Monday 8th June 2009 - 11.00am - 5.30pm & Tuesday 9th June 2009 - 10.00am - 4.00pm

At: Royal Horticultural Society, Vincent Square, London, SW1P 2PE.

Stop it Now! - For Deaf People
Yasmin Kovic, Deaf Safeguarding Advisor for Deaf Children at NSPCC & Sue O’Rourke, Clinical Director and Psychologist at St Georges Healthcare

The ‘Stop it Now!’ concept has proved to be successful in minimising the likelihood of sexual offences being committed amongst some hearing Sex Offenders.  However, diverse groups such as Deaf Sex Offenders are unable to access help due to the nature of the raising awareness materials and the inaccessibility of the helpline. In late 2007, Yasmin Kovic, Deaf Safeguarding Advisor for Deaf Children at the NSPCC, contacted key professionals to explore if it was feasible to set up the equivalent of ‘Stop it Now!’ for Deaf people.  The professionals involved included clinicians with expertise in Deaf Sex Offender work.  Yasmin Kovic had been involved in a safeguarding Deaf children inter-agency group at the NSPCC and it had expressed concerns about Deaf Sex Offenders and about the limited knowledge in this area.

Getting under the skin of Deaf people who use mental health services - using the case study approach
Andrew Lowndes, Practice Development Fellow, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Community Health, Glasgow Caledonian University

In 2007 researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University were awarded funding by RNID (Scotland) to undertake a study entitled ‘Mental health services - the experience of deaf and deaf blind people’. As part of this larger study research into the real lived experience of Deaf patients currently in receipt of mental health care in NHS Scotland is currently being undertaken. The purpose of this paper is to outline the research methods used to collect data for this aspect of the study, discuss the challenges encountered and present some preliminary findings. The paper will begin with a brief overview of the literature relating to Deaf patients utilisation of mental health care services. The research method used namely case study method, will then be described. This paper will conclude with some preliminary findings from the study which is due for completion in October 2009. 

Why do you keep missing me? - A report into Deaf people's health and access to equal treatment
Steve Powell, Chief Executive, SignHealth

Deaf people have poorer health. Higher rates of learning disability, mental health issues, blindness, physical and other long standing conditions. They go to their family doctor more often, are referred to specialists at a higher rate than hearing people, yet lack the most basic access to health centres and the psychological therapies and other treatments available to hearing patients. This presentation will review the research work being carried out by SignHealth and discuss its positive relationship with the Department of Health but a rather more fractured relationship with the National Health Service in England and Wales.

Finding me, finding you - an exploration of mental health services in Scotland for people who are Deaf or Deafblind
Willie McDonald, Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Community Health, Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU)

This presentation will provide a preliminary overview of a study exploring mental health services in Scotland for people who are Deaf or Deafblind. The aim of this study was to explore mental health services available to and accessed by Deaf and Deafblind people in Scotland and to provide an estimate of the prevalence of mental health service users in Scotland who are Deaf or Deafblind. Descriptive statistics were generated using the analytical tool SPSS.  This presentation will discuss the challenges involved in collecting and analysing data and the need for more specific national statistics to be gathered, if these service users are to be effectively empowered and supported to meet their needs.  The lack of clear information regarding prevalence, dedicated services and appropriate training suggest that the Government’s aim for improved quality of care for all remains more of an objective than a reality for Deaf and Deafblind mental health service users in Scotland.

Improving Access to Psychological Therapies for Deaf People
Hazel Flynn, Head of Advocacy and Counselling at SignHealth & Jonathan Isaac, General Secretary of BSMHD

BSMHD and SignHealth have been advising the Department of Health Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Programme to ensure that the services being developed are accessible to deaf people, and the recently published Commissioning IAPT for the Whole Community Best Practice Guidance (Department of Health November 2009) includes key recommendations for the provision of services in sign language. The aim of the IAPT programme is to help the NHS to implement the NICE guidelines for anxiety and depression. NICE approves a range of psychological therapies including CBT, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Counselling and Couples Therapy. For the Deaf community the IAPT programme is an opportunity for psychological therapies to be accessible in BSL in primary care for the first time.

Pacesetters - mental health promotion in Bristol
Mary Griggs, Clinical Psychologist and Team Leader, Deaf Mental Health Team & Siobhan O’Donovan, Deaf Community Care Worker

This presentation will outline the Pacesetters Project, based in Bristol, and funded by the Department of Health through Bristol PCT which aims to address both access to health services and health inequality within the Deaf Community.  The talk will highlight three ongoing strands to the project, sharing information about the processes that led to each being set up and will include our learning along the way.  The projects have been formally evaluated and these results including a short piece of film will be shared.

Lothian Deaf Counselling Service - the story continues
Teresa Brasier & Trudi Collier, Counsellors, Lothian Deaf Counselling Service

Teresa and Trudi will present their experiences of the pilot phase including statistics, client case studies and personal and corporate learning from the 14-month project. They will explore the challenges faced in promoting counselling and ways in which a counselling service can reach out to the wider D/deaf community (through providing training and workshop opportunities). Teresa will outline how counselling can be the link for deafened clients between their personal silent world, the hearing world they feel they have left and the deaf world they may never have come across before and how essential collaborative working with statutory and voluntary agencies is to both staff and clients.  

Launching the National Deaf CAMHS
Barry Wright, York Deaf Child and Family Service

The Deaf Children and Young People’s Service was formed on the 1 April 2009 following a successful pilot of 3 regional Deaf Child and Family services. It is funded by the National Commissioning Group. The service will employ a multi disciplinary staff team based in York, Dudley, London and Taunton, supporting outreach posts in Maidstone, Nottingham, Cambridge, Oxford, Newcastle and Manchester that will deliver a highly specialist service to deaf and hearing impaired children and young people who have complex mental health needs.

Developing a Deaf mental health secure service for men; collaboration, partnership and culture change
Colin Doyle, Clinical Service Development Manager, St Andrew’s Healthcare & Roger Hewitt, Deaf Advisor to the project

Market analysis indicates that there is a gap in the market for secure psychiatric inpatient treatment for people who are Deaf. Early indications are that there are a number of people held in prison who are Deaf and would be better placed in High or Medium secure hospital treatment facilities, as well as those in High secure provision whose pathway to medium security is limited due a national shortage of specialist beds. Geographically most of the national low and medium secure beds are situated in the North West of the country which very often means that those accessing services are often placed at great distances from their families and relatives. The project is developing a fifteen bedded, purpose built medium secure Deaf service for men on the Northampton site providing those people who require, or commission detained treatment and care in the south of the country with the option of using St Andrew’s Healthcare’s clinical service. This project plans a long run up to opening which has already resulted in a progressive cultural change at St Andrew’s towards the goal of ensuring the service is fully accessible to Deaf patients and staff. 

Describing the need for psychological assessments in BSL - a national network
Mary Griggs & Kevin Baker

In this presentation we outline the frustrating clinical experiences of Deaf and hearing staff with BSL skills and mental health training is that supporting this service user group in a meaningful way.  We identify recent issues that have emerged which include the assessment of Mental Capacity and the assessment of BSL skills.  Frequently, factors such as these influence how mental health workers to make clinical decisions, such as: supported living arrangements, the design of community-base rehabilitation programmes, suitability for therapy, decisions about type of, and adaptations to, therapy.  We also focus on the formal assessment tools which form a significant part of the assessment and formulation of an individual’s difficulties. We describe the large gaps in formal assessment tools available in BSL which lead to an inequitable service for Deaf people.  Finally, we consider the cultural validity of translating existing psychological assessments and suggest that there is a need for developing new assessments to address concepts of coping and wellness related to experiences of mental ill-health that may be specific to Deaf people. 

Training Deaf Counsellors in BSL
Trudi Collier, Course Tutor

In October 2008 24 students commenced studying the Certificate in Counselling Skills taught in BSL. The course has been developed by Inter-Psyche in partnership with BSMHD and SignHealth. The students will complete the Certificate in June 2009 and will then be moving on to the two year BACP Accredited Diploma in Integrative Counselling taught in BSL. The theory part of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Low Intensity curriculum will be included in the syllabus in Year One. This groundbreaking development will create a national pool of qualified deaf professionals and will contribute towards the goal of achieving truly accessible mental health services for the deaf community.

Usher and Life Crises
Tamsin Wengraf, Usher Information and Outreach Officer, Sense

This will be a presentation about people with Usher syndrome.  Ushers face many different life crises throughout their lives as their sight or hearing worsens.  This can affect on many Ushers’ well-being mentally and physically. I will be giving a brief introduction about what is Usher? E.g. different types, Retinitis Pigmentosa and balance. Every Usher goes through different life crises from their early years to old age.  These life crises happen every few years especially when Usher’s sight or hearing deteriorates.  Some Ushers will develop low self-esteem and low confidence.  Other Ushers experience depression and suicide. Usher team from Sense did some research in partnership with 6 European countries about Ushers’ lifestyle (about maintaining their independence).  People with Usher have priorities in their lives that include a fulfilling family and social life and access to work, culture and higher education. In this they are no different to the wider community. It seems from our survey that while many strive to lead a fulfilling life, they may have difficulty in maintaining a positive outlook, as they constantly need to adapt to change.  

Independent Mental Health Advocacy for Deaf People 
Frank Essery, Senior Advocate at SignHealth

Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) is being made available under the Mental Health Act to help qualifying patients. Advocates will be subject to regulations and paid. Independence means that advocacy should, so far as is practicable, be provided by a person who is independent of any person who is professionally concerned with the patient’s medical treatment. IMHA will help a patient in obtaining information about and understanding his/her rights and how to exercise those rights. IMHA will have a duty to comply with any reasonable request to visit a patient received from a nearest relative, responsible clinician or approved mental health professional but the patient can decline support from the advocate. SignHealth are providing training opportunities for Deaf people to become IMHAs.

Campaigning for the rights of the Deaf Community
Simon Wilkinson-Blake, Chief Executive of the British Deaf Association

In this presentation the BDA will set out their strategy for supporting the deaf community. The BDA campaigns for Deaf people's right to use and to be educated in BSL, as well as to access information and services through it, believing this is the best way for Deaf people to take part in society, equally to hearing people.

Guidance and Information for the effective use of Professional BSL/English Interpreters in Mental Health Settings 
Granville Tate & Paul Hann

Access to mainstream mental health services for Deaf people is becoming a priority. This presentation focuses on encouraging best practice in the use of professional interpreters and increasing awareness and understanding of the complexity of the interpreting task.

Programme

 

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