Ealing

Information and Advice

We provide one to one confidential Information & Advice services across England. 

The Information & Advice support we offer includes, but is not limited to: 

• Welfare Benefits 
• Housing 
• Debt 
• Employment 
• Consumer and community care 
• Access to council services 
• Advice on access to legal services 

You can also visit our digital hub to get information on various topics.  If you can’t get to one of our branches, book an appointment on our video BSL Advice Line.

PA Community Support Service

** Due to Coronavirus, there have been some changes to the YouChoose service.  Please click here for more information. **

A one-to-one support service for deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind people 

deafPLUS and Action Deafness work in partnership to provide Personal Assistants (PA’s), who support and develop service users’ skills to enable them to live independently in the community, to access a variety of services, including our own community activities and to build friendships.  

deafPLUS is part of the YOUchoose consortium, which includes several deaf organisations across the country, who provide one-to-one support to Deaf, deafened, hard of hearing and deaf-blind people. YOUchoose is led by Action Deafness Community, a registered Care Quality Commission provider.   

Service users can apply for referrals directly. Family or friends, members of the NHS Services, Social Services or anyone else connected to the service users who has their permission to act on their behalf can also apply. A referral is just the first stage. This will start a conversation before any decision is made, by all involved, if support is agreed.  

If you have any queries about our PA Community Support Service please contact Holly:

Email: Holly.Ritchie@deafplus.org

Voice: 020 8315 2550  

Skype: YOUchoose deafplus

Text: 07521 663987  
Website: www.youchoosesupport.org.uk 

Your Service, the way you want it 

Equipment for Home & Life

deafPLUS can provide an equipment assessment, fitting and maintenance service for Deaf and hard of hearing people. 

The equipment we supply includes: 

• TV Loop systems 
• Alerting devices 
• Personal listening devices 
• Textphones (minicoms) 
• Fax machines 
• Telephone amplifiers 
• Flashing and vibrating smoke alarms (at our Bath office only) 
• Batteries and tubing  

BSL Training

British Sign Language (BSL) was recognised by the government as a language in its own right in March 2003. BSL is the first or preferred language of an estimated 70,000 Deaf people in the UK. BSL is a visual-gestural language, with its own grammar and principles, which are completely different from the grammatical structure of English. (Reference Signature.org.uk)

deafPLUS are offering BSL Level 2!

This qualification is designed to enable learners to develop their skills to communicate with Deaf people using British Sign Language (BSL) in a range of everyday situations. The qualification will allow learners to participate in longer and more varied conversations than at Level 1. The course will develop communication in BSL about real life, routine, and daily experiences. The learner will be able to deal with most routine communication and have enough understanding of grammar to cope with some non-routine communication. Learners should be taught a number of regional variations in sign language. (Reference Signature.org.uk)

deafPLUS BSL Level 2

Course Length: 39 weeks.  This course is taught every Thursday, beginning Thursday 5th September 2019 until Thursday 16th July 2020.  
Time: 7.00pm - 9.00pm
Location: Bromley
Fee: £600 + £150 for Signature assessment
Fee (concession): £500 including Signature assessment.

If you are interested in enrolling, or have any other training enquiries, please contact us at training@deafplus.org 

Deaf Awareness Training

Being deaf aware is a great way to demonstrate good business practice.  Our Deaf Awareness course will give learners an all round understanding of deafness, and the diverse communication needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing.  

After having completed  the training you will:

• gain an understanding of equipment for deaf people and how it works 
• understand the work of Language Support Professionals and how to use them effectively in the workplace
• feel confident about communicating with people who are deaf or hard of hearing, thereby allowing you to break down barriers faced by people with hearing loss. 

Interested in having your staff attend our Deaf Awareness Training?  We can come to your organisation and do so!  Our fees are as follows:

Half day (3 Hours) Deaf Awareness Training: £450 - maximum 15 learners
Full day (6 hours) Deaf Awareness Training: £750 - maximum 30 learners 

Testimonials 
Here is what some of our previous students have to say about our Deaf Awareness Training course:

"The training was very informative, made me realise how hard it must be for my deaf colleagues sometimes.  I can try to put into practice what I have learnt. The trainer was very good and made the experience enjoyable."

"This training was extremely interesting and helped me understand some of the difficulties I never realise deaf customers and Partners must have in communicating. I particularly enjoyed learning some sign language and I will make  sure to keep learning a little bit every day. Thank you for the amazing experience."

"This training was the most enjoyable class I have had since my start over five years. I now feel I will be able to communicate much better with Jumoke, and also with customers. Jason was a wonderful trainer and kept us all interested the whole time. Thank you so much Jason and David for the enjoyable training."

Career Progression Service

Funded by Trust for London we deliver a ‘Step Up’ project to support Deaf and hard of hearing Londoners to progress their careers. 

• Career progression support 
• Routes out of low-pay support 

We offer support to identify progression routes out of low-paid work. This could include advice, training and support to help low-paid workers into better-paid, sustainable employment which offers a career path, as well as work with employers. 

We will explore options on improving pay, conditions and rights for those on low incomes, including promoting the London Living Wage and addressing exploitative employment practices. 

deafPLUS are proud to achieve the London Living Wage accreditation. 

If you would like support progressing your career, please contact us on employment@deafplus.org or if you are an employer and would like support training & developing your deaf employee, please call us on 020 7790 8478. 

Deaf/Blind VI Service

visionPLUS offer similar services to deafPLUS except that the service is tailored to the needs of people facing sight loss.

Bath is contracted through Virgin Care to provide our service (Virgin Care provide Health and Social Care in Bath and North East Somerset).

We offer a range of services and our service provided is tailored to our individual client.  Some of the services we provide are:

• Information about living with sight loss, eye conditions and sight loss.
• General Advice with regards to coping with sight loss
• Advocacy: support with difficult issues
• Benefits Advice: including form filling, attendance at medical assessments, dealing with reconsiderations and appeals and attendance at Tribunals
• Equipment: including funded or partly funded equipment such as mobility canes, lighting talking clocks etc.

visionPlus sign post to relevant health services and social/rehabilitation services.