Our Committee…

A member of ANP since 2012 I have been an ENT for 20 years, initially at the University of Bristol but now entirely freelance with a 50/50 split between higher education and business. My background is as a Legal Secretary and then 15 years as Cabin Crew with BA and now Electronic Note-taking. I love the variety of this profession and the satisfaction of providing valuable communication support. I am keen to raise our profile within the D/deaf and hard of hearing community and will work hard to ensure that our impressive range of skills are recognised and valued.

From Maldon, Essex. Working mostly in Higher Education and employment (Access to Work) as an Electronic Notetaker. Also, a trainer and assessor for the OCNL Electronic Notetaking qualification.

Education including British Sign Language to Level 3, Deaf and Disability Awareness, Management to Level 4 and qualified to teach in the lifelong learning sector.

Background in working with deaf and disabled people for the last 20 years including as a manager for Royal Association for Deaf people, as a manager for Inclusive Learning at a further education college and as a self-employed Electronic Notetaker working in a variety of settings under the Disabled Students Allowances and Access to Work funding streams.

Passionate about improving access to text-based services for deaf and disabled people in education,

Having worked in administration for 20 years most notably at City Lit in the Deaf Education department I was in 2005 presented with an opportunity to go on an Electronic Notetaking course. Having qualified as a notetaker I continued at City Lit working as both administrator and notetaker and also taught on the City Lit Electronic Notetaking course.

Since leaving in 2009 to become a freelance notetaker whilst enjoying the autonomy of being self employed I’ve relished the connection with other notetakers especially the opportunities for co-working and the ANP AGM.

I am keen to support members with training opportunities and passionate that the role gets the recognition and standards it deserves.

Eileen Bainbridge is a qualified Manual Notetaker who started her journey at the City Lit in 1995 in the communication support team; she qualified in Derby in 2000.

Paul Murphy who ran the course in Derby helped out with accommodation saying that ‘anyone who was willing to travel up to Derby for a course deserves a hand’. This comment characterises Eileen’s commitment and enthusiasm for the work and for professional development.

Eileen has been a powerful advocate for the need to maintain and continue to develop standards and has played an active role in representing ANP with Signature and NRCPD.

Eileen currently works as a support worker for a local authority and has taken her connection with the Deaf Community, Deaf awareness and enthusiasm into her new role. She continues to sit on the ANP management Committee and the NRCPD practitioners Forum.

On a personal note Eileen has just started to learn to roller skate (quad) and also to learn contemporary dance, the latter being at the City Lit where she started her journey, everything happily comes full circle in time.