy. There are a range of categories which have been linked loosely to the Recommendations from the national See Hear Strategy. The categories we have developed for the Awards Event look to recognise the breadth and depth of the work we are involved in and welcome nominations from groups or individuals who would like to recognise the work of a; colleague, friend or group for any of the following categories:
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The application process is simple and we welcome applications from a range of organisations and individuals; each category has a list of criteria to help the judges to agree the winner and runners up. Please check our website
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'People Power: Creating the Conditions for Change' Monday 29th February 2016 Perth Concert Hall, 10am - 3.30pm
An interactive event to mark the end of the current phase of People Powered Health and Wellbeing, to celebrate with everyone who has been involved and all others with an interest in people influencing their own health and wellbeing and contributing to design and delivery of services.
A range of creative approaches will give you an opportunity to:
See, hear and experience the learning from the programme; Experiment with the approaches and see how you could use them in
practice; Better understand how we can put people at the centre of health and social
care integration.
There will also be table discussions which will give all participants the opportunity to have conversations centred on some particularly timely and topical provocations.
Please make a note of the date and look out for more details, programme and booking information early in the New Year.
For more information, please email [email protected] or call 0141 404 0231.
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North East Sensory Services calls for support at carnival fund-raising
ball An Aberdeen-based charity is calling on the public and local businesses to support its forthcoming carnival themed fundraising ball. North East Sensory Services (NESS), which provides vital sensory services for blind and deaf people in the North-east is hosting its fifth annual ball, at the Marcliffe Hotel & Spa on Saturday 5 March 2016 to raise vital funds to support the work of the charity in the North-east. The Guarana Street Drummers will be performing their feet stomping sounds at the RIO carnival themed event, with accompanying whistles and horns. The Aberdeen-based band, which was founded in 2003, is a popular and regular performer at events across the UK, with its unique sound. In 2015, the NESS ball was a phenomenal success, raising more than £20,000. This year’s black-tie event, sponsored by Stronachs, will include music and dancing with popular party band Slinky, as well as the heart-thumping carnival music with the Guarana Street Drummers band and a live auction. Furthermore, a sumptuous three-course dinner will be served by the Marcliffe’s renowned chefs. NESS is the leading provider of sensory services for visually and hearing impaired, blind and deaf people in Scotland. With 50 staff and over 100 volunteers, it supports over 4800 people to overcome the practical and emotional effects of serious sight and/or hearing loss. The charity, which was formerly known as the Grampian Society for the Blind, provides social work, assistive technology, employment advice and a variety of support groups for people of all ages from babies to the elderly. Neil Skene, fundraising co-ordinator at NESS said: "We are excited by the carnival theme this year – the drummers and band are sure to create a fabulous party atmosphere. We rely largely on the generosity of the general public and local businesses and we are incredibly grateful to those who take tables at the ball and contribute so much on the night itself. We hope that this event goes from strength to strength and that it continues to be a highlight in the local social calendar." A limited number of tables are still available priced at £1000 for a table of 10. The charity relies largely on the support of the public and local businesses, and sponsorship opportunities are available for businesses and individuals, who wish to support NESS. NESS is also looking for prize donations to help with fundraising on the night.
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The Paralympic Event
The Paralympic Experience is a partnership event between City of Edinburgh Council, Active Schools Edinburgh, Scottish Disability Sport and Lothian Disability Sport.
The event provides a range of opportunities for young people with a physical, visual or hearing impairments to try new and exciting sports and learn more about the sports pathways that are available in Lothian region.
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The Paralympic Event 2016 will be held at: Forrester High School / St Augustine’s RC High School Campus, 212 Broomhouse Road Edinburgh EH12 9AE 9:30am, 4pm, Friday 18 March 2016. For the first time we are holding a market place for organisations and clubs who may wish to share information or promote their service. The market place will be open to the parents/carers of the young people who attend the event.
If you would like to take up this opportunity please contact: Alex Furneaux, Youth Work Co-ordinator by 29 January 2016.
BSL (British Sign Language) Sessions for Learners in Scotland
Edinburgh BSL Group
This is a welcoming group of signers, both hearing and Deaf. Join us every second Thursday for a cake and some friendly, relaxed chat in BSL. The group is informal and the signers are of different levels of ability. Signing is on and voices are off! If you have any questions, please contact Rachel Walker on 07814198715 or [email protected] Meeting day: Every second Thursday Time: 7.00 - 8.30pm Venue: 'Edinburgh Coffee Cake', 18 South Clerk St, Edinburgh, EH8 9P
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British Sign Language Classes At the Academy of BSL you will find a warm welcome and a professional delivery of all levels of BSL tuition. Our courses follow the BDA curriculum and learners will have access to Signworld's superb 24/7 on-line resources Our new session of iBSL certificated BSL Courses are starting in January 2016 and we are already taking bookings so find the right course for you and secure your place.
British Sign Language (BSL) Studies Level I Want to learn a new and transferable skill that will allow you to communicate with other BSL users or as part of a programme of study or professional development? If so, get your hands moving, because this Level 1 Award in British Sign Language (BSL) Studies is just right for you. N.B.: The Level 1 class has limited spaces
British Sign Language (BSL) Studies Level 2 Got your Level 1 and eager to continue learning – ready to develop your signing and take it to the next level then the Level 2 Award is perfect for you
British Sign Language (BSL) Studies Level 3 Finished your BSL Level 2 or NVQ 3 and looking for the opportunity to expand, enhance and enrich your BSL skills? Just love the language and want to learn even more? Serious about signing? This is the course for you! N.B.: The Level 3 class has limited spaces
British Sign Language (BSL) Studies Level 6
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Finished your BSL Level 3 or NVQ 3 and thinking of a career in the Deaf Community? The iBSL Level 6 is the course you need. We are delighted to say we will be running the Level 6 course in January and it is a must for anyone who intends becoming an Interpreter, CSW, or other position working with native BSL users. (There is a pre-requisite BSL skills interview for all applicants prior to Level 6) For more information or to book your place call on: 0141 204 4096 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.academyofbsl.co.uk
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Deaf Action BSL Classes – New term starts January 2016 Introduction to BSL short course: £95* Tuesday 19th January – Tuesday 23rd February, 6pm-8pm. This non-certified 6 week short course will give you an introduction to British Sign Language in a no pressure environment. This is the perfect starter course for those who are not sure about committing to the full SQA courses and would like a taster before moving on to a higher level. SQA Introduction to BSL: £350* Monday 18th January – 27th June, 6pm-8pm SQA BSL Level 2: £700* Tuesday 19th January – Tuesday 15th November, 6pm-8pm Application forms available from reception or can be found on our website – www.deafaction.org. For more information please contact Laura McAnna, Training and Development Co-ordinator. Email: [email protected] Tel: 0131 556 3128 SMS: 07912 308424 *All courses are eligible for ILA. Payment plans are available.
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Conferences
SCoD’s 2nd Annual Conference – ‘CONNECT & COMMUNICATE’ TICKETS NOW ON SALE! Thursday 10th March 2016 Royal Concert Hall Glasgow For the BSL version please click here. There will be a much bigger marketplace this time – to book your stall contact [email protected] The cost is £99 for members, £179 for non-members. If you want a stall and are not a member of SCoD, please contact Kellas to find out about joining and receiving the excellent member rates! More information on speakers, workshops, entertainment to be announced soon.
Crowdfunder Page – Support SCoD Help us raise money to support our SCoD Connect & Communicate 2016 Conference. For more information on how to pledge please visit our Crowdfunding page
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British Society of Audiology Annual Conference 2016 25 – 27 April 2016 Ricoh Arena, Coventry Event website: www.eventsforce.net/bsa2016 We are pleased to announce that the British Society of Audiology Annual Conference, entitled Transforming Knowledge to Sound Practice will be taking place on 25th – 27th April 2016 at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. The British Society of Audiology Annual Conference continues to be one of the leading UK scientific forums to bring together clinicians and researchers who have an interest in hearing, tinnitus and balance. The 2016 programme has undergone a revamp. Day 1 will focus on basic science, with a morning of dedicated poster time. Days 2 and 3 cover translational and clinical science. Important Dates
Registration is now open!
Applied and Clinical Research Abstract Submission Deadline (Day 2-3): 1st December 2015
Basic Science Abstract Submission Deadline (Day 1): 13th February 2016 To view the full programme, submit an abstract and register for conference visit: www.eventsforce.net/bsa2016
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Contact Us: BSA Conference, Blackburn House, Redhouse Road, Seafield, West Lothian, EH47 7AQ Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 1506 292042
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Accessible Theatre, Cinema & Television
UPCOMING CAPTIONED SCREENINGS VISIBLE CINEMA Visible Cinema is a new programme of film screenings for Deaf and Hard of Hearing audiences. Films shown throughout the year will be captioned, subtitled or British Sign Language Interpreted (BSL), followed by a BSL signed post film discussion. For more information please click here for website.
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‘The Battle for BSL’ (7 January 2016) and ‘Cheers for BSL’ (4 February 2016)
2 Programmes on the BSL Zone, Community Channel and Film4 inspired by The British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015
AC2.com Productions has produced two programmes for the BSL Zone, which will be shown for the first time* in January and February 2016. They are:
Cheers for BSL (1st TX Thursday 4 February 2016, 7.30pm on The Community Channel): Impressed by the high standard of the Stage 3 Debate on the BSL (Scotland) Bill on 17 September 2015, we proposed a second programme to the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust (BSLBT), which commissions BSL Zone programmes. This is a straightforward ‘Parliamentary Report’ on the Stage 3 Debate, featuring extracts from speeches made by every single politician who spoke. It was unique in our experience to have such a universally well-informed debate about BSL in a Parliament. This programme is also presented by Clark Denmark, from Committee Room 2 in the Scottish Parliament. We believe this is a world first – a whole programme dedicated to a report on a Parliamentary debate, presented in sign language and completely accessible in sign language. *BSL Zone programmes are premiered at 7.30pm on Thursday evenings on:
The Community Channel (Freeview 63, Sky 539, Virgin Media 269) They are then repeated on:
Saturday at 7.30am on the Community Channel
Monday at 8am on Film4 (Freeview 15, Sky 315, Virgin Media 428)
Tuesday at 2pm on the Community Channel
After the first transmission, the programmes are made permanently available online on the BSL Zone website: www.bslzone.co.uk.
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For more information contact Joel Kellhofer (Producer) at the above address, or: Bob Duncan (Producer), 07709 426378; [email protected] For more information please visit: http://www.bslzone.co.uk
Copy Deadline for the Next Issue As always, the deadline is the end of this month. Please forward your contributions for the next bulletin to: [email protected] . We are happy to publish details about your news, information, events, training courses and conferences. Please send us the text you want to be included in the bulletin. If you are not a member of SCoD and would like to advertise an event, training courses or conferences, please contact our Office Manager, Kellas, at [email protected] before you send us the text as there may be an admin charge.
SCoD Disclaimer Where appropriate, information sources for the bulletin are noted at the foot of each article. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of SCoD. We cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of information. No endorsement of services, events or products is intended or implied.
