Communication Service 

What do we do?

The Communication Service was set up in April 2000 so that Deaf people can directly access Sign Language Interpreters or communicators for their day-to-day living demands. We can arrange a British Sign Language Interpreter to support Deaf people in many situations. These include:

• Hospital Visits
• GP Appointments
• Dentist Appointments
• Sight tests and visits to opticians
• Meetings with Council Departments
• School Parents Meetings
• Financial and legal meetings
• Job Interviews

We also offer a 24 hour emergency service so that Deaf people can ask for an interpreter if they need to visit a hospital or police station outside usual office hours.

We can also arrange Sign Language Interpreters for:

• Companies
• Local Authorities
• Private and Public Sector Organisations

We only uses Qualified and Trainee British Sign Language Interpreters who are bound by a Code of Ethics and conduct.  Interpreters must be registered with the National Register of Communication Professionals with Deaf and Deafbind People (NRCPD), with Signature (formerly CACDP) or be a member of the Association of Sign Language Interpreters (ASLI).  All our interpreters have professional Indemnity Insurance and have enhanced CRB checks. Sign Language may not always be the most suitable way of supporting clients, there are other methods of communication we can advise on, such as:

• British Sign Language
• Sign Supported English
• Relay Interpreters
• DeafBlind Interpreters
• Lipspeaking
• Palantyping (Speech-to-Text)
• Notetakers