Laraine Callow (Deaf), Director of Deafworks, has senior management experience within both the education sector and the voluntary sector, as well as involvement with national and local deaf organisations.
Summary
Skilled manager with 20+ years experience in the Third Sector alongside commercial and other interests plus education manager in a variety of educational contexts. Believes in a collegiate style of management but can make tough decisions unilaterally when called upon to do so. Experienced in teamwork, policy making, leadership and creating vision with a team. Particularly adept in problem identification, analysis and resolution.
Career
Director Deafworks - 1992–present
see below
Director Playmix - 1991-95
providing play services for deaf children to local authorities
Freelance consultancy in education & employment - 1990-92
one-to-one work & Deaf Awareness issues
Redbridge Technical College, Essex: Head of Deaf Studies – 1987-89
The first such department in southern England
Redbridge Education Service for Hearing Impaired Children, Essex - 1985-1987
Deputy Head & Acting Head of Education
City Lit Centre for the Deaf, Holborn - 1980-87
Head of English & Deputy to Head of Adult Education Service for Deaf People
Hearing Impaired Unit, Haverstock Secondary School, Chalk Farm - 1979-80
Secondary school support teacher
Jack Ashley School for Deaf Children, Finsbury Park - 1978-79
Secondary school class teacher
EFL (English as a foreign language) tutor, London - 1978
coaching Swiss Bank deaf employee
Home tutor, Haringey, London - 1978
teaching general subjects to excluded (hearing) pupils
City Lit College tutor - 1977-80
English & Maths for Deaf school leavers
Jack Ashley School for the Deaf, London N4 - 1976-77
Secondary school – just opened
Royal School for Deaf Children, Preston - 1974-76
Class teacher infants & primary
Elmete Hall School for the Deaf, Leeds - 1971
Director Deafworks 1992-present
Research, projects, advice, consultancy, training, writing
- Employer of Deaf people
- Clients include:voluntary organisations, small and large Deaf charities, small and large hearing
Charities, local ‘grassroots’ Deaf groups, Government departments at national & local level, art galleries, theatres, arts groups, colleges and universities, commercial companies & blue chip companies, education services. Interpreting agencies, Social Services.
Publications & Presentations 1990-2010
Opening up Deaf Access to the Arts in the UK
Deaf Access to the Arts in London
Agony Aunt for One in Seven magazine (RNID)
Numerous articles for both magazines and journals (see below for pdf archive)
Teach Yourself British Sign Language, Hodder Education
Numerous involvement as Speaker and Chair of national conferences
Awards from 1992 to 1995
Working Women mean Business
Guardian/Jerwood Award for Playmix
RNID Communicator of the Year Award – Deaf Impact
Brightening Up London Award
LBC/London Electricity – Playmix
Pro bono relevant activities
1983 - Chair: Hearing Impaired Teachers Group
1983 - Assessor: Teachers of Signing course
1984 - Chair: Brent Deaf Youth Club
1984-86 - Committee member: British Association Teachers of the Deaf
1985 - GLC tutor: Second Chance Scheme for Adults
1985 - Committee member: RSA Examination Board
1885-87 - Committee member: International Deaf Cultural Centre
1986 - Chief Examiner: RSA English for the Deaf
1987 - Committee member: Management for deaf people
1987 - Executive member: Anastasia Trust for the Deaf
1989 - Advisor: National Children’s Bureau
1990 - Advisor/Red Cross: Deaf education in Romania
1991–93 - Chair of NATED: National Association Tertiary Education
1990–98 - Trustee of Sign: Mental Health & Deafness
1992 - Advisor/Training Centre: Counselling Deaf People
1998–2000 - Chair UKCoD: Consortium of 37 charities
2000–04 - Caretaker Director: UKCoD
2002-08 - Mentor: The Princes Trust
2003–06 - Chair: Hearing Concern, National organisation for hard of hearing people
2004-07 - Chair: Deafinitely Theatre
2008–09 - Convenor: Deaf Arts Practitioners Network in London
2009 - Convenor: Deaf Shoreditchians
2009 - Founder: DeafHope, d/Deaf Womens Refuge UK
Selected articles
Click here.
