1. Supporting the achievement of deaf apprentices
Friends House, Euston
11 Jan 2017

2. NatSIP
National Sensory Impairment Partnership is a partnership of organisations working together to improve outcomes for children and young people with sensory impairment. 
Includes charities, professional bodies, local authorities and schools.

3. National Deaf Children’s Society
Leading UK charity for deaf children and young people
Support young people up to age of 25
Provide advice and guidance for parents, young people and professionals
Help other organisations to include deaf young people in their activities

4. Today’s aim
Delegates to meet the needs of deaf and hearing impaired apprentices and fulfil your duties under the Equality Act 2010.
Through receiving practical info on:
Reasonable adjustments
Funding
Communication support and technology
Assessing needs
Maths and English support

5. Agenda - morning
10.40 Apprenticeship policy Susan Arrand, Department for Education Challenges to apprenticeships Simon Harris, National Deaf Children’s Society Reasonable adjustments & support Martin McLean, National Deaf Children’s Society BREAK Needs assessments / Maths & English support Nicki Harris & Jill Bussien Access to Work funding Debbie Vale, Department for Work & Pensions

6. Agenda - afternoon
13.45 Skills Funding Agency funding Martin McLean & Simon Harris Perspective of a deaf young person and their employer Jan Sheldon & Lucy Michaels, RAD Technology demonstration Chris Bowden, National Deaf Children’s Society Groupwork: Scenarios & action plans Further resources & questions Finish

7. Apprenticeships – Challenges for Deaf Young People
Going to refer to a report which followed a small project undertaken for NDCS by a team of Future Leaders.
A total of 72 parents of DYP, 19 DYP and 20 apprenticeship training providers responded to the survey.
Small sample but results were in keeping with other related research projects.

8. Some interesting stats to begin with!
41% of DYP achieve five A* to C grades at GCSE
57% of general population achieve five A* to C at GCSE
There is a need to avoid accentuating this gap during apprenticeships

9. The Challenge of Information & Advice
DYP and their parents state that more information is needed before an apprenticeship is started.
Many providers are unaware of advice and support available to deaf young people
Some advice from education and guidance professionals is under-informed or just plain wrong!
Much information comes from the internet

10. Quotes from Parents about bad information and advice
“We were informed that deaf children could not do apprenticeships…..”
“School’s sixth form only interested in UCAS (…) when we asked about support and guidance for apprenticeships, the school said we had to be “independently proactive.”
“Both of my children were told they were not
able to do apprenticeships”

11. The Challenge of Communication
Deaf young people report day to day challenges due to lack of hearing aid technology or adjustments by employers
Deaf awareness amongst employers and providers is generally low
Where completion has been an issue, communication and deaf issues have been the greatest problem A lot of communication in the workplace tends to be verbal

12. The Challenge of Communication from Providers Perspective
Quality of work does not suffer from deafness. However, communication and social interaction can be difficult
Obstacle to completion is understanding of deafness and communication
Deaf young people lack confidence to ask for help and might be anxious

13. I have no idea what the interviewer is saying! How can I get the job?
The Challenge of Communication – Really Important!
I have no idea what the interviewer is saying! How can I get the job?
Telephone interviews put deaf people at a serious disadvantage –
“the apprenticeship is fine, however the difficulty is the application process”.

14. The Challenge of Getting an Apprenticeship in the First Place
The hardest part of getting an apprenticeship is generally reported as finding one in the first place
Known to be a challenge for hearing young people too…..
But is magnified with deaf young people who might not be able to network as effectively, and lack confidence competing against high numbers of well qualified candidates.
Unemployment in deaf adults is significantly higher than for hearing people.

15. The Challenge of English as a Second Language
BSL users will have English as a second language
From summer they will be able to be assessed in BSL levels 1 and 2 instead of in English.
Lesser proficiency in English does not mean that they are unable to competently learn and perform in a job role
Reasonable adjustment must be made including extra time in tests and communication support at interviews
Option to attain English Literacy still open

16. Solutions from the floor?
What solutions come to mind that would help overcome the barriers / challenges identified?

17. Deaf Friendly Apprenticeships
NDCS committed to tackling problems head-on as are other charities supporting young people with sensory impairments.
Youth Development & Partnerships team has purpose of helping others to provide deaf friendly opportunities.
The team is recruiting three deaf apprentices to work on this project

18. Thank You!
The rest of this day will help develop understanding and remove and overcome barriers.
Hope you enjoy it!

19. Reasonable adjustments
All providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010
Sometimes not always clear what is meant by ‘reasonable’
Some adjustments cost nothing
Funding available for communication and learning support

20. Communication tips Get their attention before speaking
Ensure your face is visible at all times
Speak clearly and naturally
Use visual cues
Reduce background noise
Speak one at a time
Never give up!

21. Using communication support
BSL interpreters and speech to text reporters at today’s event
Other common forms of support are:
Notetakers
Communication support workers

22. Using Communication Support
DO:
Book as far in advance as possible
Provide information about learning sessions to support workers in advance
Speak at an average pace
DON’T:
Talk directly to the support worker instead of the apprentice

23. BREAK

24. Skills Funding Agency
£150 a month for apprentices requiring additional support
Learning support funds up to £19,000
Exceptional learning support funding for costs above £19K
Thorough assessment of needs required

25. LUNCH

26. Group exercise and individual action planning
20 minutes as a group to work on an allocated scenario followed by 10 minutes to feed back to everyone else
Following the plenary you will have some time to write an individual action plan to take back to your organisation

27. Additional Resources Breaking the Sound Barrier – guide for employers
Personal profile templates for deaf young people
Information for deaf young people and parents on apprenticeships