Siobhan McMahon MSP Learns of Challenges Facing Young Deaf People Seeking Employment

With Abigail Matheson

Central Scotland MSP, Siobhan McMahon, is supporting Action on Hearing Loss Scotland’s new ‘Moving On’ service supporting young deaf people into work, after sponsoring the charity’s reception in the Scottish Parliament last week.

MSPs and guests heard from Abigail Matheson, 25, that employers’ lack of understanding of communication support, poor deaf awareness, and not knowing about the Access to Work scheme are creating barriers preventing deaf people from having the chance to get into their preferred careers.

Abigail also raised the problems deaf people often face at Job Centre Plus where staff won’t always book British Sign Language interpreters, or use the correct terminology when talking about deaf people and their individual communication needs.

Abigail found employment as a support worker for a deaf charity following specialist support from Action on Hearing Loss Scotland’s ‘Moving On’ service which advised Abigail on her CV, gave her mock interview training and ensured that potential employers booked interpreters for her job interviews. Moving On is funded by The Big Lottery Fund Scotland and supports young deaf or hard of hearing people aged 16-25 into employment, training and education opportunities.

Siobhan McMahon MSP said: “Abigail’s story is a real inspiration for young deaf people who use British Sign Language but it really drives home the challenges that deaf people face when seeking employment – unnecessary barriers that simply should not be in their way. I urge employers across Central Scotland to contact Action on Hearing Loss Scotland to find out how they can make their recruitment processes accessible and ensure talented employees who are deaf or have hearing loss are supported to progress in the workplace.”

Abigail Matheson said: “Employers need to understand that all deaf people are different and we may have different communication needs. I have had a lot of support from my mum and from the team at Action on Hearing Loss Scotland. Having people who are prepared to support me has meant that I’m now doing a job I want to do as I work towards my long-term goal of becoming a Social Worker. If employers continue to turn their backs on deaf people, it reduces our work options and means we face having to claim benefits.”

Action on Hearing Loss Scotland is a charity which helps people to confront deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss to live the life they choose. Action on Hearing Loss Scotland enables people who are deaf or hearing loss to take control of their lives and remove the barriers in their way. Action on Hearing Loss gives people support and care, develop technology and treatments, and campaign for equality.

For further information about Action on Hearing Loss Scotland or to become a member, visit www.hearingloss.org.uk/Scotland, contact Action on Hearing Loss’s Information Line on 0808 808 0123 (freephone) or 0808 808 9000 (textphone) or email: informationline@hearingloss.org.uk.

 

 

 

 

Holocaust Educational Trust parliamentary reception

Siobhan with (l-r) Simon Houston of Greenock High School, Michael Tuncliffe and Michael Dogan of Selkirk High School, Karen Pollock MBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, and Judy Russell, daughter of Holocaust survivor Ernest Levy

I had the great honour and privilege to host the Holocaust Educational Trust’s first reception in the Scottish Parliament.

The Holocaust Educational Trust was founded in 1988, and played a central role in the establishing of Holocaust Memorial Day, in 2001. In 1999 it set up Lessons from Auschwitz, a highly successful educational programme which has given thousands of students from across Scotland and the UK the chance to visit the former concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau, and experience firsthand the terrible reality of the “final solution” – the Nazis’s attempt to systematically exterminate the European Jews.

The project is based upon the idea that we learn best when we experience directly; the pupils who have taken part speak movingly about the indelible impression the camps made upon them. Two of the projects participants, Dominic Bradley and Katie McKenna, delivered Time for Reflection in the Scottish Parliament to mark this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day, their wise and thoughtful words – repeated during the reception – capturing the strange mixture of pathos and horror that Auschwitz-Birkenau continues to evoke.

Also present at the reception was Judy Russell, daughter of Holocaust survivor Ernest Levy, who settled in Renfrewshire and later recounted his wartime experiences in a memoir, “The Single Light”. Judy’s memories of her father added to the intimacy of the occassion, but also reminded us that the number of living holocaust survivors is rapidly dwindling. Indeed, as Karen Pollock MBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust put it, the Holocaust will soon make the transition from “living history” – as embodied by the survivors – to simply,”history”.

Ernest Levy correctly observes in “The Single Light” that “the lessons of the past are still to be learned”. The fight against hatred, discrimination and prejudice is likely to outlast all our lifetimes, and that is why I welcomed the announcement by the Scottish Government – represented at the reception by Dr Alasdair Allan, Minister for Education, Science and Languages – that it will continue to fund and support the Holocaust Educational Trust in its mission to educate a new generation of young people of the enduring importance of the Holocaust. There is still much we can learn.

I am glad to say that the event was both informative and edifying, and I would like to thank the Holocaust Educational Trust, and in particular Paul Evans, for asking me to host it. I look forward to supporting them in the future as they endeavour to rid society of religious and racial discrimination and prejudice.

Saving lives is an important business

Siobhan with fellow MSP and Deputy Presiding Officer Elaine Smith, Louise Peardon, of Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, Ben McKendrick of the British Heart Foundation, Healthy Lifestyles Coordinator Charles Fawcett, and local pupils

I was delighted that I was able to use my first Members’ Business Debate in the Scottish Parliament to highlight the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) “Heartstart” campaign to introduce Emergency Life Support training in schools throughout Scotland. Coverage of the debate can be viewed on Democracy Live, and the speeches can be read in full on the Scottish Parliament’s Official Report. I would like to thank Ben McKendrick, of the British Heart Foundation, and Charles Fawcett, of Healthy Lifestyles Scotland, for helping to organise the debate.

The debate was well attended by fellow members across all parties, and there was a large degree of consensus regarding the general principles of the motion and the BHF’s campaign.

Thanks to a lot of hard work by a number of individuals, there are already some excellent examples of ELS training models in Scotland, and, as a Central Scotland MSP, I am proud to say that at the vanguard of these is the North Lanarkshire Heartstart scheme, led locally by the Healthy Lifestyles Coordinator Charles Fawcett.

Established in 2008, the North Lanarkshire programme provides ongoing support and advice for schools on ELS training, with support from, amongst others, the British Heart Foundation and St Andrew’s Ambulance Association.

A model piloted in St Ambrose High School in Coatbridge and other North Lanarkshire schools provides instruction in ELS techniques and trains pupils to act as peer tutors. I was fortunate enough to meet some of these pupils, namely Vicky McDowell, Monica Berry, Gemma Daly, Lauren Owens, and Kerryn Breen, at the event in Holyrood last month, hosted by my colleague Helen Eadie MSP. They exhibited great skill and knowledge in demonstrating a range of ELS techniques, including how to use a defibrillator, a vital piece of life saving equipment.

Thanks to the hard work and commitment of a number of partner agencies, not least North Lanarkshire Council, Emergency Life Support training is now available in 90% of North Lanarkshire’s schools – a shining example to the rest of the country.

Emergency Life Support training is hugely popular with pupils, parents and teachers; adheres with the aims and spirit of the Curriculum for Excellence; it is cost-effective, and, crucially, it can, it will, save lives. I hopethat other councils will follow North Lanarkshire Council’s lead and ensure that ELS training is available in schools throughout Scotland.

Langlees Family Centre

I recently attending a meeting with staff and parents at the Langlees Family Centre in Falkirk.

Langlees Family Centre works with a range of partner agencies from both the statutory and voluntary sector to deliver effective services to help children and families reach their full potential. It provides a wide range of formal and informal services, including parenting groups, informal drop-in groups for parents, babies in infant massage and ante/post natal support.

The Centre is jointly funded by Scottish Children’s Charity Aberlour and Falkirk Council.

I was delighted to hear that Aberlour, which provides help and support to over 40,000 children throughout Scotland every year, has received a grant of £650,000 from Microsoft, and I have tabled a parliamentary motion in recognition of the award, and of the excellent work Aberlour conducts throughout Scotland.

During my visit I enjoyed the privilege of speaking to staff and parents. Most people think of Aberlour as a children’s charity, but it is really a charity for the whole family. The closeness of the bond between the staff and parents was very heartening.

Parents can attend classes and receive advice, or gain a few hours of valuable respite. More importantly, however, they can share their problems with others who have had similar experiences, and the door is never closed, even after their children have left.

 

See me for Scottish Mental Health Week

Siobhan showing her support for Mental Health Charity See me

I have pledged my support to Mental Health charity See me, ahead of Scottish Mental Health Week (10^th-16^th October). See me is a Government funded charity which campaigns to end the stigma that surrounds mental health illness, and to alter public attitudes and behaviour towards those with mental health problems.

Around 1 in 4 Scots will suffer from mental health issues at some point in their lives, and over 3 quarters of us know someone with a mental health problem. However, despite these figures, over half of those with mental health issues continue to suffer stigma and discrimination, some at the hands of friends and family members.

Mental health problems are the cause of great misery and suffering in our society, yet they remain dogged by stigma and prejudice. The factors that can affect an individual’s mental wellbeing include physiology, age, gender, and social, employment and financial status. Stress, anxiety and low self-esteem are also contributing factors, as are substance addiction and alcoholism.

 The burden of mental health problems is not divided equally across society, but borne disproportionately by those who live in areas of social deprivation. This includes many communities in Central Scotland.  We all want to live in a caring and compassionate society; and recent evidence shows that the healthiest and most equal societies are also the happiest. So if we are to address the issue of mental health we must also address the chronic inequalities present in society.

There are many different approaches to tackling mental health, but they all have the same starting point: recognising the reality and severity of the condition.  That is why the educational work undertaken by See me is of critical importance; by promoting greater understanding we can help end the stigma that surrounds mental illness and to empower those with mental health issues to become full and active members of society.

Apprentices put best foot forward for First

I recently visited the First Scotrail Training Academy in Glasgow to learn about their new Modern Apprenticeship in Customer Service.

The apprenticeship lasts for 18 months and consists of three six month blocks, one for each of the 3 areas of customer service: hospitality, ticket examination, and station service. There are currently 11 trainees aged between 17-21 on the scheme, selected from a total 128 applicants from across Scotland.

Siobhan with Central Scotland trainees Naomi Milligan and Fraser Wilkinson

I was extremely impressed by the facilities and the excellent standard of training.  There was an open and friendly atmosphere, and great camaraderie between  staff  and  trainees.  However,  what  stood out most was the high calibre  of  the  apprentices.  They  exhibited  a confidence and composure beyond  their  years, and are a credit to themselves and their communities.

They  are  also  an  excellent  example  of  what  can  be achieved through commitment  and  hard  work,  and  I am sure that they are all destined for successful careers within the rail industry.

With so many school leavers choosing to attend university, Scotrail’s Modern Apprenticeship is a timely reminder that there are other ways to get on in life and, given the Scottish Government’s stated commitment to apprenticeship schemes, I expect to see evidence of similar schemes operating throughout Scotland.