- Aim: Ensure new research undertaken and service plan developed in partnership with the Scottish Government to address the gaps in mental health service provision for deaf people in Scotland.
- Impact: We have secured funding from the Scottish Government, established a multi-agency steering group and appointed researchers to develop the basis for this new service. Its launch has been delayed by the need to secure approval from the Government’s Ethics and Research and Development Committees.
- Aim: Develop and roll out a user involvement strategy for deaf people with mental health needs or learning disabilities and, as a priority, involve service users in recruitment to at least 50% of management positions by the end of 2008.
- Impact: Our service users are now involved in recruitment to all Care Service management posts and feedback has been positive from both service users and candidates.
Bill's story
Bill, from Scotland, lost his hearing suddenly in May 2003.
"I had been promoted from a driver to transport manager five weeks before. It felt like the end of my world.
Three months after losing my hearing I was told by a consultant that I was deaf and it is permanent and there is nothing they can do for me. The consultant actually told this to my wife Joyce as he knew I could not hear him. That was supposed to be a trained consultant!
We were told it would take up to 50 weeks to get a hearing aid, but I got one in two weeks, because Joyce made a fuss explaining that I was still working and that I should still be able to expect a quality of life. And today that still upsets me. The way we were treated was really bad. But we got through it.
Then my wife found out about Access to Work. I got digital hearing aids from that. Then I went back to work. At that time, the aids were good but eventually became less effective.
By 2005 I was withdrawing. We moved into a new house and it should have been an exciting time, but it was not. My children quit talking to me. If visitors came around, I could not handle it and I would hide away upstairs. I had a new doctor so I went to talk to him. Had I not, my marriage would have been over.
The doctor knew where I was coming from, as he was deafened himself. He told me I was suffering from depression. He also told me to get in touch with RNID, which I did. The day I went there, I waited five hours to see someone. She saved my life.
I met Suzanne Dick the employment advisor. It was a relief to have someone listen to what I was going through. She arranged meetings to get me back into work. I had been off for six months.
The other good thing was that Suzanne introduced me to Link. We were invited to a rehabilitation programme (both my wife and I, because going deaf affects everyone around you). The amount of stress on the family because you cannot hear is unimaginable.
They showed us different techniques to handle the deafness through sign language, relaxation and other things. This really helped and also showed me how lucky I actually was. There are people ten times worse than I am.
I returned to work in March 2006. While I was on the Link programme, I was encouraged to go for the cochlear implant. I can now hear sounds and speech in my left ear - something I have not had for 40 years!
Since then I have regained a lot of my confidence, so much so that Joyce and I are now Outreach Volunteers. We now help other newly deafened people come to terms with their hearing loss.
To have someone to listen to what my needs were made such a difference to us. If it had not been for the help of RNID, Link, Access to Work and my family and friends, I would not be working today. Thanks to all of them."
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