Dering in Receivership

With the charities backing out of supporting deaf into work, the state abdicating responsibilities for helping deaf find it, it is sad news a deaf-run business is now in serious trouble too. The question is, where do British deaf go from here ? They are already unemployed to 63% and face considerable discriminations from British employers as it is, this, combined with disability allowances due to be drastically curtailed and removed in some deaf cases, and this including a means test that denies deaf people allowances if they speak. Anyone for a petition to dispose of the British Disability Discrimination Act ? What's the bloody point of it ?

Link

Dering Calls in the Administrators
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010.

Dering Employment Services has reported that it has called in the administrators. The Croydon based company, founded by Stephen Dering in 2006, specialised in delivering employability programmes for deaf, hard of hearing and deaf/blind people and positioned itself as the only deaf-owned and deaf-run company supporting people to get jobs. The company’s reputation had grown rapidly after securing multiple subcontracting agreements across the UK through DWP programmes such as Pathways to Work and the Flexible New Deal.

All of Dering’s employees were notified of the situation last Friday, and placed on garden leave, with a redundancy consultation period now underway. DWP and other providers for whom Dering is a subcontractor have also been notified.

The company has claimed that the reasons for its failure stem from alleged non-payment of invoices and breach of contract on the part of one of the largest prime contractors with whom it works, and it is understood that Dering are considering legal action.

Stephen Dering told us:



“The current circumstances have been very difficult for us, and we are bitterly disappointed that we have had to call in the administrators at this time. We are very proud of what we have achieved, and my first thoughts are for the loyal and talented staff who have been instrumental to our journey and who now face a very uncertain future. Equally, the situation means that we can no longer take forward the valuable work that we do in supporting the needs of long term unemployed people who are deaf or hard of hearing. We will be working pro-actively with our industry partners."