Feedback to Centenary House (Deaf) Forum (January 2010)

This Page is the feedack and answers from the open meeting at Centenary House re Services from january 2010 in BSL and then English.

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  The contrasts between the wall and floor colours are not good enough for visually impaired people.
  • ANSWER.  Most of the public areas are in line with the standard of colour contrasts in place at Shire View.  As a result of this query, a review of the entire building will be undertaken to identify any critical shortcomings. Matt Cope will be responsible for this project.
• COMMENT/QUESTION.  The ramp to the interpreting service office is dangerous.  People in wheelchairs could tip up: it is not wheel chair safe.
  • ANSWER.  The Interpreters Office is not a public area and the ramp was put in place as a safer option to the original steps in the mid 1990’s.  It was not put in place with wheelchair users in mind.  The current, reasonable adjustment, is that if wheelchair users need access to the Interpreting Service they should make that requirement known via Reception.  Services will then be provided in a different part of the building.  In the short term, a warning sign will be put in place to warn wheelchair users of the potential risk.  In the longer term, Matt Cope will carry out a risk assessment and, if necessary, reasonable further adjustments will be made in line with current legislation.
• COMMENT/QUESTION.  Automatic door to Centenary House is unsafe.  Deaf are unaware when they are opening.
  • ANSWER.  There is no reported incident of an accident involving Deaf people.  However, it is accepted that the current automatic door is not the ideal solution, especially for people with a sight loss.  We are grateful for this matter being drawn to our attention and, as funds permit, we hope to improve on existing facilities.

EQUIPMENT/HEARING LOSS SUPPORT SERVICE (HLSS)

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  Regarding the doorbell system, I like to sit in my house and sit with just the lamp on, not the main lights.  Then I go in the kitchen and forget I haven’t turned the box.  I think it should be automatic.  I shouldn’t have to keep changing it from day to night and night to day.
  • ANSWER.  HLSS does a thorough assessment based on the client’s needs. HLSS has a limited budget, provided by Adult Social Care/Leeds City Council, and has to cater for ALL profoundly Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind people in Leeds: potentially, 135,000 people. The average “spend per client” in 2009 was approximately £150: that figure does not include staff time for assessments and installation.  To make the money benefit the largest number of people with a sensory impairment, much of the equipment is quite basic so it is not possible to provide equipment that suits everyone’s personal preferences.  However, there is nothing to stop anyone from purchasing their own equipment with their own money and we are more than happy to advise individuals.
• COMMENT/QUESTION.  We need more publicity to let new people who move to Leeds know what they are entitled to.  One new person I know had to find out from another Deaf person what they could get.  We need better publicity on the website, and a voucher system in case we don’t like the stock you have.  This would allow us to go out and get something that better meets our needs.
  • ANSWER.  This is an excellent suggestion and we are constantly looking at ways of improving the level of information available at our website (www.cohearentvision.org.uk).  There is no voucher scheme but nationally there are moves to introduce self directed support.  Further details can be found at: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/Health_and_social_care/Help_for_adults/Social_services__direct_payments/Self_directed_support.aspx

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  They know nothing about this service but have been told previously that they cannot have any equipment as they are hearing parents. Although, they would like their son to have some independence. The fire service has refused to provide an alarm. They have no idea what they are entitled to but think they could benefit from a flashing doorbell.  There needs to be more information available about the availability of equipment. They only know what they have heard from other parents.
  • ANSWER.  The current information, at our website (www.cohearentvision.org.uk), about the services provided, will be explained in greater detail and updated by 2 July 2010.

INTERPRETING SERVICE

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  Deaf people should be involved in the interpreting service. There should be a Deaf person in the service. They could help to train interpreters to improve.
  • ANSWER.  We would welcome any approach by any appropriately qualified Deaf person who is willing to train BSL Interpreters.  Please contact Jonathan Field.  Simon Spear, whose first language is BSL, is one of the Trustees of coHearentVision. He is now the key Trustee for working with the Interpreting Service with a focus on improving quality.  We are also investing in several different types of training including Mental Health training as well as BSL teaching from local Deaf people.

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  Interpreters should be more involved in the Deaf community socially in order to keep up to date with Sign Language.  Deaf people need to support them in doing this by allowing interpreters “off time” to socialise in the community.
  • ANSWER.  This is a very good idea but there would be quite a few challenges in implementing this.  Currently the interpreters are working at least one evening every week and sometimes two evenings a week. This means they are working up to 50 hours a week. It is important for them to have time off to be able to relax in order to interpret well. One suggestion is to give the interpreters time off to attend the Deaf Club.  The interpreting service will be bringing Deaf people in to the service to make sure we are keeping up to date with new signs.

• COMMENT/QUERY.  The service controls Deaf people’s lives by changing bookings.
  • ANSWER.  We do not change the appointments of Deaf people on our own authority.  It is often the hospitals that change the date of the appointment so an interpreter will be available. If a Deaf person does not want the booking changed then they are well within their rights to keep the appointment but we will not be able to get an interpreter there.  One of the most practical solutions is to make sure the next booking is made at the time of the first appointment

SOCIAL WORK TEAM

• COMMENT/QUERY.  Accurate and up-to-date information about Duty hours should be available.
  • ANSWER.  We will continue to provide a Duty service with morning and afternoon sessions on a Tuesday, and morning sessions on Wednesday and Friday. Duty times will continue to be displayed in the reception area of Centenary House. Updates showing any changes to these will be posted on the coHearentVision website and communicated via the Community Liaison Officer.  This service will not be available at Centenary House after 30 July 2010.

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  Various services provided should be provided directly in BSL rather than via an interpreter. Staff should be trained in signing skills to do this.
  • ANSWER.  Regarding the level of signing skills, this is an ill-informed comment!  Two members of the social work team use BSL as their first language and the remainder of the team are at Level 3 or 4 standard in BSL.  However, their primary role is as a Social Worker and it is not always professionally appropriate for them to also act as an interpreter.

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  Will the service still exist after March? What service will there be then?
  • ANSWER.  Social Work support will not be delivered by coHearentVision after 30 July 2010 and, our Social Work Department will close on that day.  Where individuals have given their permission, all current client details will be passed to mainstream Social Work Department within Adult Social Care/Leeds City Council who will then provide all social work services.  New referrals have been being passed to mainstream Social Work Department since the early part of 2010.  The emergency/out of hours service was transferred to mainstream Social Work Department in July 2009.  John Conway will be issuing more details about the closure of his department during July 2010.

YOUTH SERVICES

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  The service should involve more Deaf volunteers and this idea should be promoted to the community.
  • ANSWER.  We have always welcomed Deaf volunteers and have had support from Deaf people being volunteers within our team.  We promote and encourage young Deaf people and have had great success with young Deaf people starting as volunteers and gaining employment and going on to further education.  Sadly, we do not get enough parents offering to be volunteers and would welcome their greater involvement.  Contact Barbara Fraher for further information.

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  Information in BSL regarding the service could be displayed on the TVs in the building, especially for those who do not have access to the internet.
  • ANSWER.  This is an area that we as a team are hoping to implement within the service.  Any assistance, in the production of BSL videos would be welcomed.  We are keen to make greater use of BSL clips at our website and on the TV display screens at Centenary House.  Chris Bojas, David Fowler and Evin are encouraged to consult with service users to make more videos.

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  Will there be a Saturday morning club?
  • ANSWER.  Through consultation with Young People we offer a Saturday Club once a month for ages13 – 19 as from the findings young people were feeling isolated and bored at home at weekends.  This is a pilot scheme and we will keep this aspect of the service under review and re-assess the need in due course.

COMMUNICATION UNIT

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  In general the majority of customers and day centre staff were very happy with the service but there was a concern that the building is too dark.
  • ANSWER.  The Facilities Department is always looking at ways in which we can improve the decoration of the building and contrasts for visually impaired people.  Improvements are dependent upon the budget available.

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  Cyber café – is unhygienic and food needs improving
  • ANSWER.  The Leeds Deaf Social Club is responsible for the Café and this comment has been passed to their Chairman, Jason Hixson.

MAIN MEETING

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  Everyone has been talking about coHearentVision but what have we been told about the change of name? There has been no publicity and no consultation!  Everyone is laughing at the name and the sign – what’s it about?  It’s not deaf user friendly; coHearentVision what’s that about?
• COMMENT/QUESTION.  CoHearentVision newsletter – when I first saw the name I thought it said Cochlear Implant; who designed this? We shouldn’t have that logo it looks like a cochlear implant and it’s not PC.
• COMMENT/QUESTION.  Regarding the name CoHearentVision, I agree that the logo does look like a cochlear implant.  Where was the consultation? It says ‘hear’ and ‘vision’ as terminology.  Where is the consultation with deaf people?  It is rubbish.
  • ANSWER.  The decision to re-brand the Society was driven by the desire of the Chair and Chief Executive to modernize the image of the Society and agreed by the Board of Trustee’s.  Individual service users were not part of this process.  The re-branding has been highly successful and the Society has a much more modern image as a result of this process.  Feedback has been very positive from the majority of comments and negative from only a few people: which is inevitable, as re-branding never appeals to everyone!  We are in good company as many charities have been pursuing a similar strategy to help make them more appealing to funders and donors.

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  There have been lots of strong views expressed and noted, but we don’t know Rob Young and who he is, we’ve never met him, so perhaps we should have a copy of the notes and also send a copy to Leeds Council to keep them aware of what’s going on here.
  • ANSWER.  Leeds City Council is kept informed of the activities that they fund on a Quarterly basis.  This is part of a formal process within our contract arrangements with them.
  • ANSWER.  Rob Young is the Chief Executive and shares his time between Centenary House and Shire View in Headingley.  He is freely available to be seen and met by individual service users.

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  We should ask for a copy and I want to see them ‘CC’ to the Council and more information put on coHearentVision’s website, and more of this to be in BSL.
  • ANSWER.  We are always encouraging our Deaf staff to make more video clips in BSL to improve communication.  Anyone who would like to help in that process should contact Jonathan Field or David Fowler and offer their assistance.  A copy of these Questions and Answers will be sent to Leeds City Council.

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  It would raise the profile of the society if Rob Young and all of the Management Committee were to be able to sign and address Deaf people personally and privately, and also trained to be Deaf aware, with an understanding of Deaf people’s culture.
  • ANSWER.  6 of the 9 people who comprise the Board of Trustee’s (often referred to as the “Management Committee”) are sensory impaired (i.e. 66%).  One of those Trustee’s is Blind, another severely Visually Impaired and another is DeafBlind (the latter is also Vice Chairman and Acting Treasurer).  One Trustee uses BSL as their first language and two Trustee’s are Hard of Hearing.  Four of the Trustee’s are BSL users.  The majority of Trustee’s have either attended or indeed teach sensory awareness training.

NEXT MEETING

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  For the next meeting, we should involve managers and director.
  • That has happened in the past and could have been the format in the previous meeting.  However, Chris Bojas and Evin gave feedback that Deaf people did not want the Chief Executive and Managers to attend!  Based on this information, the Chief Executive, Rob Young, followed the advice of his Deaf professionals.  However, the Chief Executive and Managers are happy to attend (as they have in the past) and will do so in the future.

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  I think we need to see what response we get from management and directors before we decide whether to feedback to them. Will they put our comments aside or actually make action points from them?
  • ANSWER.  The reason we want these meetings to take place is to get positive suggestions that we can develop into new services and/or improve what we already do.

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  Can everyone access the website?  Deaf people prefer the information first hand.
  • ANSWER.  Anyone with an internet connection (or access to the internet) can access our website: www.cohearentvision.org.uk

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  Regarding when the meeting will be, I would like to see managers and officers involved, and also a meeting without them.  You have to watch what you say if they are here, and sometimes that can affect feedback.  So we need one meeting with and one without.
  • ANSWER.  There will be two meetings on the evening of Tuesday 13 July, arranged by Evin/Chris Bojas, in line with the suggestion above for Deaf people.  There will be a further meeting, along the same format, on Thursday 15 July for Hard of Hearing people.

• COMMENT/QUESTION.  Deaf Community needs informing of any changes that are being made and consulted with.  An assurance that Managers/Directors will respond to these issues and include a time frame for doing so.
  • ANSWER.  Our organization will always try to consult with its customers and stakeholders but, will not do so on every operational issue or aspect of its business.  That is the responsibility of the Chair, the Board of Trustee’s and the Chief Executive.  However, coHearentVision takes very seriously its responsibility to include people in its plans for the future.  With this in mind it is establishing a Panel of service users to input into its Tender bid process and has established the Forums at Centenary House and Shire View to get direct feedback to improve services.  It is agreed that feedback should be made on a timely basis and we will try harder in future to give feedback in the shortest possible time. COMMENT from Chief Executive.  Evin and Chris Bojas have been tasked to produce these notes in BSL at the earliest opportunity.

This page was created on: June 23, 2010 and last modified on June 30th, 2010 at 12:37.