Joint statement about Market Review
20th August 2017
Four members of the Market Review steering group have written a joint statement in response to the Market review that has been published. Click here to read it.
The four members are:
Action on Hearing Loss, Association of Sign Language Interpreters (ASLI), National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) and National Union of British Sign Language Interpreters (NUBSLI)
Four members of the Market Review steering group have written a joint statement in response to the Market review that has been published. Click here to read it.
The four members are:
Action on Hearing Loss, Association of Sign Language Interpreters (ASLI), National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) and National Union of British Sign Language Interpreters (NUBSLI)
Now published - Market Review of British Sign Language and communications provision for people who are deaf or have hearing loss
3rd August 2017
In 2015 the DWP agreed to look at communication services (interpreting, speech to text, lipspeaking, etc.) for D/deaf people. The report is published now. You can read or download it as a PDF here.
The DWP was responsible for the review, with the help of a steering group. The steering group included: NUBSLI (I represented NUBSLI at the steering group meetings), Signature / NRCPD, ASLI, Action on Hearing Loss, NDCS, and others.
The DWP is doing a BSL translation of the Introduction, Executive Summary and Conclusions that will be available soon. Unfortunately the snap election, and need to publish before the summer holiday, meant they weren’t able to release the English and BSL versions at the same time. I will post on DeafATW when the translation is available.
You can still see the original explanations of the review, from 2015.
Click here to see the original explanation about the general review and call for evidence in BSL.
Click here to see the original explanation about the review into Communication Support Work (CSWs) in BSL.
The report looks at demand (what services people need), supply (what services are available), technology (how is technology affecting communication services, e.g. remote interpreting), and what is likely to happen in the future (future look). There is also a separate section on Communication Support Work (CSW).
Over 200 people and organisations sent evidence. The report summarises and quotes from that evidence. Unfortunately other government departments did not share much information.
In 2015 the DWP agreed to look at communication services (interpreting, speech to text, lipspeaking, etc.) for D/deaf people. The report is published now. You can read or download it as a PDF here.
The DWP was responsible for the review, with the help of a steering group. The steering group included: NUBSLI (I represented NUBSLI at the steering group meetings), Signature / NRCPD, ASLI, Action on Hearing Loss, NDCS, and others.
The DWP is doing a BSL translation of the Introduction, Executive Summary and Conclusions that will be available soon. Unfortunately the snap election, and need to publish before the summer holiday, meant they weren’t able to release the English and BSL versions at the same time. I will post on DeafATW when the translation is available.
You can still see the original explanations of the review, from 2015.
Click here to see the original explanation about the general review and call for evidence in BSL.
Click here to see the original explanation about the review into Communication Support Work (CSWs) in BSL.
The report looks at demand (what services people need), supply (what services are available), technology (how is technology affecting communication services, e.g. remote interpreting), and what is likely to happen in the future (future look). There is also a separate section on Communication Support Work (CSW).
Over 200 people and organisations sent evidence. The report summarises and quotes from that evidence. Unfortunately other government departments did not share much information.
How is the report useful and how can you use it?
The most useful parts of the report are the Executive Summary (4 pages) and the conclusions (3 pages). There are four conclusions at the start of the Executive Summary, and fourteen more in Annex I.
Some of these conclusions are really clear, and it is useful to have them in the government’s own report.
You can use these conclusions and the Executive Summary when discussing things with organisations, government bodies, agencies, MPs etc.
An example of a potentially really useful conclusion from the Annex is:
“Language and communication requirements should be addressed on an individual basis, and those that are required to make provision for deaf people should seek the views of individuals, as to what works best for them. There is no universal approach to addressing these needs and requirements will vary from person to person and across situations.”
This may be useful if ATW advisers make decisions that don’t give you enough flexibility to book the interpreters you need.
Other useful conclusions are that “the data … show BSL is the first language of 24,000 people, but there are only 908 registered sign language Interpreters.”. When you see this, it is really easy to understand that there are not enough interpreters. Useful when talking to MPs etc. about the need for more interpreters.
Also this from the Executive Summary may be useful if you find it difficult to cover the costs of interpreter’s travel for your work: “Some respondents noted that the lack of communication professionals in their area meant that the cost of sourcing appropriate, qualified interpreters was significantly increased by their travel costs to the users’ location".
If you are (or know) a student in Higher Education receiving the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) this may be useful: “There was consensus from respondents that use of CSWs who are not qualified as interpreters in Higher Education could be inappropriate.” Maybe useful if being told you have to use a CSW (who isn’t also a qualified interpreter).
The most useful parts of the report are the Executive Summary (4 pages) and the conclusions (3 pages). There are four conclusions at the start of the Executive Summary, and fourteen more in Annex I.
Some of these conclusions are really clear, and it is useful to have them in the government’s own report.
You can use these conclusions and the Executive Summary when discussing things with organisations, government bodies, agencies, MPs etc.
An example of a potentially really useful conclusion from the Annex is:
“Language and communication requirements should be addressed on an individual basis, and those that are required to make provision for deaf people should seek the views of individuals, as to what works best for them. There is no universal approach to addressing these needs and requirements will vary from person to person and across situations.”
This may be useful if ATW advisers make decisions that don’t give you enough flexibility to book the interpreters you need.
Other useful conclusions are that “the data … show BSL is the first language of 24,000 people, but there are only 908 registered sign language Interpreters.”. When you see this, it is really easy to understand that there are not enough interpreters. Useful when talking to MPs etc. about the need for more interpreters.
Also this from the Executive Summary may be useful if you find it difficult to cover the costs of interpreter’s travel for your work: “Some respondents noted that the lack of communication professionals in their area meant that the cost of sourcing appropriate, qualified interpreters was significantly increased by their travel costs to the users’ location".
If you are (or know) a student in Higher Education receiving the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) this may be useful: “There was consensus from respondents that use of CSWs who are not qualified as interpreters in Higher Education could be inappropriate.” Maybe useful if being told you have to use a CSW (who isn’t also a qualified interpreter).
Lastly there is also useful information in the Annexes (appendices) that it may be useful to share with MPs, people or organisations. These include:
Annex A - Statistics on the deaf population
Annex B - Methods of communication and language support (maybe send to those agencies who don’t know what these terms mean!)
Annex C - More information about deafblind people.
Annex E - Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSAs)
Annex F - Technological aids and support
Annex G - Access to Work
Let me know if you do use any quotes from the conclusions or executive summary in making arguments to service providers, agencies, government bodies, MPs etc. and what the result is. I can then share this information, anonymously if required, to give other people ideas.
Click here to read the update about the Market review on NUBSLI's the Nub. This explains more about why it is worth engaging with government and being part of a Steering Group like this.
Annex A - Statistics on the deaf population
Annex B - Methods of communication and language support (maybe send to those agencies who don’t know what these terms mean!)
Annex C - More information about deafblind people.
Annex E - Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSAs)
Annex F - Technological aids and support
Annex G - Access to Work
Let me know if you do use any quotes from the conclusions or executive summary in making arguments to service providers, agencies, government bodies, MPs etc. and what the result is. I can then share this information, anonymously if required, to give other people ideas.
Click here to read the update about the Market review on NUBSLI's the Nub. This explains more about why it is worth engaging with government and being part of a Steering Group like this.
Steering Group for the Market Review of BSL and Communications Provision for People who are Deaf or have Hearing Loss
30th July 2015
NUBSLI have been invited to be part of this review, along with NRCPD, NDCS, ASLI, and government departments, including DWP, Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), Crown Commercial Service (CCS), and Department of Education.
I am attending this group on behalf of NUBSLI.
In the meeting there is one person who uses BSL and BSL/English interpreters, and one person who uses English and Speech to Text reporters.
The Steering Group had a very constructive initial meeting in which the purpose of the review and its outcomes were discussed and agreed upon. These are:
NUBSLI have been invited to be part of this review, along with NRCPD, NDCS, ASLI, and government departments, including DWP, Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), Crown Commercial Service (CCS), and Department of Education.
I am attending this group on behalf of NUBSLI.
In the meeting there is one person who uses BSL and BSL/English interpreters, and one person who uses English and Speech to Text reporters.
The Steering Group had a very constructive initial meeting in which the purpose of the review and its outcomes were discussed and agreed upon. These are:
- The review will look across provision of the UK as a whole and all forms of communication support.
- Its aim is to inform interested parties and support future strategy and policy decisions.
- It will not put forward recommendations or impact on current strategy or provision.
- The report will be available publicly.
- The review will baseline the current state of communication support market and go onto explore factors that could impact it in the future.
- The market review will look at three areas of focus: Demand, Supply and Technology.
- Evidence will be collected, including both published literature and a Call for Evidence.
Meeting with Justin Tomlinson, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Disabled People
13th July 2015
On 13th July Justin Tomlinson met with NUBSLI. Nicky Evans, Jen Smith and I attended representing NUBSLI.
The meeting was very positive, and following that meeting NUBSLI have been invited to meet with DWP officials to discuss specific issues further, to submit case studies illustrating current problems with AtW, including from the employer's perspective, and invited to take part in the BSL Market Review (see above).
On 13th July Justin Tomlinson met with NUBSLI. Nicky Evans, Jen Smith and I attended representing NUBSLI.
The meeting was very positive, and following that meeting NUBSLI have been invited to meet with DWP officials to discuss specific issues further, to submit case studies illustrating current problems with AtW, including from the employer's perspective, and invited to take part in the BSL Market Review (see above).