What British Sign Language staff do you employ?

• We employ people who are masters in thier field.  We interview each candidate, check thier qualifications and eligibility to work, we skills test with a senior British Sign Language Tutor, and carry out enhanced CRB checks.  We  mentor and support those members of staff who are climbing the ladder to become the interpreters of tomorrow.  We take seriously our commitment to safer recruitment and pride in our selection of staff.  We are leaders in our field; we chose the right people to work for you!

What are your charges?

• Deaf Umbrella charge an initial 2hrs per assignment.  After that we charge by the hour.  We are very competitive and offer discounts on the duration of use.  If you are a College or University and wish to book a member of our team for the academic year we will offer preferential rates for leading experienced staff who will support you to supply a superior service to your students.  All Access to Work customers are quoted pre agreed rates negotiated with Access to Work as an approved supplier.  We offer Access to Work customers one hour bookings through our Reveal scheme.

What are your hours?

• Deaf Umbrella are always on duty.  Office hours are Monday to Friday 9-5pm and we operate an out of hours service to customers as courses or shift workers need to contact us too!

What locations do you operate in?

• We operate in Central London, within the M25 and the South East area. 

So what do I get for my money?

• You will recieve a trained and professional member of staff in the first instance who has completed safer recruitment checks including safe guarding training.  This member of staff will be versed in the support strategies of educational environments and the dynamics of the workplace.  They will be able to offer support to tutors, support coordinators, managers and alike on communication issues, text modification, examination support and access to work funding.  They will be able to provide comprehensive feedback and will work with impartiality and within their strict code of ethics.

Do you offer any other support and is it chargable?

• Deaf Umbrella offer free weekly activity reports to support coordinators.  Free timely student feedback to support audit trails or natural progression routes.  Free detailed factsheets supporting our clients.  Free signing invigilator services at exam time.  Deaf Umbrella do not charge setting up fees, or travel expenses to the education sector.
  Deaf Umbrella charge for services like; Deaf Awareness Training Courses and bespoke British Sign Language Training.

I have been on the web and seen lots of different agencies offering Interpreter support, why should I choose you?

• Deaf Umbrella was founded in September 2000 by Rachel Hubbard whose mother is deaf.  Rachel was training at the time at Level 2 and found a distinct lack of support available to her to help her with complex issues she faced.  She found that the agencies she went to were not interested in seeing her, they just wanted a CV and off you went to work, most just sending texts!  No one skills tested her, met her face to face or checked to find out if her code of ethics was indeed appropriately embedded in her mind.  Rachel had listened to many people complaining about the lack of interpreters available to them and decided to act.  Her vision was to provide a solid working structure that encompassed safer recruitment practices, policy and procedures that showed guidance and above all support and training to develop the Interpreters of the future.  There are 600 Interpreters in the UK today and 222 trainee interpreters.  It is estimated that there are 125,000 deaf adults in the UK who use BSL plus an estimated 20,000 children.  It is no wonder that each time a deaf person requests an interpreter they have to wait so long! Your custom supports the interpreters of tomorrow.  All interpreters used by Deaf Umbrella are freelance and members of the NRCPD.

How much staff turnover do you experience?

• Deaf Umbrella are so proud of thier employment statistics.  We have 2 members of agency staff who have been with us since inception over 10 years ago!  We retain over 75% of our staff for 2 years or more.  We must be doing something right!

How many complaints do you get?

• Deaf Umbrella are pleased to say that our communication with deaf people and clients is comprehensive.  The people who book our services know exactly who they are booking and the level of qualification that member of staff has attained, we never call our staff interpreters if they are not. Deaf Umbrella only experience one or two complaints per year and we are willing to share our experiences with you and discuss this further.

How can I make a booking?

• Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• call:  0844 264 0887 
• Text: 07786 965998