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Changes in the Community Care Assistant support service at Deaf Action for BSL users

October 3, 2025

The Edinburgh community care assistant (CCA) service provided by Deaf Action will end on 30 November 2025. The Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (the partnership) want to thank Deaf Action for helping us provide the CCA service.

The Partnership have made difficult decisions about how the money we have is spent. We do not have the same amount of money that we used to have. The means that we have to change the way we provide services. We will still help but we need to do this in different ways.

If you used the CCA service

  • Thursday drop-ins will end 27 November 2025. You may think you will still need help when drop-ins end because you often used the drop-in service. If you want help to keep going you can contact Social Care Direct.  They will arrange for you to have an assessment if you meet our criteria. You may be asked to wait to have the assessment. The assessment does not always mean you will get a new service if we think there are other ways you can be helped. Until the end of November you can also ask Deaf Action to get in contact with Social Care Direct for you.
  • Deaf Action have always helped people know about services they can use. They will be helping you know about other services that there and how Deaf BSL users can access them over the coming weeks. 
  • In the future you may be in touch with our staff at Social Care Direct or in other parts of the partnership. Staff have had training, so they know how to arrange help when you need a translator to communicate with us. Staff have also had training to know more about how to communicate with you.

    You can contact Social Care Direct: socialcaredirect@edinburgh.gov.uk.

    For short telephone calls, use the free BSL/English video relay service Contact Scotland BSL by telephoning 0131 510 4555 and an interpreter will relay your call.

    Further information

    If you have any questions, please contact Susan Robertson, Strategic Planning and Commissioning Officer: susan.robertson1@edinburgh.gov.uk

    If you want to know about what services are available from the City of Edinburgh Council please visit their website for information on how to contact them.