Deaf Specialist Personal Communication Assistant (PCA) / Deaf PA

 

Personal Assistant (PA) can support D/deaf and Deafblind individuals live independently, helping them to engage in services across their local community. Lived-experience of deafness and communication barriers, and a high level of British Sign Language and English, a Deaf Specialist PA can assist with a variety of everyday life and independent living skills such as:

​

• Help with understanding information, bills, letters 

• Support with life skills (cooking, eating, washing etc) 

• Paying bills and managing finances 

• Collecting pensions 

• Leisure and recreational activities in the community 

• Support with housing or accommodation issues

​

​

​

Deaf Communication Support Worker (DCSW)

 

Being proficient across two languages (BSL and English) and two cultures (Deaf Culture and Hearing culture), a Deaf CSW helps facilitate communication and interactions in work and social settings. Deaf CSWs can provide greater access to information, translating and adapting/modifying text, emails and reports supporting the individual in their working role.

​

​

​

Deaf Relay / Communication Support

 

When a Deaf client has specific or complex language needs (e.g. Language Deficit Disorder) they will need a Deaf Relay Communicator (often known as a Deaf Relay).

 

The client requiring a Deaf Relay may have learning disabilities, mental health problems or use rare signs (sometimes described as ‘home signs’ or ‘Grassroots Deaf’).

 

As a Deaf Relay, Natalie  ensures that the client is given plenty of time to consider any information and communication interactions, fully understanding their situation, rights and the dialogue being communicated.

 

As a Deaf Relay, her role is to act as a Deaf language intermediary for Deaf people who are not fluent in British Sign Language (BSL). Natalie provides specialised interpreting services for people who do not typically use BSL as their primary means of communication. In these situations, she works alongside BSL interpreters to draw out any meaning and expression from the clients and adapts what the hearing interpreter is signing into a native variation of BSL for the client, taking time to clarify and communicate in many different visual ways to glean maximum coherence both in the communication given and the client’s response for the interpreter. The interpreter will then translate this response to English for the professionals in attendance.