ASLI North-West Regional Meeting Minutes

Wednesday 24^th September 2025 (19:00 – 21:00)

Online - Zoom

Attendees:

·      Iesha Debenham (ID)

·      Leanne Wakefield (LW)

·      Leanne Sneddon (LS)

·      Mike Payne (MP)

·      Suzanne Truelove (ST)

·      Matthew Williams (MW)

·      Tayyibah Mohammed (TM)

·      James Creswell (JC)

·      Liz Smith (LSm)

·      Arron Johnson (AJ)

·      Sally Wilkinson (SW)

Apologies:

·       Tracey Keeble

·       Heather Breen

·       Debbie Robbins

Disclaimer – to be read out before each meeting

Everything discussed at these meetings is done so in confidence, and we ask that you respectfully keep all information as confidential. Should we need to discuss something that may be a possible conflict of interest to you, we would advise that you remove yourself from the discussion for the duration of that topic. We will advise when the topic in question has concluded and will invite you back into the meeting to avoid any potential issues around conflicts of interest.

  1 Check in and Welcome

The disclaimer and declaration of confidentiality was read at the start of the meeting.

A reminder to register for the meeting online of you haven't done so already. This makes our job easier when issuing certificates.

Meeting will be held in spoken English unless anyone requires or requests BSL.

    2 Minutes of previous meeting

Confirmed by LS.

3 Action responses –

-       Lots of training and CPD booked for the rest of the year – covered in training section below

4 Trainees/Early Career Practitioners

-       Article in latest NEWSLI – “new starters” and early careers – a good story from an interpreters journey – recommend for any new interpreters to read

5 Training

-      Committee have been really busy organising CPD opportunities for the remainder of the year.

-      ASLI's 'Going Pro' conference, Brighton. Saturday 27th September 2025. 9am-6pm. Theme: 'Setting Sail on your Professional Journey'. Can book online.

-      Deafblind UK Conference – “inspiring change” 9^th October – Zoom 09:15 – 17:30

-      Feedback on Going Pro 2024 from some members have recommended.

-      Paul Belmonte training sessions. We did a poll on WhatsApp to gauge interest and used results to arrange sessions. Lots of positive feedback about Paul's sessions and recommendations from members.

-      “Power unrecognised is power misused”. Monday 17th November 2025… can book online.

-      “Interpreting in healthcare settings”. Tuesday 9th December 2025. Now live.

-      Interpreting conversations about death. 2026 (date tbc).

-      Recommendations for simultaneity training with Stephen Ellis-Menton and Islamic Signs with Ayesha Gavin

-      Gauging interest for potential police work CPD with a walk around a police station – possibly in Manchester 2026

-      Last f2f meeting at MDC – lots of commendations for the last one and hope to see it again. Aiming to do this again next year.

-      Also open to other ideas for meeting up, such as socials and running club etc so suggestions welcome.  

-      Unstructured CPD ideas – Sign Solutions short e-learning courses (5 in total) - https://www.signsolutions.uk.com/interpreter-cpd-training/

-      Recommendations for AI training or how to actually use different models of AI to enhance our practice

-      Other unstructured tips – reflections on different jobs, or going to Deaf club or a social night in BSL with a specific goal about productive or receptive BSL and write up about that goal with reflection – eg MDC social – first Friday of every month 6-9pm – really valuable way of immersing in the Deaf community and the culture.  

-      Reading material, such as NEWSLI can also count towards unstructured CPD

6 Future Meetings

Thursday 13th November 7-9pm online

7 AOB

8 Article Discussion

“Four hands good” – article from NEWSLI issue 133 pg 18 surrounding the topic of deafblind / hands on communication.