The hearing chaplain fighting for his local Deaf community in Worcestershire

It may not necessarily be the most Christian of sentiments, but chaplain Rev David Southall admits to feeling angry to the point of ‘incandescent’ at the 100% ‘draconian’ cuts by Worcestershire County Council to the organisation Deaf Direct.

The 55-year-old, who is hearing, is the Chaplaincy team leader at Worcestershire Acute Trust, and an equality and diversity lead. A Baptist by denomination, the former psychiatric nurse was also previously a minister at two churches, but swapped the relatively tame church life for the cut and thrust of community chaplaincy.

His latest campaign is the most recent stage on a journey he embarked on after becoming involved and interested in his local deaf community.

“I put on a roadshow at our hospitals, with local charities taking part. One was Deaf Direct, and there was a deaf volunteer on the stand. I realised I didn’t even know how to say hello in sign language – and that I had to do something about it.”

A BSL Level 1 course followed, completed around 18 months ago.

“After passing, I realised that BSL and the deaf community were a passion I simply hadn’t know about before.”

Currently working on his Level 2 qualification, Southall says he has felt welcomed by a whole new circle of friends and contacts. It’s led to what sounds like a positive whirlwind of activity.

He sings in the Good Vibrations Choir (which has both Deaf and hearing members), attends deaf coffee mornings and club gatherings, at which he says members remain kind, although, as he cheerfully admits, ‘my signing is still crap’.

Southall adds: “I had the privilege of taking the funeral of a well-known deaf lady locally in collaboration with a friend who is an interpreter at Deaf Direct.  Along with a deaf colleague, I have also raised £10,000 from charitable sources to teach frontline hospital staff some basic BSL. By the end of 2019, we will have 200 staff who know basic signing, having attended 10 two-hour sessions over 10 weeks by a trained BSL teacher.”

He now aims actively to support Deaf Direct, continuing: “I have a pretty good network of influencers and decision makers in Worcestershire and think we can push this so much further. I have offered to help out where I can under their lead.

“My thoughts are to lobby local MPs, get the local health communities to raise their voice, or maybe do a nationwide online petition.

“I think we could go bigger and make a lot of noise about this. But I have to be led by Deaf Direct and the service users there.”

Southall writes a weekly chaplain’s blog for the Hereford Times, and used a recent column to criticise the funding cuts.

“It’s said that the measure of a civilised society is how it treats its members with different needs. And today, in Worcester, we are failing to be civilised.

“Imagine getting a letter from your GP asking you to book an appointment by phone. Now imagine that you live alone and are Deaf. Your main language is BSL and you can’t use the phone. So how do you book an appointment? The things we take for granted become barriers for those with specific needs. I’ve even heard of friends or interpreters phoning on the person’s behalf only to be told that they cannot give the information because of confidentiality!

“Imagine you need to go to A&E. Or someone needs to explain to you the complexities of your operation. Or that your benefits are being threatened and you need to fill out a form that is not in your language.

“Deaf Direct provides an interpreting service, support, outreach to those who might be isolated and a community for those who may not know where to turn.

“I am not speaking officially on its behalf. The deaf community is well able to fight its own battles. I am, however, speaking as a resident of Worcester and as a friend of this charity who knows the difference it has made.

“The council has picked the wrong target this time. My deaf friends won’t lie down and roll over.

“The service is too important to them for that. They will fight to keep their services; and, if they wish, I and many of my hearing friends, will join them.”

Already, the fight for funding has the backing of local MP Harriett Baldwin, who has written to the chief executive at Worcestershire, Paul Robinson, expressing concern and support for Deaf Direct.

The cuts kick in from March 31, when the contract between Deaf Direct and Worcestershire County Council (WCC) comes to an end.

In a statement, WCC said:

“Advice and information will still be available for the deaf and hard of hearing. The local CAB will be providing this as they do currently, and access to interpreter services, if required.

“We’ve reassured people that other services are available. We’ve met Deaf Direct and service users on a number of occasions, and had for some time been considering the future delivery of supported information and advice sessions for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.”

For its part, Deaf Direct commented:

“We’re concerned that the cuts will have a serious impact on local deaf and hard of hearing communities. They will affect the provision of both information and advice and telephone and translation services which benefit those we work with.”

Juliet England is a partially hearing freelance writer