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Registered Intermediary and other professional services

I provide the following specialist services to support deaf, deafened, hard of hearing and deafblind people throughout the UK. 

  • Registered Intermediary
  • Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner
  • Mental Capacity Assessor
  • Independent Mental Health Advocate
  • Deaf Relay Interpreter
  • Communication and Language Expert witness court reports writing

For more information on my work, scroll down the page or contact me

What does an Intermediary do? 

My primary occupation at the moment is my work as a Registered Intermediary. I facilitate communication for vulnerable people within the Criminal Justice System. 

Functions of an Intermediary
  • Make recommendations to the police so officers can undertake an Achieving
  • Best Evidence (ABE) interview effectively
  • Support communication in the Achieving Best Evidence (ABE) interview
  • Produce recommendations to the Court in preparation for a trial
  • Support communication through the trial including the cross examination of
  • a vulnerable witness
  • Produce recommendations to family or civil court in preparation for
  • proceedings
  • Support communication between vulnerable individuals and their legal team
  • Support communication for vulnerable individuals in family or civil court

Functions of a Non- Registered Intermediary
  • Produce recommendations to family or civil court in preparation for proceedings  
  • Support communication between vulnerable individuals and their legal team 
  • Support communication for vulnerable individuals in family or civil court

Why use a Deaf Intermediary?

There are extensive benefits to using a Deaf Intermediary to support communication with Deaf, deafened, hard of hearing and deafblind individuals. The Deaf Intermediary has direct experience of hearing loss and will have developed a range of language strategies to facilitate effective communication. The personal experiences of communication and access challenges afford a shared experience with the client which promotes effective rapport.

A Deaf intermediary can also function as a conduit for communication to ensure that every utterance is understood by the vulnerable client and each sign is understood by the court or legal representative.'

Registered and Non-registered Intermediaries

'HMCTS Appointed Intermediary Service (HAIS) and the Witness Intermediary
Scheme
I work on behalf of HMCTS to support vulnerable users to participate in
court or tribunal hearings. I am an Approved Service Provider under HMCTS’
Appointed Intermediary Service (HAIS).
I also work via the Ministry of Justice Witness Intermediary Scheme to
support vulnerable witnesses and complainants to give evidence to the
police and to the court in criminal trials. This scheme is managed by the
National Crime Agency.'

Psychological
Therapies

The role of Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) was developed as part of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) initiative in 2008. I was part of the first cohort of Deaf PWPs trained in 2012. 
I am able to assess and provide low intensity therapies to patients experiencing depression and anxiety. 
As a Deaf PWP, I can provide therapy directly to patients without the need for an interpreter. This improves the therapeutic relationship and increases the efficacy of the therapy sessions.
 
I am also able to provide mental capacity assessments in line with the Mental Capacity Act (2005).

Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA)

I am a trained Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) and work to support patients understand their rights in secure mental health services.

Deaf Relay
Interpreting

I have extensive experience of Relay Interpreting with a range of clients including people with complex language needs and people who use a different sign language. I have worked with sign language interpreters to support communication with Deaf people in medical, therapeutic, employment, training and immigration contexts.

Ensure vulnerable individuals get their voices heard effectively - contact me to discuss Intermediary services today.
 chris.bojas@gmail.com

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