The hospital team includes both Deaf and hearing professionals who provide expertise and resources to support the individuals in our care. Service users may have communication needs alongside a mental illness, autism, learning disability or personality disorder. We support them to participate safely and as fully as possible in their care to achieve outcomes required to be discharged from hospital and continue their care pathway successfully.

All of our Mental Health and Deafness services use a recovery model and support each person to achieve realistic goals by:

• Establishing and understanding their communication style, how it has developed and the factors that are likely to impact upon communication and behaviour
• Understanding the psychological, social, emotional and developmental impacts for people that have experienced language deprivation
• Determining what potential a person has to improve communication and identify strategies and coping mechanisms
• Developing highly individualised and accessible packages of care, in line with the All About Me Deaf Recovery Package

A highly specialised multi-disciplinary team provides support at Bridge Hampton, including a registered consultant with over 10 years’ experience within deaf services, a dedicated speech and language therapist, and full in-house interpreting team. We provide in-house training for staff up to Level 2 British Sign Language.

“I would like to commend your Interpreting Department for the amazing work that they do. We have never seen such excellent work in the whole country.”CQC lead inspector, Bury

We offer a total communication environment with care and treatment programmes that are tailored to each individual’s needs. Our person-centred approach allows us to create bespoke care plans addressing both physical and mental health needs. The service has received national recognition for its pioneering work in making recovery and outcome focused work meaningful and accessible.

Our innovation initiatives:

• Recovery College
• National Service User Awards
• Collaborative project with Crisis Prevention Institute on MAPA training for Deaf learners
• People’s Council meetings
• Mental Health Act code of practice Easy Read adaptation in association with NHS England
• Personalised visual adaptations for Deaf service users with additional learning disabilities and complex needs
• Care plans recorded in BSL film format or other formats meaningful to the individual
• All About Me Deaf Recovery package

All therapeutic programmes are adapted and delivered to make them meaningful and accessible based on individual language need. Individuals we support have won national awards for service user involvement projects and coproduced the award-winning All About Me Deaf recovery package.

Cygnet Hospital Bury is a major employer of Deaf staff, ensuring we provide high quality accessible services. Our highly experienced and skilled interpreting team work alongside a Deaf communication and translation specialist, enabling high quality care.