A Gwent Police Community Support officer has been nominated for an award because of the efforts he has made to ensure he can communicate with deaf people in his community.

PCSO Michael Patterson was nominated for an award after learning level 2 British Sign Language (BSL) in his own time while he was working as an officer. Since gaining his qualification Michael has used his skills to become a liaison officer with his local deaf club. The awards have been implemented by Signature which is a charity that champions excellence in communication with deaf people.

The Signature Annual awards are designed to recognise and reward those who have made, in their own way, a significant contribution toward achieving a society in which deaf and deafblind people have full access. Michael studied with CHIIC, an organisation that provides a range of training and consultancy services on deaf and disability issues throughout Wales and the rest of the UK. CHIIC nominated Michael for the award. Gwent Police currently has seven officers who are trained to BSL level 2 and are currently rolling out Deaf PACT (Partnership and Communities Together) meetings across Gwent as well as recently launching a crime prevention DVD for the deaf community which is to be used nationally by all forces with their local deaf groups.

Chief Superintendent Paul Symes, who has responsibility for Neighbourhood Policing in Gwent said:

“We are making every effort to engage with all our communities and having officers and staff who are sign language trained is one step we have taken. The implementation of PACT meetings, as well as the production of the DVD, are other initiatives that will make our police service more accessible to all members of the community. We are very proud of Michael’s achievements as well as those of his colleagues who have studied British Sign Language, The regional winners will be announced on June 2 and will then progress to the national awards night which takes place in London on November 12.

As well as the top learners and teachers of communication methods used by deaf and deafblind people, registered communication professionals, educational establishments, individuals and leading organisations are also being put forward for their work with the deaf community. Signature Chief Executive, Jim Edwards, said: “We’ve been thrilled by the variety of teachers and learners nominated for the Signature Annual Awards this year.

These individuals are truly remarkable and have clearly made a huge impression on the people who nominated them. It will be hard to pick our winners as they all deserve so much credit.”

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