A co-operative is a business that is collectively owned, democratically run and often provides social benefits.

Co-operatives are businesses owned and controlled by their members, who can be customers, staff, suppliers, local residents or a combination of these stakeholders. Members have an equal say in how the business is run using the one member, one vote principle. Members choose what to do with profits, whether distributing among members, reinvesting in the business or the community.

A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise. (Ref: Should my business be a co-operative )

Examples of successful co-operatives are:

• The Ivy House, co-operatively run community pub based in South East London
• Outlandish, a digital creative agency which is a workers co-operative, based in London
• Suma, a wholefoods co-operative running for over 40 years in Halifax, West Yorkshire
• Homes For Change, a housing co-operative in Hulme, Manchester
• Choices4Doncaster, a co-operative consortium providing health and social care

The current procurement model is failing. It has led to a decline in quality and poor access for the Deaf community and interpreters. Agencies who are awarded contracts by government often have no knowledge or understanding of the Deaf community or its needs, cannot provide a service and interpreters do not like to work for them.

A co-operative model where members have a vested interest will drive up standards and can offer social benefits to the Deaf and interpreting communities, as well as offer services who need to book interpreters a better standard and value for money.

To find out more about the problems with the current model of procurement, see NUBSLI’s Dossier of Disgrace.

We will be a multi-stakeholder co-operative owned by our members: interpreters, Deaf people and other interested parties.

We want our members to take ownership of the co-operative, to engage with the running, to have voting rights, to create the system, to use the services and to ultimately share in the benefits of the co-operative, whether this is more work or better access.

Members of co-operatives have a stake in the ownership of the business and therefore are more likely to be engaged, to use and support the business, to share the risks and rewards and to help create a system that is unique, solves the current crisis of interpreting provision and create a long-term solution that works for all.

The co-op has been established by a group of experienced BSL/English interpreters with a proven track record of collective organising and running businesses. They are committed to improving interpreting access in the UK.

Users will book and provide BSL/English interpreters using a digital platform. However, unlike any other provider, our profits will be reinvested in the development and support of our members: BSL/English interpreters, which in turn results in higher standards and benefits the Deaf community.

The digital platform will be co-designed and co-created with our user groups: Deaf people, BSL/English interpreters and other communication professionals and services. By creating a system together we have an exciting opportunity to make a system that everyone will want to use. A system that gives Deaf people more control and choice, a system interpreters will want to use and one that services will want to buy.

We are a co-operative. Our ethos is to be an ethical provider who influences the market in the favour of its end users and suppliers, and to improve interpreting access and standards.

The traditional agency model is run to make profits for the company owners. The profits we make will be for the benefit of our co-operative members.

Signalise is a unique opportunity to bring Deaf people and interpreters together, along with input from services, to create a solution that actually works for all – to increase standards and to ensure that Deaf people have access to their appointments which will result in a huge social impact for Deaf people.

We are a multi-stakeholder co-operative. We will be open for membership to interpreters, Deaf people and other interested parties. Whether you are in Merseyside or not, please sign up to our mailing list to stay in touch about membership and other news.

As part of the development of the system, we will be talking to Deaf people and organisations and finding out what they most want from interpreting services. There is plenty of evidence to show the current way statutory organisations procure services is not working and that it leaves Deaf people with no choice or control. We have some ideas but we will be finding out and creating a better service that works for all the user groups involved.

• We want to co-design the system so Deaf people get a service they want.
• Deaf people will have more choice about their preferred interpreters where possible.
• Deaf people will have better communications with the service about who the interpreter at their appointment will be.
• Deaf people who are members will part-own the business and be empowered to help run the business.
• As co-owners, members can vote and make decisions about the business.
• Deaf people will get better access.
• Profits stay in Merseyside and therefore help not only members but the whole local community.
• Profits will be reinvested into the service such as training, mentoring and supervision of interpreters. Improved standards means better interpreters which means better access and ultimately, improved outcomes for the Deaf community.
• Being co-owners of an interpreting service!

• We want to co-design a system with interpreters so they get a platform that they want.
• We want interpreters to have more choice and control of the bookings they accept.
• Interpreters will get good working terms and conditions.
• As co-owners, members can vote and make decisions about the business.
• Profits stay in Merseyside and therefore help not only members but the whole local community.
• Profits will be reinvested into the service. This will be provided to members and tailored to experience levels, whether supervision or support on the ground for trainee interpreters who need to develop their skills in a safe way.
• Members will be part of the bigger picture of creating a great interpreting service with better standards for Deaf people which is ultimately what we want!

• Services will get great efficiency, value for money and a proper service that works because interpreters and Deaf people are part of the business - we can supply!
• We have high standards and can help save services money by not having to repeat or reschedule appointments.
• Services will be buying a service that has expertise of working with the Deaf community.
• We are committed to the triple bottom line of impact: social, financial and environmental.
• Services will be purchasing from an ethical business
• We work closely with the three member groups: Deaf people (service users), interpreters (and other communication professionals) and services.
• We are a co-operative committed to community wealth building: money that is paid for the service stays within the area. No global shareholders; the money stays where it should: in the community.
• Services will get to be part of our overall mission: provide great services to Deaf people and ensure better and continued standards of service.

We will ensure that we have a clear complaints system that will support both Deaf people and interpreters. Any complaints will be dealt with swiftly and professionally. You will be able to submit a complaint in BSL which a member of our team will respond to.

All the professionals we use will be qualified and regulated with either NRCPD, RBSLI or SASLI. We will check their insurance, their DBS certificates and that they are permitted to work. Where Trainees Interpreters are used, we will ensure they are properly supported and not working in areas they should not be.

We will establish a feedback system to enable users to let us know how they felt about our service. We will also use our complaints system.

Please sign up to the newsletter and tick that you are a “BSL/English interpreter / communication professional”. We will inform you how to become a member and keep you up to date.

Please sign up to the newsletter and tick that you are a “Deaf community member”. We will inform you how to become a member and keep you up to date. As soon as we are ready to start providing services, we will be in touch!

Please sign up to the newsletter and tick that you are a “Service, organisation or other interested party”. We will inform you how to become a member and keep you up to date.

If you wish to contact us instead please send us an email (hello@signalise.coop). We’d love to hear from you!

We have a strict privacy policy and adhere to the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).

We don’t ask for personal data unless we really need it and we only store personal data with your consent and will never share it unless required by law.