Vicky Colbert works as an Information Coordinator at Contact RNID. In touch with our supporters daily, she provides information and support for deaf people, those with hearing loss or tinnitus and their families.
After starting at the charity as a six week temp, she has now worked here for the last 7 years. In this blog post, Vicky tells us how all about Contact RNID and how important it can be to those getting in touch.
When did you start working at Contact RNID?
I started seven years ago this coming June, originally as a six week temp to cover a shortage – one thing led to another, I was made permanent and now it’s been six years!
That seems like a good length of time! You must like it?
Yes, I do like it because every day is different, you never know what’s coming and it’s nice to know that you’re helping people.
Who else is on your team?
Rachel is the Information Manager and she’s been with the charity for 15 years. We also have Jess, Fiona and Rachel S. We’re a relatively small team – often people think we’re bigger than we are.
That is smaller than I’d expected. Do you often have calls waiting in the queue?
Contact RNID can help our supporters with a number of queries. Whether you need communication support, information on hearing aid technology, support with tinnitus or a question about your Membership.
Our small team is dedicated to providing often vital information and support to those who reach out to us.
Sometimes there’s a short wait to speak to us, but there’s usually always someone free to talk. More and more people are choosing to access the service online, so there are sometimes one or two live chats waiting while we might be on the phone, but we always get back to people as soon as possible.
What do you like best about your job?
For me, it is being able to help somebody who would’ve really been stuck had they not found us.
For instance, I recently spoke with a lady who initially came through looking for tinnitus support. It led to her to telling me about her experience with her GP, where she had experienced a lack of support. She was told to go away and learn to live with it. I was able to provide
her with some literature on tinnitus, so she could go back to her GP, armed with knowledge and able to have a more proactive discussion with them and ask for a referral for support management. Initially, she was quite distressed – but she left the conversation feeling calmer and much more confident.
The people we speak to feel less alone and are empowered to take action. From the start of our conversation to the end, you can tell you’ve made a difference. We share information with people on a daily basis – there are many people who just don’t have access to information, and you can change lives by sharing it.
What sort of things do people get in touch to ask?
It’s very varied – it can range from someone who’s just been diagnosed with hearing loss and wants to know how to get a hearing aid, or they might want to find out what benefits they might be entitled to. We sometimes speak with veterans or those who’ve worked in industrial workplaces, whose hearing loss was caused at work. Some people are interested in where they can learn sign language, or learn to Lipread. Others want to know what products there are for hearing loss or tinnitus. In some areas RNID can support, or we also offer impartial signposting to other support services. One question tends to lead to several more!
It’s a lot of information! How do you keep track of it all?
When we have a new starter in the team they go through an intensive 3–4 week training programme where they learn about the organisation and the work we do – for example, our campaigning work and Biomedical research projects – as well as all areas of deafness, hearing loss and tinnitus. The training also involves learning 60 factsheets and 11 leaflets, shadowing and role playing.
A new starter may learn about something during their initial training which they then might not get an email about until a few months later, so we need to sometimes relearn information and do a lot of Q&A sessions amongst the team. We work very closely with our in-house Audiology Advisor, Insight and Policy team and Community Support Offices and many other departments across the organisation to ensure we are always well informed.
Of course, if we don’t have the answer, we will always try to investigate it where possible, or sign post the caller to other organisations for information and support.
As a team, we share information between us to keep on top of our knowledge too.
I expect some of the conversations you have can be quite emotional?
The most emotional ones are often relating to tinnitus. Sometimes, we speak to people who express feelings of loneliness, depression, and sometimes even suicidal thoughts.
It’s one of those things every individual experiences differently. Some people can cope, while others find it really debilitating. Therapies and products can help, but with tinnitus not all therapies and products will work for everyone, so it’s about exploring options available. Stress and anxiety have a massive impact on how people experience tinnitus, so it is important for us to inform people on what help is out there and to listen and support them.
Although we’re not medically trained, nor qualified counsellors, we do provide an emotionally safe environment where callers can share their feelings. We receive specialist training from the Samaritans on how to support vulnerable callers, so we’re well equipped to deal with sensitive and difficult situations.
That sounds really tough for those experiencing tinnitus, and it must also be quite emotional for you and the team sometimes too. How do you cope with some of the more emotional conversations?
We speak to other members of the team, or even have a little cry when we need to! It helps that we are a close-knit team. A lot of the time, other team members may have dealt with similar calls, or even may have spoken with that person before, and it’s helpful to be able to share your experiences on the phone with each other.
What would you say to someone who had questions about hearing loss?
That’s exactly what we’re here for – to provide information. Having knowledge can make you feel empowered. Don’t feel worried about picking up the phone or sending an email. If we can’t help, we will find someone who can. Reach out – we’re here for you.