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Job Title


Deaf Service Communication Specialist


Company : St Andrew's Healthcare


Location : Northampton, England


Created : 2025-05-31


Job Type : Full Time


Job Description

Career Opportunities: Deaf Clinical Communication Specialist (36446)We are St Andrew's. We are a mental health Charity and our purpose is to inspire hope for those living with complex mental health needs. We are looking to a future with less stigma, more community support, more research and education, and we aim to be at the forefront of inspiring real change. We want to ensure we can all live in a society where everyone with complex mental health needs is heard, valued and has hope for their future. Come and join us, and support us to help people transform their lives. The Role: As Deaf Clinical Communications Specialist, the post holder will act as an expert in communication for deaf patients and colleagues across St Andrew’s. They will work with other clinical staff and teams to support communication access within the deaf services. A key element of the role will include establishing cultural awareness and maintaining standards of communication support. Key Responsibilities: Work collaboratively and closely with clinical teams to ensure that all deaf patients understand their care plans and can follow them, have access to clinical information and have had an up-to-date specialist assessment of their communication. Take a lead role in ensuring that all therapeutic interventions for deaf patients meet their individual communication and cultural needs. Act as a key professional member of the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT), providing the same level of day-to-day involvement in the running of the ward as other disciplines. Work collaboratively to be part of a clear culture of shared multidisciplinary risk assessment and management based around high-quality Structured Professional Judgement Risk Assessments (SPJ) produced by the whole MDT. Promote a positive deaf culture across the deaf services amongst clinical teams, interpreters, and patients, building relationships to encourage and promote deaf awareness. To act as a resource for patients and clinical staff, providing them with excellent examples of communication practice and acting as a robust role model to others, ensuring high levels of communication throughout the deaf service. Review, contribute to and monitor the ward clinical model, ensuring it is appropriate for a specialist deaf service. Take a lead role in embedding a culture where the quality governance system is a key part of the ward. Lead on ensuring all staff working in the Deaf Service have deaf awareness and deaf culture training, and are engaged in BSL level 1 training, at a minimum. Liaising with other disciplines and internal departments as required, to deliver against an agreed training programme. Maintain an awareness of curriculum development and best practice, in relation to BSL training, deaf awareness training, and deaf cultural training, both locally and nationally and liaise appropriately with internal departments to ensure the quality and effectiveness of our training programme for staff. Take a lead role in ensuring the continual review of the St. Andrew’s deaf service to identify any concerns or poor experiences of deaf patients and/or staff at STAH, such that STAH can address these. Alongside the management team, support the interpreters working in the deaf service to ensure they feel valued and are able to provide their input into the clinical team and management of patients, in the same way as other members of the team. Working with the management team to monitor the quality of interpreting services within the deaf service, ensuring they meet the needs of patients and staff. Working to identify opportunities to refer interpreters to work with St Andrew’s, subsequently building our interpreter pool. Demonstrate evidence of professional development through participation in internal and external training opportunities, personal study, and practical experience as identified within supervision and Individual Performance Development Review. Work collaboratively with other organisations and individuals to develop and maintain good networks within the Deaf community and Deaf mental health services. Your profile: You must hold a relevant BSL teaching qualification with the ability to teach to a minimum of BSL Level 2. Understanding of the Social and Medical models of Deafness. Demonstrable experience of working within services which support Deaf people. Lived experience of Deaf culture. Demonstrable experience of the assessment of communication in deaf people, including people with significant language deprivation. Demonstrable experience of adapting communication for deaf people, including people with significant language deprivation. The ability to develop positive, supportive rapport with deaf patients, including those with significant language deprivation, and those with significant forensic histories. The ability to clearly describe and report on communication needs and abilities of deaf patients within the deaf service. A good understanding of resources available to support communication for deaf people including specialist equipment. What’s in it for you? We offer an excellent benefits package including Pension; Sickness policy on par with the NHS; Access to the Blue Light Card and Health Service Discounts schemes; 30 days annual leave (plus bank holidays); Electric Car lease scheme; Cycle to work scheme; Healthcare cash plan; Free parking; Paid DBS application; Access to further qualifications including an Executive MBA Programme and Coaching and Mentoring Qualifications. On-site facilities such as gym and swimming pool access and cafés all set within beautiful grounds. Please note we are unable to provide a certificate of sponsorship for this role.#J-18808-Ljbffr