SCoD News

Hello readers, it is hard to believe I have been in post for nearly two months already.
My first ambitions are nearly realised: meeting all the staff members, meeting all the SCoD Committee Members and getting to grips with the “Strategy” inherited with the post.
This first quarter of 2014 is the end of my “induction” period. Many of you will know I had the good fortune to spend twenty days shadowing Lilian and getting a feel for the content and nature of the work. It helped me begin to build relationships and set initial goals which are more internal to the office team: developing the ICT infrastructure, creating a central electronic diary, centralised contacts list and underpinning more flexible working practices via remote access to the office files.
These technical changes resulted in an unintended outcome – the creation of a new website.
We all hope you appreciate the interruptions to our emails and web service were beyond our control and I personally believe the change has demonstrated the benefit of these services. They say there is no gain without pain – I hope our ICT related pain provides a better platform for the future.
The other initial goal is to review: the work content, meetings and groups by getting feedback from participants before looking at new structures to meet future demands. We hope to critically analyse the work we do and revise structures to fit with changes in governance. So lots of fact finding!
Parallel to this fact finding is re-organising some of the internal layout, re-decorating and team building.
I am really looking forward to the next National Council meeting and beginning new dialogue with the member organisations. It will take a couple of years to visit each member organisation however, I hope to build working relationships more quickly; through forums, meetings and events.
To begin with, I plan to meet Third Sector Managers, Private Owners and Public Sector Managers through an initial series of meetings. Each meeting will also be supported by alternative mechanisms for feedback so that I can try and “engage” as widely as possible. These and the National Council meeting will centre on the Strategy, attempt to determine priorities within it and consider any gaps before moving on … of course we will be developing our legal status and I hope the dialogue will inform improved opportunities for joint working, partnership development and innovation.
So the first few months will be looking at engaging as widely as possible, including relationships with wider stakeholders such as the Scottish Government, before looking at capacity building and the economic development aspects of community development which I see as central to all our futures.
I have asked the SCoD Committee for this to be a “transitional year” where we recognise that we need to make some changes and prepare for the future (and its opportunities) with longer term goals to meet the vision…. a society where deaf people have equal access, equal rights and citizenship.
Janis McDonald, SCoD Director

The New SCoD Website!

If you are reading an electronic copy of this bulletin – congratulations! This means our new website is working! I do hope that once you’ve read this bulletin you’ll take a bit of time to explore the site and let us know what you think. I am sure that many of you would have been quite attached to the old website (I know I was!) but times change and it is important that we keep up with new systems and new technology.
So, now we need your feedback. What’s missing from the site? What would you like to see there? What do you really not like about it and how can we improve on that? What do we need to do to get your five star rating?
We are open to your ideas and want you to feel a part of the development of the website since it is for you, our members and supporters that the site serves. Please email your thoughts to:
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Trek for SCoD!

Set yourself a challenge for 2014. Explore some of Scotland’s beautiful countryside on one of our treks – raising vital funds for SCoD as you go! We are delighted to introduce our treks for 2014, including for the first time The Sutherland Trail in August. For more information, please visit our website: www.scod.org.uk/ or telephone us here at SCoD. The numbers are at the foot of this page.
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Shopping with Amazon?

Support SCoD at No Extra Cost to You!

It really is that simple. So if you’re thinking of shopping on Amazon, please help SCoD by visiting: www.scod.org.uk/information and click the Amazon logo before you do your Amazon shopping. If you are viewing this bulletin online, simply click the Amazon logo on the left.
General News
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Poor reading points to UK schools' neglect of deaf

Britain's deaf children are being "failed by the education system", a new study suggests.
Researchers say more than half the deaf children they assessed had reading difficulties as severe as the problems faced by hearing dyslexic children.
The team found there are no specific interventions routinely offered to deaf children to support reading.
The Department for Education says it is giving £1m to councils in England over two years to help deaf children. The study was carried out by a team from City University London, and was funded by the Nuffield Foundation. It compared two groups of children across the UK aged 10 to 11.
One was made up of deaf children who communicate orally rather than by using sign language (known as "oral deaf"), and the other hearing children with dyslexia.
In all, 79 children with a severe-profound level of deafness took part in the study, representing a significant proportion of oral deaf children in the UK in this age group. As a result of their hearing loss, deaf children have difficulty hearing the speech sounds that make spoken language and upon which reading is based.
The report says that hearing children with literacy difficulties are "likely to be described as dyslexic", which results in them being given the specialist support they need. The team found that the oral deaf children were not offered the right kinds of support, and were "needlessly falling behind" their peers.
Dr Rosalind Herman, one of the report's authors, said: "Too many deaf children continue to fail at reading. Poor reading is not an inevitable outcome for every deaf child," she said.
"With a proper understanding of their reading deficits and appropriate support, the outlook for deaf children in the UK can change."
Josh Hillman, of the Nuffield Foundation, said the report "reveals the extent to which the education system is currently failing to address the needs of deaf children with reading difficulties".
However, he sees some cause for optimism: "It also demonstrates that it is possible to identify and address those difficulties at an early stage," he said. "We now need to see specialist reading interventions for deaf children who communicate using spoken language to ensure they receive the equivalent support to their hearing classmates."
The Department for Education points out that in 2013 "more deaf children than ever before achieved five good GCSEs including English and maths" in England.
Last year, 42.7% of deaf children achieved 5 GCSEs at A* to C including English and maths. This is compared with 37.4% in the previous year and 28.3% in 2007/08.
"We are providing £1 m over two years so that councils can work together more effectively to help deaf children," a DfE spokesman said, "and we are also funding the National Deaf Children's Society and the National Sensory Impairment Partnership to look at how well councils support deaf students."
www.bbc.co.uk 19/02/14
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Personal and Nursing Care Rates Set to Increase

I am writing to give you advance notice that, subject to Parliamentary approval, a Scottish Government Circular will issue shortly advising that Regulations have been passed to uprate the Personal and Nursing Care payments with effect from 1 April 2014.
The payment levels will be increased in line with inflation. This will mean that the current payment levels of £166 per week for personal care and £75 per week for nursing care for those who fully fund their care in a care home will rise to £169 and £77 respectively.
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Donaldson's Nursery Partnership with West Lothian Council Renewed

Donaldson’s is thrilled to announce that the partnership between Donaldson's Nursery and West Lothian Council, to provide pre-school education to nursery age children in Linlithgow, has been renewed for a further 3 years.
Mary Mulligan, Convenor of the Board of Governors commented, "Donaldson's has an extremely good relationship with West Lothian Council and has always provided excellent nursery services under the partnership arrangement. The school is thrilled to hear that the Council has reviewed its decision and that our nursery will continue as a partner. I have personally been impressed by the passion of our parents and commend them in the work they have done. We look forward to continuing to offer places in our state of the art nursery under this arrangement. It is extremely good news all round."
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Information in BSL

The Scottish Parliament has produced a number of BSL video clips that are available on their website. They would like to know what other Scottish Parliament information should be made accessible in this way. Please send your thoughts to Elizabeth Cantlie (Public Information and Publications) by email:
Current information available in BSL can be viewed here: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/newsandmediacentre/3380.aspx
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British Sign Language Pilot

The BSL service opening times have been extended to include the period from 9am- 12 noon, following feedback from some Boards who felt this would help with appointments scheduled between these times.
Revised opening times are Monday – Friday 9am – Midnight and Saturday and Sunday 8am- Midnight.
We look forward to receiving your bookings for this service.
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Cancer Information Videos in British Sign Language

Some of the cancer information that Macmillan offers on their website and in leaflet form has been made available as videos on BSL or with BSL translation. Titles include:
Coping with Hair Loss, About Radiotherapy, Having Radiotherapy, Radiotherapy Side Effects, Financial Support, Living with Colon Cancer, Advanced Cancer and Diet and Cancer.
You can go directly to the section on their website by following this link:
www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Otherformats/BSLvideos/British-Sign-Language-translation-videos.aspx or visit the main site: www.macmillan.org.uk and enter “BSL” into the search bar.
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Let’s Celebrate Scotland’s Vibrant Third Sector

Enter your charity for the 2014 Scottish Charity Awards
Charity of the Year: an organisation that has achieved in every area of its work
Cracking Campaign: the best charity led campaign of the year
Celebrating Communities: a community delivering a service or a project that is making a big difference
Charity Champion: an individual who has demonstrated outstanding dedication to a charity or cause
Perfect Partnership: an outstanding collaboration by two or more third sector organisations or between third organisations and public/private sector partners
A Sporting Chance: a community or charitable sports group enabling people to leap hurdles and achieve goals
People’s Choice: who does the public think should win? All shortlisted entries compete for public voties.
Details of how to enter the 2014 awards and application forms are available at the Scottish Charity Awards website at www.scvo.org.uk/awards. Deadline for entries is Weds, 26th March
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Money Matters at Deaf Action

Deaf Action, with funding from the Scottish Legal Aid Board, is pleased to offer a new service for BSL users throughout Scotland.
“On 6th January our new Money Matters project commenced with Kaz Langlands coming in to post as Money Matters Adviser, managed by Frankie McLean as part of the Social Care team.
The Money Matters project will provide BSL users throughout Scotland with support, advice and information on money related matters. This could be debt or benefits advice, help with form completion, support at the time of appeals, etc.
For people in and around Edinburgh home visits and office drop in sessions will also be arranged. We will also signpost clients to services and organisations that may be helpful for them. We will work directly with customers needing money advice and with other organisations. By working together we will enhance the service BSL users in Scotland need and ensure as many Deaf people as possible benefit in this time of welfare reform and uncertainty.
We intend to offer a full range of methods and ways to request and receive information. This will include information signed and uploaded onto web and Facebook pages (Deaf Blether and Deaf Action).
Contact will be made via:
·  Consultation at Albany Street office - drop in on Tuesdays between 1pm and 3pm
·  Home visit by appointment
Other choices of contact methods are: E mail:
Mobile/Sms: 0779 294 1629 | Facetime:
Skype: kaz.langlands1 | OOVOO: Kaz.Langlands | Direct Tel: 0131 652 3209
We welcome any Money Matters or welfare benefits related enquiries.
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Breathing Space BSL Service

Please note that the Breathing Space service for Deaf people is open.
www.breathingspacescotland.co.uk, click BSL service
Sundays : 6pm – 9.30pm
Thursdays: 6pm – 10pm
If you are hard of hearing or deafened you can also use the text mode with your webcam to contact the advisor.
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2014 Edinburgh Book Festival: 9th – 25th August