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Services for deaf Islanders

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WQ.285/2019

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY K.G. PAMPLIN OF ST. SAVIOUR

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 2nd JULY 2019

Question

Will the Minister provide a breakdown of the services offered to deaf Islanders by the States of Jersey (i.e. excluding the voluntary sector), including job titles and positions and whether the services are provided for adults, children or both?

Answer

All services provided to Islanders by the Government of Jersey are provided to Islanders that are deaf or have hearing loss. Work is being carried out in line with the Disability Strategy for Jersey to make services more accessible. This involves making reasonable adjustments to ensure more equitable access – for example, the provision of communication support, access to quiet environments and the availability of information in more accessible formats.

In addition, the audiology department within Health and Community Services supports Islanders with hearing loss. This services consists of:

  • 1 x Audiological Scientist
  • 0.3 x Paediatric Audiologist (0.2; 0.1 contract staff)
  • 3.5 x Audiologists & 1x zero hours contract (as required)
  • 0.8 x Audiological Practitioner
  • 0.5 x Assistant Audiologist
  • 0.96 x Newborn hearing screeners (0.46; 0.5)
  • 1.0 x Receptionist, 0.54 x admin
  • 0.16 Run lip-reading course (contract staff)
  • 0.04 Run communication course (funded by Jersey Deaf Society)

Approximate split of audiology department time: 14% newborns; further 10% children; 76% adults

Deafness exists on a continuum. Most Audiology clients have some aidable hearing and for that reason Audiology staff don't often see people who are profoundly deaf.

Two staff have level 2 BSL, and one has level 1 BSL (enough to converse but not interpret).

A support worker within the adult social care department provides additional support to people who are deaf, including BSL signing.

In the Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills:

  • The Children's Complex Needs Team supports families with children who have a permanent and substantial disability or long-term condition/illness that impacts on their everyday living. Currently there are fewer than five children who have a hearing impairment in addition to other disabilities such as cerebral palsy or a learning disability. These children have complex needs and therefore require a package of support. The Team works in partnership with Audiology and Education to ensure these children are provided with the appropriate level of support.

In Inclusion and Early Intervention:

  • 2 x Qualified Teachers for the Deaf
  • 1 x Audiologist in Education (established via a service level agreement with Health)

In the Additionally Resourced Centres (ARCs) for Hearing Needs at St Clement and Le Rocquier schools there are:

  • 2 Team Leaders
  • 5 Lead Keyworkers

The post of dDeaf Community Liaison Officer is currently being developed in conjunction with representatives from the voluntary organisations that support the dDeaf community in Jersey. The post is undergoing external evaluation. Once this is complete, recruitment to the post is due to commence. This post will provide dedicated support, guidance and advocacy to dDeaf/dDeaf Blind and Hard of Hearing children and adults in Jersey.

A number of individuals within the Government of Jersey have been identified to provide communication support to deaf Islanders when communicating with Government services and it is planned that they will be accessed via the Hospital interpreter services. In addition, BSL interpreters are commissioned from external providers to provide specialist communication support when appropriate. Customer and Local Services is in the process of developing a remote interpreting service to provide instant BSL interpreting via an online tool to support communication with deaf Islanders during appointments with Government services.