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Hi, my name is Shaka! Needing to lip read in the workplace when people are wearing facemasks

Shaka

Deafness a need to lip read and face masks in workplace

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Comments

Lisatho11987777

Hi it must be realy hard if you have yo lip read and others have to wear a mask someone will be able to help you on here give advice to you what job do you do ??

Welcome to the community and hope dome one can advise you ?

Shaka

Hi.. I work in care in a care home ..its very difficult ..I am.off sick at the moment. I want to be furloughed but they wont allow it?

Lisatho11987777

@Shaka I used to be a care worker until last year I had to go off sick because carers can't have furlough because the company's dont close down and the hours don't drop

Shaka

Hi..I'm sorry to hear that? is it because you were shielding?
My hours dropped by 12 from 36 to 24 as they moved me into a different role. I am disputing this as they say it was my decision but why would I want to reduce my Income. I felt pressurised as the team leader didnt want me on her team told me there wasnt enough work. She told me I had been landed on her she all sorts of unkind things to me. ?

Tori_Scope

I'm sorry to hear that you've had that experience @Shaka. You deserve to be treated better. Have you disputed that officially?

Lisatho11987777

@Shaka working in care is a hard profession when it comes to adjustments they aren't always good with their employees are you in the union ??

Try speaking to acas see if they can advise you or citizens advice my boss let me go because I had corona virus his excuse was I could be off a long time

You can speak to the care inspector if you Google it the number will come up

Shaka

Hi... I am at the appeal process at the moment so I have been in touch with all the various channels.
I am soo sorry to hear that you l6ist your job due to covid it's awful isnt it. I have had covid to last Nov.. Are you better now ? I was asymptomatic.. I didnt feel quite right but didnt have the main symptoms..

Shaka

Hi Tori
Yes I'm going through all the correct channels..I have been asked by my employer to be 'reasonable in all this' not sure what this means as I just want to be able to do my job and me able to communicate!

csno01

lisathomas50 said:

@Shaka working in care is a hard profession when it comes to adjustments they aren't always good with their employees are you in the union ??

Try speaking to acas see if they can advise you or citizens advice my boss let me go because I had corona virus his excuse was I could be off a long time

You can speak to the care inspector if you Google it the number will come up

Hi @shaka

Welcome to the community.

I am sorry to hear you are going through a rough time. As Lisa suggested, ACAS would be your best place to start if your Employer won't support you. I apreciate this may have been a while ago now, so I hope there has been some progress for you.

Take care,
CSno01

HanzRolo

It might also be worth speaking to your local MP if you have exhausted all other avenues.

Shaka

Hi, just an update..I'm.no further forward with the face mask situation, and I have resigned from my care job.
There is no change in mask wearing in care homes and I've been td its still compulsory even after 19th July.. Clear CE registered clear masks have been rejected until the government say they are safe ..Not sure why the CE registration is now deemed invalid..
Does anyone have any further advice or recommendations please ?

Tori_Scope

Hi @Shaka

I'm sorry to hear that you've had to resign. I'm not quite sure what your options are from here to be honest.

I did read the following here on the National Deaf Children's Society's website:

NHS and Social Care settings

Face masks worn by staff in the NHS and Social Care settings are part of a package (including gloves, aprons, face shields etc.) known as PPE or Personal Protective Equipment.

PPE is designed to protect both the wearer from picking up any infection, as well as to prevent the member of staff from passing on any infection that they may have but be unaware of (known as being asymptomatic). PPE is always single-use and has to be changed regularly to prevent transfer of infection between individuals. It has to be taken on and off in a very careful way to avoid any infection on the PPE from coming into contact with the wearer. PPE face masks have to be fitted to ensure that they fit the individuals face well, with no gaps around them to allow virus transmission in and out. A good summary of different levels of PPE masks is available here and the full NHS guidelines on PPE is available here.
We have been campaigning to have clear face masks widely available in the NHS to help improve communication with deaf children without the need to remove masks to allow lip-reading and see facial expressions.

The Department for Health and Social Care (in England) purchased 250,000 clear face masks from the USA for a pilot to see how useful they were for improving communication with hearing loss. We are now working with the NHS Supply Chain PPE group who have been working with over 70 manufacturers worldwide on innovative new products. New standards have been developed for transparent face masks for use in clinical settings. So far, none of the tested products have met this specification but a number are very close and a trial of these new products will be introduced in the NHS supply chain soon. In the meantime we have been advised by the NHS Supply Chain PPE group that transparent face masks can be purchased by NHS Trusts for use in lower risk environments following risk assessment and approval of local infection control teams. They currently cannot be used in higher risk environments. Low and high risk will remain relative and depends on factors such as the level of Covid infection locally etc. but a low risk setting might be an outpatients clinic and a high risk setting a surgical ward. The easement on use of the ClearMask product also remains in place.

Further updates on our campaign success with the NHS can also be found here.

Is any of that information new or helpful in any way?

Did you manage to speak to ACAS?

Would it be at all possible for you to give a different kind of job a go? Is that something you'd be willing to try?

Are you managing okay for money in the meantime?

newborn

Yes, I have seen people using those. Probably, in most situations outside of hospitals, it would be preferable to see the mouths of people talking (and the smiles). It would benefit the customers, not just fellow workers. I don't see why they would have to be thrown away after a single use. Issue each person with a dozen, and they can rinse them out by hand at home in gentle soapy warm water. And I don;t see why they have to be up to 'clinical' standards in most situations. . It is not an operating theatre, just a need to reassure everyone that nobody could cough or sneeze on someone else.

Shaka

It's a very difficult subject ..First I was told clear masks need CE registration to be used in clinical settings .. Certain Clear masks are now in circulation passed as safe and CE registered ..still no good.. Now been told Boris Johnson has to say yes these CE registered clear masks are safe .. does Boris have to okay everything that has passed as safe and is CE registered ? I don't think.so... it's a cop out ...now we don't have to wear masks..but we do ..its so frustrating ..I can't claim benefits as I have a partner but have lost an income of £1400 a month ..how am I expected to pay my way ? ?