Joining the NHS in the midst of the pandemic would be a big challenge for anyone.
But for Laurel Baldry, the switch to remote working was even more demanding – as she’s Deaf and uses British Sign Language (BSL) and lip-reading to communicate.
Laurel took up her new role with NHS NEL Commissioning Support Unit (NEL CSU) in March, working as an administrator in its Kent-based Individual Funding Request (IFR) team.
She spent nine days in the office in Tonbridge, learning about her new duties and getting to know her colleagues, before COVID-19 necessitated working from home.
With Laurel still needing to undergo training she looked to her colleagues for help – and was delighted when the IFR team made some key changes to support her.
“Training would usually take place in person, but the team were great and converted most of it to online so I could continue learning while working from home,” Laurel said.
“They also made some adjustments to their way of interacting so now all meetings include SignLive, an online video BSL interpreting service, and chats – both professional and personal – take place throughout the day on Microsoft Teams.
“We’ve overcome potential communication barriers by using visual accessibility.”
Laurel, who lives with her partner in Borough Green, near Sevenoaks, was born profoundly Deaf and previously worked as a hair stylist but she is already enjoying her first NHS role.
“Being able to feel an equal part of the team and have visual access to the information and meetings has allowed me settle in really quickly at IFR, despite the lockdown! It has made it such an enjoyable experience joining the team and getting started,” she said.
The Kent IFR team plays a key role supporting NHS clinical commissioning groups to assess individual requests from patients for treatments or services not routinely offered by the NHS, and the work demands a high level of precision and sensitivity.
Andrea Beckman, IFR Service Development Lead at NEL CSU, said the team immediately rose to the challenge of responding to the pandemic and, despite the extra difficulties posed by remote working, everyone was keen to be flexible in supporting Laurel to settle in while maintaining their high standards of service.
“As a team we pride ourselves on being adaptable and responsive to the needs of our customers, and we easily applied the same principles in integrating Laurel,” she said.
“Not only did the team support her needs, but she immediately helped our business by bringing some fresh ideas and new ways of working to the table. NEL’s strong ethos of inclusion lets us develop, progress and overcome barriers, and Laurel’s contribution to our team demonstrates how diversity fosters innovation, creativity and thereby success.”
Laurel and the team have received congratulations from the Deaf community, with positive feedback from SignLive and Deaf Peers on social media, and ’well done’ messages for colleagues for overcoming barriers and working together so successfully.