Welcome from our CEO & Chair of Trustees
JoanneParr Chief Executive Officer
ElaineMcDonald Chair of Trustees
This has been a year of transformation at MSDP, thanks to the continuation of our significant Resilience Grant from the Charities Aid Foundation. Investment in staff development, financial reporting and management, as well as improving our IT infrastructure and embedding policies has contributed to operational efficiencies and professionalism.
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Overall, 2022/23 has been a wonderful year of development and progress for MSDP. This report highlights some key achievements delivered by our hard-working staff and volunteers.
It also showcases the extent of our partnerships across the region, as well as the scope of funding sources that enable us to continue to provide services and support for the D/deaf community in Merseyside. I look forward to building on these strengths in 2023/24.
We have been extremely grateful for the substantial resilience grant from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). It enabled us to implement an 18 month programme of improvements around our internal structures, governance and processes.
This year we were invited to become a founder member of the British Deaf Association’s BSL Alliance. The Alliance is a group of Deaf charities from across the country working to amplify the voices of local Deaf people during the establishment of the BSL Act 2022.
As cost of living and the squeeze on public finances continues, we have seen a significant reduction in the number of successful funding applications. However, the charity remains in a stable and strong financial position which will enable the team to continue to deliver services to the people who need us.
We give thanks to our community groups across Liverpool and Wirral for their continued trust and support. Our communities are what make MSDP special.
And finally, MSDP would not be able to deliver services to make the impact that we do, without the skill and dedication of its staff, volunteers and without the support of individuals and organisations that made donations and funded our work. Every day you make a difference to the lives of people in Merseyside living with a hearing loss.
Our impact in 2022/23
1,159
Our team of Duty Officers provided sessions of support to Deaf & Deafblind clients.
Over the year, our team of Rehabilitation Officers completed home visits to assess, fit & repair environmental aids equipment.
1,180
More than of our staff team are D/deaf. 60%
We continued to provide social spaces to the one of the largest Deaf social clubs in the country.
Improving health & wellbeing in our community
Defibrillator training for staff in Feb ‘23
This year, our initiatives have significantly enhanced the health and wellbeing of our community. Through collaborations with various partners and the introduction of new programs, we've provided critical support and information to our service users.
We have provided many opportunities for our community this year, including:
McMillian Deaf Cancer Project
Shared self-help support resources from McMillan Deaf Cancer project.
Men’s Shed Talk
Facilitated a talk focusing on mental health and wellbeing for men in our community.
Mental Health Awareness Training
The British Society for Mental Health and Deafness conducted mental health awareness training for staff, volunteers, and the community.
Defibrillator Installation and Training
Installed a defibrillator and provided training sessions to ensure community readiness in emergencies.
Deaf Active Exercise Groups
Working in partnership with Deaf Active to promote physical health through specially tailored exercise groups for Deaf individuals.
Service User Experience Improvement
Conducted needs assessments to personalise support planning. Developed new standardised assessment documents, ensuring uniformity and a holistic approach.
Health and Resilience Training
Delivered a presentation on Long Covid. Collaborated with Wirral Health and Wellbeing CIC partner Health Junction to conduct a Resilience Awareness Training session.
Promoting better healthcare for Deaf people
Healthwatch Liverpool consultation in Nov 22'
Our focus on improving healthcare access and experience for Deaf individuals has led to several impactful initiatives. By working closely with health service providers and the Deaf community, we've highlighted challenges and driven positive changes.
Key Initiatives
SignHealth Engagement
SignHealth attended our coffee morning to gather local Deaf individuals' experiences with healthcare access.
Healthwatch Wirral
Collaborated with Healthwatch Wirral to understand and address issues Deaf people face when accessing GP services.
Healthwatch Liverpool
We facilitated a consultation on access to services with Healthwatch Liverpool.
Medical Appointment Accessibility
Wirral University Teaching Hospital hosted a Q&A session on the challenges Deaf individuals encounter when accessing medical appointments.
Hospital Collaborations
Our Community Development team worked with Liverpool Women’s Hospital, Arrowe Park Hospital and Aintree University Hospital, supporting the organisations to share health information and improve services for Deaf people. We also took part in a consultation with Liverpool University Hospital to understand community experiences of their services.
Deaf Awareness Week 2023
We promoted Deaf rights and MSDP services during Deaf Awareness Week 2023 by visiting hospitals across the region.
Rose Ayling-Ellis & Rosie Cooper visit MSDP
Rose Ayling-Ellis with MSDP staff in Jan 23'
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In February, Strictly Come Dancing and Eastenders star Rose Ayling-Ellis and former MP Rosie Cooper brought a film crew to the Deaf centre for Rose’s BBC documentary Signs for Change.
The film crew at the BBC wanted extras in the background, but we offered to bring her in while the community were in so it would be more natural. We told nobody that she was coming, so it was a complete surprise as Deaf people arrived for their usual Wednesday social afternoon!
MSDP staff and our Deaf community members enjoyed meeting Rose, and she spent time speaking to people and having selfies taken. Rose and Rosie also stayed to play bingo in the community room.
community room for filming of news and television pieces on two occasions during the progression of the BSL Bill to the BSL Act 2022.
MSDP are also staunch supporters of the BSL Act, and this year we were invited to become a founder member of the British Deaf Association’s BSL Alliance. The Alliance is a group of Deaf charities from across the country working together to amplify the voices of local Deaf people during the establishment of the BSL Act 2022.
MSDP’s Community Engagement Manager Janice Connolly is the charity’s representative at the British Deaf Association’s BSL Alliance, and her role is to feed in the views of Deaf people in our region. 3
Rosie is a CoDA (Child of a Deaf Adult) and a strong ally of the Deaf community. She was responsible for introducing the BSL Bill to parliament in 2021.
Rosie was a Trustee of MSDP from 1 February 1998 to the 21 April 2004, and although she hasn’t been actively involved in the charity since she stepped down as a Trustee, she has has asked to use our
Rose with Mandy and Janice from MSDP
RED Caravan exhibition of Liverpool memorabilia
Emma Case, Jimmy Case and Janice (MSDP)
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In October 2022 we were pleased to welcome the RED Caravan to MSDP. The RED Caravan was created by Emma Case and is part of The RED Archive, which is a collection of photographs and stories from Liverpool football fans.
A few years ago, Emma put a call out asking fans to send in their photos and memories. Looking through what they had collected it was clear that stories were missing from members of the fan community, particularly Deaf and disabled supporters.
The RED Archive received a small Heritage Lottery grant to take the caravan on tour to different community spaces across Liverpool, and Emma immediately reached out to MSDP. This provided an opportunity to collect Deaf fans’ stories, but also offer the Deaf community an event that was fully accessible and tailored to their needs.
Emma works across the arts and cultural sector, and has often found that organisations state that they are ‘accessible’, however many events are simply open to the public and haven’t fully considered the needs of more diverse attendees.
In some cases, without realising it, they can actually exclude the Deaf community. It was important to create an event that was specifically for the Deaf community and when planning the RED Caravan, and this was at the top of the priority list.
The RED Caravan’s stop at MSDP was particularly important to Emma, as her Dad, Jimmy Case, is hard of hearing. Jimmy played for Liverpool football club in the 1970s, and was known as the first Deaf professional football player.
Although Jimmy doesn’t sign, Emma went on to learn BSL. Emma has been really passionate about ensuring the Deaf community could access the archive. Jimmy visited MSDP with the Red Caravan and we were delighted to give him a warm welcome to MSDP
Inside the RED Caravan
Developing our staff
Developing our team and supporting future Deaf leaders
Investing in our staff is crucial to enhancing service user experiences and making our charity an excellent place to work. This year, we have focused on professional development, infrastructure improvement, and performance optimisation.
Key initiatives to develop staff at MSDP
Apprenticeships
Level 7 Apprenticeships commenced last year with our CEO enrolling on a course through Liverpool John Moores University, and our Finance and Governance Lead is undertaking a Level 3 AAT Accountancy course thanks to apprenticeship levy transfers.
Further development for other staff members includes ILM courses specifically for our Deaf staff within managerial roles and staff that are at the inception stage of their management journey.
Student Placements
We have increased the number of student placements in fields such as Nursing, Paramedics, and BSL Interpreting. We’ve been working in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University to provide ‘Civic engagement placements’, which were rolled out in 2023 and have proven to be incredibly successful.
Infrastructure Investment
Upgraded the digital infrastructure with a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform and an internal Learning Management System (LMS) to improve training of staff and volunteers.
Staff Performance Optimisation
Rationalised staff allocation based on skill mix. Implemented electronic rotas supported by an app to enhance staff autonomy.
Allocated time for staff training, appraisals, team meetings and annual leave.
Profile: Stuart McGibbon Rehabilitation Officer
We work with some fantastic people at MSDP, and for this impact report we would like to highlight Stuart our Rehabilitation Officer, for his exceptional service and dedication.
Stuart's commitment to understanding and supporting our clients' needs exemplifies our charity's mission and values, making a tangible difference in the lives of those we serve. The appreciation clients feel is illustrated by the positive feedback and kind donations sent in to our head office. From baby alarms to flashing doorbells and room loops, Stuart provides essential equipment to the Deaf and hard of hearing community.
This essential equipment ensures independence and a sense of
“[The client] called to give Stuart's service 10/10 and to say he couldn't have been more helpful if he tried. Stuart really understood his disability and made sure everything was okay before leaving."
Feedback
from one of Stuart’s clients
empowerment for the individuals living in their own homes often alone and isolated.
Stuart is part of a new drive for improved and advanced technology to be readily available to the individuals that need it the most.
MSDP works in partnership with external stakeholders across Merseyside and beyond, to continually broaden the reach of the charity and increase the number of individuals we can support to live independently in their own homes, for as long as possible.
Do you have a story about one of our staff that you would like to share? Let us knowreception@msdp.org.uk
Stuart at Deaf Awareness Week 2023
Community events
Facilitating events and activities for our community
This year saw a step change in our approach to community engagement. We have always been a user led charity and we are shaping our user engagement plan to enable our communities to influence our services. More than 60% of our staff team are d/Deaf, we have d/Deaf Trustees and provide social spaces to the one of the largest Deaf Social Clubs in the country.
We regularly run big and small events and activities for our members. This year these have included our sewing group, ladies walking netball, an Easter children’s party, golf with a PGA, a Christmas party, bingo nights and a ferry trip across the Mersey, all pictured below.
Impact of our walking group
BSL Walking Group
The group started in August 2022 and generally runs one or twice a week - depending on the weather!
We can have up to 20 people attending and all walks are led by our Community Development Officer Mandy Cain, who has undertaken the Living Streets training to become a walk leader.
Ian Cockburn
“The BSL walking group is good. I always look after my grandson on a Friday. I push him along [in the pram], it’s wonderful. We enjoy chatting. It’s all about mental health. The children can chat and so can the adults. But doesn’t matter if they are hearing or Deaf. The important thing is that can all chat and use BSL“.
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Jessica Doyle
“[The BSL Walking Group is] really for mental health, to stop people being lonely at home and being bored. It’s okay to go out, switch off, relax and communicate with a Deaf group of friends. So it’s really worth it... My son is also lonely and bored. So he comes with me during half term and the summer holidays. It makes him feel positive and calm”.
Andreas Elias
“I am enjoying meeting friends and having a bit go a laugh and having a walk means I can switch off. It’s that simple... Mental health is really, really important. And that is improved because being at home and doing nothing is not good. So coming out is great and doing for a walk. I feel energised. The fresh air is good for the body,”.
Grant to upgrade our IT room
In Summer 2023 we were awarded £8,295 from the VOLA Consortium, as part of the the Digital Connectivity for Local Community Facilities
VOLA has been appo Liverpool City Region Authority (LCRCA) to UK Shared Prosperity local area, and we we grateful to them for MSDP with this fundi
The grant went toward the IT equipment in ou room at Wirral Society of the Blind and Partially Sighted, where MSDP are co-located. The improvements have helped improve IT access for our communities with sight and hearing loss, and as part of the project we will be providing six newly refurbished computers and a BrailleNote Touch, which will help to improve IT access for Deaf-Blind people and people with sight loss in the local community.
seeking funding to cover the costs of freelance BSL interpreters, but hope to begin shortly.
In August 2023 were very pleased to welcome Stuart McGory from VOLA to MSDP, and during his visit he had the opportunity to speak to Deaf Community member Sharon Edwards about why she wants to improve her IT skills.
The next stage of the project is to begin a programme of IT training for our community. We are still
You can watch the video of Stuart and Sharon on the MSDP website: https://www.msdp.org.uk/msdpawarded-funding-from-vola/
VOLA visiting MSDP in Aug 23'
Finances
Money received
Money spent
Partnerships
A key objective in the charity’s Business Plan 2020-2023 was the development of partnerships. We wish to say a huge thank you to our partners and peers who have worked with us and supported us over the last year. We are stronger together!
Our main partners are:
We are contracted under
Future plans
Our theme in the coming 12 months remains ‘Develop People, Maximise Services’. We are also finishing work on our new Three Year Plan that will put people with hearing loss at the centre of our services.
In the next financial year, we will be focusing on:
Increasing community engagement to ensure our communities are able to influence our current and future services.
Investment in the digital infrastructure of the charity including a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform and internal Learning Management System (LMS) to expand our capacity to train staff and volunteers internally.
Introduction of our first e-learning package to increase the number of frontline professionals with awareness of the barriers people with hearing loss face when accessing health and social care services.
Strengthening governance across the organisation to ensure that the charity is financially strong, well run, resilient and ready to meet the changing demands of our communities.
Building key relationships with local stakeholders to tackle digital exclusion, financial exclusion, improve health
and wellbeing; as well as educating Deaf people at risk of crime and romance fraud.
The initiatives and achievements of the last year demonstrate our unwavering commitment to improving the health, wellbeing, and overall experience of the Deaf community. Through collaborative efforts, staff development, and targeted programs, we continue to drive positive change and support our community effectively and proactively.