Deaf-friendly Standard criteria
**This scheme is closed and is no longer taking new applicants.**
Introduction
The Deaf-friendly Standard was created to help organisations (businesses and employers) be as inclusive as they can for all deaf children and young people. As well as meeting legislation through training, reviewing policies, practises and resources.
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The Deaf-friendly Standard criteria allows you to find out the work organisations undertake to achieve a level of Deaf-friendly Standard.
If you have any questions about the procedures an organisation has put in place, please contact them directly.
Note
On this page we talk about 'staff', 'identified staff' and 'young people'. When we use these phrases we mean:
- Staff: all staff within the organisation and, where appropriate, volunteers.
- Identified staff: staff who work directly with young people or are in a role that engages with young people.
- Young people: children and young people up to 25 years of age.
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Bronze
The Bronze Deaf-friendly Standard demonstrates a commitment to being deaf-friendly and accessible. There are 19 criteria over 6 categories.
Law
- 1B -Key staff and departments aware of current equality law. Understand the organisations duty related to reasonable adjustments and at which stage they should be put in place.
Training and development
- 2B - Identified staff have completed deaf awareness training.
- 3B -Training development plan in place to show when other staff will receive deaf awareness training.
- 4B -Identified staff have learnt the British fingerspelling alphabet.
- 5B - Identified staff have learnt some basic greetings in British Sign Language.
Review
- 6B - Reviewed all policies, procedures, risk assessments and practices. Highlighted any potential barriers to deaf young people gaining full access to the organisation/services/facilities.
- 7B - Researched potential ways to remove or limit those barriers.
Plan
- 8B - Decided which barriers to address and how. A clear action plan created.
- 9B - Action plan submitted as evidence. To include: Identified barrier, what will be done to address the issue and when.
- 10B -Ensured that deaf young people can access the right communication support when required, established how any costs will be covered. (Examples – do you need to create a budget or apply for funding to cover communication support costs. For employment opportunities find out about Access to Work eligibility and how young people can apply)
- 11B - Process developed to establish individual young people’s needs, review needs and highlight if any reasonable adjustments are required as per equality law.
Update
- 12B - All policies, procedures and risk assessments updated to include any specific information about deafness and establishing young people’s needs. Health and Safety, Safeguarding and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies all in place.
- 13B - Policy in place to demonstrate commitment to arrange appropriate communication support on request. (Interpreter, Speech to Text, Lipspeaker etc.)
- 14B - Added to induction for new starters - deaf awareness information and details of what is in place/can be provided to support deaf young people’s inclusion and accessibility.
Share information with staff
- 15B - Top tips for communicating with deaf young people and information about different communication approaches used by deaf young people.
- 16B - An overview of the range of communication support professionals available. When they should be provided and the importance of providing and using qualified and registered professionals. How to book when required and top tips for working with them.
- 17B - Identified staff provided with options to learn more British Sign Language to encourage further personal development.
- 18B –Details of what is in place/can be provided to support deaf young people’s access and inclusion.
- 19B - Process in place for establishing individual deaf young people’s needs.
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Silver
The Silver Deaf-friendly Standard is about putting plans in place and taking action. There are 16 criteria over 5 categories.
Deaf young people are involved
- 1S - Accessible ad hoc opportunities in place for deaf young people to take up. (Examples of opportunities - volunteering, work experience, apprenticeships, employment, consultation.)
Or Have worked actively with the National Deaf Children’s Society within a partnership to create future accessible opportunities. - 2S - Discussed with the National Deaf Children’s Society about involving Young Inspectors.
- 3S - Embedded, used, and evidenced the process for establishing needs of individual young people.
Resources are accessible
- 4S - All resources are in Plain English, clear, and easy to understand. Pictures and images used to help support communication. Ensured that colours used in design are accessible. (Examples of resources – information on your website, social media, promotional and training materials.)
- 5S - Ensured video material is accessible. (For example – captions, British Sign Language translation as appropriate)
Deaf young people can get in touch
- 6S - A variety of deaf-friendly contact methods are in place.
- 7S - All contact options are easy to find on your website and other resources.
- 8S - Staff are confident about using all contact methods and there is a system in place to ensure all methods of contact offered are monitored regularly for engagement.
Training and development
- 9S - Offered deaf awareness training to staff who do not work directly with young people.
- 10S - Supported identified staff to learn British Sign Language Level 1. (Examples of support – providing funding, allowing staff to attend during work hours.)
- 11S - Identified staff have learnt some basic signs and phrases that are relevant to their area of work, to welcome and include deaf young people.
- 12S - Identified staff can use the skills learnt for Bronze – British fingerspelling alphabet and basic greetings in British Sign Language (BSL).
- 13S -Ensured there are designated staff member(s) with a good working understanding of the range of communication professionals available, and that they know which are most suited to different situations, how to book them, are aware of things to consider when using them, and can provide informal advice about them to other staff.
Updates
- 14S - Actions identified during Bronze to remove or minimise barriers and updated any associated documents are in place.
Submitted updated action plan to demonstrate what has been achieved and how. - 15S - Details of any support available, and methods of how to request, or who to discuss with if something else is required, are easy for deaf young people to find. (Examples of where information needs to be – website/resources/social media/welcome or induction, information/event listing.)
- 16S - Staff are aware of any changes implemented, and of anything new that is in place, or can be requested, to support deaf young people’s access and inclusion. Ensured they know who to contact for advice in relation to booking and using communication support professionals.
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Gold
The Gold Deaf-friendly Standard is about championing deaf young people and committing to continuous improvement. There are 14 criteria over 3 categories.
Deaf young people are involved
- 1G - Accessible ongoing opportunities are in place for deaf young people to take up and are being actively promoted. (Examples of opportunities – volunteering, work experience, apprenticeships, employment, consultation.)
- 2G -Booked National Deaf Children’s Society Young Inspectors.
- 3G - Young Inspectors have undertaken agreed tasks and have given feedback to you.
Continuous improvement
- 4G - Annual review of policies, procedures, risk assessments and practices in relation to specific information about deafness and establishing young people’s needs in place.
- 5G -Training plan in place for staff, that details a commitment to ongoing training and developing knowledge around deafness and inclusion.
- 6G - Designated staff member(s) who are your ‘inclusion’ champion(s) - to actively promote and raise awareness of inclusion and deaf awareness, and to celebrate the achievements of deaf young people across your organisation. Ensured designated staff are actively involved in management discussions and decisions.
- 7G - Actively promoted how you are accessible and deaf-friendly. Have information on your website/resources/social media about what you can provide. Displayed your Deaf-Friendly Standard logos and materials.
- 8G - Process in place to regularly review your accessibility provision, including researching technological developments. (Examples – additional features on digital platforms, new apps for captioning.)
- 9G - Reviewed and actioned Young Inspectors recommendations where relevant.
Commitment to communication
- 10G - Continued support in place for identified staff to work towards British Sign Language (BSL)
Level 1. (Examples – providing funding/allowing staff to attend during work hours.) - 11G - At least one member of staff working directly with young people, has minimum of British Sign Language Level 1.
- 12G -Encouraged staff to learn British Sign Language (BSL) as part of their personal development and provided them with options. (Examples – formal qualifications or learning relevant signs for your organisations area of work.)
- 13G - A minimum of one staff member as the ‘access’ champion. They have excellent knowledge of the range of communication professionals available and how to book them. They are the go-to person for advice and can support staff so that the best working practices are provided.
- 14G - Financial support in place to support the communication provision for deaf young people. (Examples – funding/budget in place, using Access to Work scheme etc.)