This service is for people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, and have difficulty staying safe and socially independent at home.
Before we can offer you our services, a doctor needs to make sure that your hearing loss is permanent. You can ask your family doctor for an ear examination. Your doctor can refer you to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) department or hearing aid clinic.
If your hearing loss is permanent, we will assess your needs at home and discuss with you how to make sure you are safe and independent at home.
Registration
Your GP or the audiologist at your local hospital will be able to tell you the details of your hearing loss. This allows social services to ensure they can provide you with the right support. If you have not seen an audiologist, please contact your GP for a referral to audiology at the Royal Free Hospital or the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital.
How can I access these services?
People who have hearing loss can be referred for a service in several ways including:
- self-referral (a friend or relative can contact us on your behalf)
- GPs
- audiologists
- health service (for example District Nurse or Health Visitor)
- via another Council department
Equipment to help you live as independently as possible
If you are eligible for support, we can provide equipment free of charge. The type of equipment depends on your eligibility and individual needs but may include:
- a vibrating pad which is linked to a smoke alarm
- a baby alarm or wrist receiver that has been specially adapted to alert deaf parents of their baby crying
- a flashing light for a doorbell and/or telephone
- an amplified telephone
- Headset or neck-worn T- loop for connection to a TV or a one-to-one meeting
- a textphone
Other Camden Council services
BSL interpreter service
At Camden Council each department will provide BSL interpreters or other communication support for deaf and hard of hearing residents in the borough if requested in advance.
Portable T- Loop
The council will provide a portable T- Loop to those who have hearing loss resident in the borough, if requested in advance.
Sign Video
Camden Council have a Sign Video service available, this can be requested at reception or you can access sign video from the comfort of your own home.
British Sign Language videos
Home Connections BSL Video
These short British Sign Language videos will give you information on how to log in to Home Connections, search for properties, and place or withdraw bids.
Working partnership with Camden Healthwatch and Camden Clinical Commissioning Group
The Adult Social Care working partnership with Camden Clinical Commissioning Group and Camden Healthwatch is all about promoting the Accessible Information Standard and Deaf Awareness in Camden Practices. We aim to break down barriers, so D/deaf and hard of hearing patients can easily access health services.
Children, Young People, Families and Adults working partnership with DeafHope
Camden Council is working in partnership with DeafHope which is the UK’s only sign-language based service to help Deaf women, men and children who experience domestic abuse. People who are Deaf are more at risk of domestic abuse than people who are hearing.
Deaf Parenting UK
Camden Council is working in partnership with Deaf Parenting UK. This website is a central resource of information for Deaf parents and professionals working with Deaf parents. The service offers Family Fun days, Deaf Parenting Skills, Parenting Support and a Befriender Service, etc.
Camden Council signed up to the British Deaf Association BSL charter May 2015. The charter has 5 pledges that the council have pledged their commitment to achieve.
Five pledges of the BSL Charter:
- Ensure access for Deaf people to information and services
- Promote learning and high quality teaching of British Sign Language (BSL)
- Support Deaf children and families
- Ensure staff working with Deaf people can communicate effectively in BSL
- Consult with the local Deaf community on a regular basis
Other local services
Travel
If you are profoundly deaf or severely deaf and would like to apply for a Freedom Pass, please make sure to include your audiogram, proof of your Disability Living Allowance or either Personal Independence Payment or evidence of your hearing loss.
The emergency SMS service lets deaf, hard of hearing and speech-impaired people in the UK send an SMS text message to the UK 999 service where it will be passed to the police, ambulance, fire rescue, or coastguard.
Emergency SMS
Simply by sending an SMS message to 999 you can call for help and the emergency services will be able to reply to you.
You will need to register your mobile phone before using the emergency SMS service.
Losing weight
If a deaf person is obese you will need to see a GP who will then refer you to Better Gym. Better Gym, based at 5 Pancras Square, will provide a deaf trainer or provide communication support so that you can have access to healthy exercise plans.
Deaf Advice Service
Camden Council offers a Deaf Advice Service through deafPLUS and the Royal Association for Deaf people (RAD)
You can use this service if you are:
• a Camden resident
• aged 18+
• D/deaf, deafened, deafblind, hard of hearing or family/carer acting on someone’s behalf
deafPLUS
The Deaf Advice Service is based at Greenwood Centre, 37 Greenwood Place, Kentish Town, NW5 1LB.
deafPLUS offers the Service three days a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Here is more information about the current offer: Camden Disability Action - Deaf information advice service
Contact details:
deafPLUS
Text or WhatsApp - 07916 031191
Email - camden@deafplus.org or nezar.abul-ela@deafplus.org
Phone/Video Relay Service - 0208 106 0550
Royal Association for Deaf people (RAD)
The Royal Association for Deaf people offers additional complementary advice appointment sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays. This arrangement with RAD will also provide a pathway to access specialist advocacy support from RAD, subject to eligibility.
Watch a video here from Camden Rad which gives more information about the support available.
Contact details:
RAD
Text or WhatsApp - 07595 652411
Email - advice@royaldeaf.org.uk
Live Website Chat -Royal Association for Deaf people
Remark! Parent and Toddler group
Every Tuesday in term time, 10am to 1pm, Guides Hall, Coram's Fields, 93 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1DN
Tea, coffee, and nibbles are provided. Find out more about Remark!
Camden Lunch Club
Every Friday 10am to 3pm, The Lounge, Remark! 18 Leather Lane, London EC1N 7SU
Camden Lunch Clubs are social club for deaf People aged 50 and over. Deaf people in that age group often find themselves isolated and secluded from Society. Lunch Club bring them together and promotes physical and mental wellbeing. They also offer a free basic advocacy service to support members with their personal administration, such as making phone calls and writing letters.
More information: Lunch Club — Remark! Community (remarkcommunity.org)
Camden Deaf Pub
The Ice Wharf/Deaf Club/Friday Come along to our Deaf club in Camden to meet and enjoy a catch-up with your friends.
More information: Camden Deaf Pub | EDS (empoweringdeafsociety.org.uk)
Local events:
London Zoo
London Zoo offers dates throughout the year when we feature several British Sign Language-interpreted tours and talks over the day.
More information: British Sign Language Tours | London Zoo
British Museum
BSL interpreted guided tours
British Library
British Sign Language Tours at the British Library Centre for Conservation: British Sign Language Tours at the British Library Centre for Conservation - Collection Care blog
Camden Black History Month
Camden Black Worker Group organises BSL interpreters for Camden Black History Month every year in October:
Closed captions for theatres
Stagetext will provide closed captions for the New Diorama Theatre, Camden, and a list of local and national theatres.
Contact us
If you have enquiries regarding D/deaf and hard of hearing issues, please contact Asif Iqbal asif.iqbal@camden.gov.uk
