UK Council on Deafness

November 2001 Bulletin

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The UK Council on Deafness bulletins are now available by email. To subscribe please send an email to info@deafcouncil.org.uk with the subject: Subscribe to Bulletin. The printed versions will continue to be posted to everyone on our mailing list but do please let us know if you only want the email version as this saves the cost of printing and postage.

Opportunities for Volunteering

At the Consortium for OfV National Agents meeting on 16th October proposals for changes to the scheme were presented by the Review Group set up by the DoH. Some of the recommendations are: to remove the focus on the unemployed so that it is one amongst a number of targeted groups; a Grant Strategy be developed with a major review every 6 years; Connection of OfV to statutory health and care services be made more meaningful and outcome focused; a rolling programme of grant-making replace the fixed funding periods; OfV criteria to be broadened to include continuation funding of existing work. The DoH are considering the recommendations, please send us any comments you would like to make by 30th November and we will pass them on to the DoH.

Digital Hearing Aids

An NHS consultant, in an apparent attempt to conserve funds, asked colleagues to "downplay" the benefits of digital hearing aids when speaking to patients, according to a leaked letter. The letter, by Jeremy Tweed, head of the audiology and hearing therapy service at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester, appealed to surgeons and consultants not to tell patients the new, but more expensive, digital aids were much better than the old analogue models. Dated August 7, this year, the letter said: "When you refer patients to us for assessment of candidature for a hearing aid, it is very important that you do not say what type of hearing aid they will get. It is also very helpful to us if you can downplay the benefits of digital versus standard NHS hearing aids." James Strachan, chief executive of the RNID commented: "Mr Tweed's letter is symptomatic of the national crisis in audiology which is affecting West Dorset Trust and every other hospital across the country. There is no excuse for falsely playing down the benefits to patients of digital hearing aids but Mr Tweed should never have been put in this position in the first place. "Mr Tweed is trying to run an audiology department on a shoestring budget and modern hearing aids cannot be provided while the government is starving them of cash. Moreover, per patient we are talking about a mere £100 for a real chance to revolutionise someone's life. The answer, of course, is not to mislead patients but for the government to address the problem of audiology in crisis - long waiting lists, inadequate funding and staff shortages. "Even the health minister, Jacqui Smith, acknowledged at the RNID Breaking the Sound Barrier event last Friday that waiting lists are too long and that the system must be modernised and extra money invested. But she still refused to make any commitment to roll-out digital hearing aids for everyone who needs them."

Keep Warm, Keep Well

The Department of Health provides useful advice on how to stay healthy in the winter months together with information about financial and practical help that is available. The Keep Warm, Keep Well factsheets are available at www.doh.gov.uk/kwkw/index.htm and are aimed at people who are socially isolated and housebound due to disability.

Information from Members

Launch of the New BDA Helpline The BDA Helpline ( open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday) aims to provide access to advice and information about your rights under the DDA, what benefits you should be receiving, education for Deaf children and the latest issues on BSL and the Deaf community. There is a free number for all textphone users (0800 6522 965) and all telephone calls (0870 770 3300) will be charged at the national rate. There is a videophone link (020 7496 9539), plus fax (020 7588 3527)and email address helpline@bda.org.uk or you can visit their website at www.bda.org.uk

Two of our members have recently launched websites:

DELTA (Deaf Education through Listening & Talking). The new website is aimed at parents of deaf children and professionals who work with deaf children and who want to find out more about the Natural Aural approach to education. The site is an extension of the many support services which DELTA already offers parents of hearing impaired children, young deaf adults and its members. www.deafeducation.org.uk

The Scottish Council on Deafness (SCoD) website has signed video clips to describe most sections. There are sections for up-to-date news, parliamentary business, views of Deaf, deafened, hard of hearing and deafblind people and links to SCoD's member organisations. By regularly logging into the Scottish Executive and Scottish parliament Websites, SCoD will search for issues appropriate and interesting to their members and will download this information onto the website www.scod.org.uk

A profile of a Member Organisation

Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People

CACDP's main aim is to promote communication between deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind and hearing people by offering high quality nationally recognised assessments and accreditation in British Sign Language (BSL) and other forms of communication used by deaf people. CACDP has passed the first stage, or 'Part A', of acceptance by the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) into the National Qualifications Framework with flying colours. This is the first phase of a two-stage approval process for inclusion in the Framework as a fully accredited awarding body. Part A approval includes the awarding body's quality systems and procedures, and opens the way for Part B approval of its qualifications. CACDP offers qualifications in BSL, Lipspeaking, Communication and Guiding Skills with Deafblind People, Deaf Awareness and Deafblind Awareness, and carries out the selection, training, registration and monitoring of examiners. CACDP maintain a register of BSL/English interpreters and publish annually a national directory of BSL and deafblind interpreters, lipspeakers and speech to text reporters of the highest standard. The headquarters are in Durham, which is the awarding body of the organisation, while operational developments are centred in London. In addition, CACDP has regional offices in Glasgow and Belfast. CACDP currently embraces 780 Registered Assessment Centres, including 31 Approved Assessment Centres, offering the broad range of qualifications. Under the umbrella of QCA, CACDP will be able to offer more opportunities for development and further enhance the curriculum in our sector. For further information contact: CACDP, Durham University Science Park, Block 4, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3UZ Tel: 0191 383 1155 Fax: 0191 383 7914 Text: 0191 383 7915 durham@cacdp.demon.co.uk www.cacdp.demon.co.uk

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