Job Description
Job Title Specialist Rehabilitation Officer
Location Henshaws Specialist College, Harrogate or Bradford with regular travel to other Henshaws services
Salary £14.01 per hour
Hours 22 hours per week
Weeks 52 weeks per year
Annual Leave 5 weeks holiday plus 10 days statutory Holidays (pro rata for part time hours and term time only roles)
Reports to Senior Rehabilitation Officer
DBS Check Enhanced Check with child barring list and adult barring list (college students ages range from 16 – 25 years old)
Job Summary
To identify, deliver and evaluate professional rehabilitation interventions to visually impaired people to enhance their skills and confidence to maximise their independence.
Deliver a high quality rehabilitation service including assessments, orientation and mobility, life skills and communication training. To act as an advocate for disabled people and Henshaws, to help promote accessible services; equality; social integration and understanding of the impact of disability.
Key responsibilities
· To undertake assessment of the needs of sensory impaired people to identify their needs and aspirations to promote independent living. This assessment may be carried out independently or as part of a multi-disciplinary, specialist team.
· Ensure appropriate resources and support is in place, to enable the person to achieve their identified outcomes. Motivate, engage and encourage the individuals to reach their full potential.
· Plan, implement, evaluate and review rehabilitative services to the visually impaired person aimed at maximising and maintaining independence, safety, dignity and choice.
· To provide daily living skills training including the teaching of new skills or adapted practise for all aspects of home management, employment and leisure.
· To provide communication training; to include all forms of access to communication including but not limited to print, Braille, Moon, audio description, ICT, telephones, Deaf blind manual and block alphabet.
· To develop planned programmes of training to develop independence in indoor and outdoor mobility environments, including training in guiding skills, pre-cane, long cane, orientation (including specialist equipment), wheelchair mobility and route planning techniques.
· To provide low vision assessment and training / therapy that helps individuals make the best use of functional vision, magnifiers, lighting and other low vision aids.
· To work with visually impaired people who have additional complex needs such as multi-sensory impairment, learning, physical and mental health disabilities.
· Contribute to the development and delivery of a range of high quality internal and external staff training sessions. Training may include raising people’s awareness of disability, multi-sensory impairment and visual impairment.
· To offer advice, guidance and support regarding the design and layout of an environment to make it as accessible as possible.
· To work within a safeguarding framework to identify, manage and, where possible, reduce risk to disabled people, family, carers, communities, self and colleagues.
· To understand the psychological aspects of disability and provide emotional support as part of the rehabilitation process to the individuals, their family and carers.
· To signpost and / or refer individuals to partners in local authority, health service, education service, welfare and employment services, voluntary sector and other community services.
· Embed functional English, functional mathematics, ICT and key skills in sessions where appropriate.
· To supervise, mentor and support student Rehabilitation officers, Apprentices and interns on placement, where appropriate.
· To be accountable for and take responsibility for own safety and that of service users.
· Contribute to all aspect of the Henshaws internal quality cycle and external National standards
· Liaise with other organisations in developing services, meeting needs and promoting inclusion in society.
· To contribute to income generation targets including our specialist curriculum and outreach services.
· Actively participate in CPD and staff development and attend regional / national meetings as appropriate.
· To keep accurate & up-to-date records, contribute to reviews and assessments of an individual’s needs by attending or providing reports for annual reviews, case conferences and multi-disciplinary meetings.
· To ensure compliance with all Henshaws’ policies and procedures including confidentiality, safeguarding and Health & Safety.
· Attend all Henshaws mandatory and compulsory training sessions, taking responsibility to ensure training is up to date at all times.
· Take responsibility for your own personal and professional development, including CPD where appropriate.
· Facilitate training and knowledge sharing across Henshaws Society, and other providers where appropriate.
· Offer a flexible approach to working hours to meet the needs of the organisation.
· Represent Henshaws in professional manner at all times, contributing to marketing and recruitment activities for Henshaws Society as required.
· The employee may on occasions be called upon to undertake work in other locations in order to ensure obligations to students, service users and third parties are fulfilled.
· Comply with Henshaws Health & Safety requirements and be aware of and adhere to current Henshaws policies and procedures.
· Any other duty as required by the line manager commensurate with the post.
November 2017
Specialist Rehabilitation Officer job description 24 5 16
Person Specification
In order to be shortlisted you must demonstrate that you meet all the essential criteria and as many of the desirable criteria as possible. Where we have a large number of applications that meet all of the essential criteria, we will then use the
desirable criteria to produce the shortlist. All disabled candidates who meet the minimum essential criteria will be included on the shortlist.
Application form / Interview / Selection test / copy of certificates.
Skills and Experience / Experience of working with visually impaired people in a rehabilitation/habilitation setting / Essential / Application form
Interview
Knowledge and skills in assessment and training of orientation and mobility, communication and independent living skills / Essential / Application form
Interview
Experience of training and assessing visually impaired people with additional disabilities / Essential / Application form
Interview
The ability to develop good working relationships / Essential / Interview
Effective communication and presentation skills both verbal and written / Essential / Application form
Interview
Commitment to the development of high quality services for people with a visual impairment / Essential / Application form
Interview
The ability to work effectively, both individually and as part of a team / Essential / Application form
Interview
Manage a demanding workload and effectively manage time and resources / Essential / Application form
Interview
The ability to work with others to assess and research user needs / Essential / Interview
Competence in the use of information technology / Essential / Application form
Interview
General &
Specialist Knowledge / Practise in accordance with the National Occupational Standards for Specialist Sensory Workers. / Essential / Application form
Interview
To maintain an up to date knowledge and understanding of legislation (including community care legislations), statutory codes, standards, framework and guidance relevant to rehabilitation practise and related fields / Essential / Application form
Interview
Experience in teaching Braille and Moon / Essential / Application form
Interview
An understanding of the needs of people with a learning disability and multi-sensory impairment. / Essential / Application form
Interview
Knowledge of accessible technology and adapted resources and skills / Desirable / Application form
Interview
A working knowledge of current legislation and regulation. In particular in Disability Discrimination, Care Standards and Planning / Desirable / Application form
Interview
Education &
Training / Honours Degree or Dip. H.E / Foundation Degree in Rehabilitation Studies (Visual Impairment) or equivalent rehabilitation qualification
Or
Mobility Officer’s Certificate AND Technical Officer’s Certificate / Essential / Application form
Copy of certificates
Pre-employment checks
An appropriate teaching qualification; PGCE, Cert Ed, or DTTLS / Desirable / Application form
Copy of certificates
CACDP Certificate / Desirable / Application form
Copy of certificates
Comply with Health & Safety requirements of the Society, operate within the employee code of conduct and respect confidentiality at all times / Essential / Interview
Commitment to the aims and mission of Henshaws Society / Essential / Application form
Interview
Full driving license / Desirable / Application form
Copy of certificates
Henshaws will make every endeavour to make any reasonable adjustments for applicants who require assistance in carrying out their duties due to a disability.
Henshaws is committed to safeguarding vulnerable adults and children. The post holder will be required to complete an enhanced DBS disclosure check including barring lists for Adult and/or child barring services.
Henshaws welcomes applications from all sections of the community.
May 2016
Specialist Rehabilitation Officer job description 24 5 16