October/November 2012

Eye Clinic Liaison Officer

Thank you for your interest in the post of Eye Clinic Liaison Officer with KAB. Please find below some background to the post and to KAB, together with a Job Description and Person Specification, an application form, Accessibility Statement and Equality Monitoring form and guidance notes.

If you would like to apply for the post, please complete all these forms and return them to Vanessa Stanley, Head of HR, by email at , or by post to KAB Sight Centre, 72 College Road, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6SJ. Completed forms should reach us by noon on Friday, 16th November 2012. Interviews will be held at KAB Bromley on Tuesday,27th November 2012.

Although we would like to be able to write to each applicant individually to let them know the outcome of their application, sadly the cost of doing this is prohibitive. Therefore, if you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date please assume that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.

Thank you very much for your interest and we look forward to receiving your completed application.

Yours sincerely

Vanessa Stanley

Head of Human Resources

Background Information

KAB is a registered charity that has been working throughout Kent and the surrounding areas since 1920. Our aim is to improve the quality of life for blind and sight impaired people of all ages, and enable our service users to maximise their independence.

We have around 120 staff working from seven local bases, and around 900 volunteers across the region. The charity has a turnover of c. £2.5 million p.a., and is overseen by a Board of Trustees.

We have six local rehabilitation teams, three based at KAB Sight Centres (in Maidstone, Canterbury and Bromley) and three based in offices in Gravesend, Dover and Medway.We also have two part-time staff working in Bexley. All six rehab teams provide statutory assessments, registration as Sight Impaired (SI) or Severely Sight Impaired (SSI), comprehensive rehabilitation services including mobility and orientation training, and specialist equipment. This is done mainly on an outreach basis in services users’ own homes.

As well as being a base for rehab teams, our Sight Centres run resource rooms displaying a range of equipment and technology, low vision clinics, training courses, and meeting spaces for specialist support groups.

Other KAB services include:

  • Assistive Technology training and support.
  • A Guide Communicator Service for people with a dual sensory impairment, and one-to-one Sight Support and Intervenor services.
  • Talking Newspapers, providing local news from 13 districts.
  • Transcription services – Braille, audio, CD, SD cards & USB.
  • A Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care (Visual Impairment Rehabilitation) in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University and various accredited short courses.

KAB also has three Eye Clinic Liaison Officers – or ECLOS - working in Kent Hospitals, and we are delighted that we are now able to recruit a fourth worker to join the team and support sight impaired people in Bromley.

More information about KAB can be found on our website

Employment Details

Job Title:Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO), Bromley.

Based at:Princess Royal and Queen Mary’s hospitals, with hot-desking space available at KAB’s Bromley Sight Centre.

Responsible to:Head of Rehabilitation Services.

Hours of work:35 per week, Monday to Friday (will include

occasional travel away from home for meetings/training. Time off in lieu will be given).

Length of Contract:Twelve months. (It’s our aim that the project will become permanent but this will depend on whether we can access ongoing funding).

Probationary Period:Six months.

Salary:£20,465 to £26,685 p.a., dependent on qualifications plus £1,536 London Weighting.

Expenses:All approved out of pocket expenses incurred in undertaking official business will be met.

Pension Scheme:Membership of the pension scheme will be available immediately; after three months satisfactory employment KAB will match contributions.

Use of Private Car:Business mileage is reimbursed at £0.40p per mile.

Holiday Details:21 days per annum, plus public holidays.

Job Description

Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO).

Purpose of Job:

To provide support, information and advice that will help people cope with the emotional, psychological, social and economic difficulties that can arise following diagnosis of an eye condition. By doing this, to help people maximise their independence and wellbeing.

To raise awareness of the needs of people with sight loss, to act as a bridge between health services, Bromley Social Services and KAB, and to support the aims set out in the UK Vision Strategy and the new draft Bromley Vision Strategy.

Main Tasks:

  • Develop close working relationships with staff in the hospital eye clinics in order to raise their awareness of the availability and benefits of community based services, and of registration as Sight Impaired (SI) or Severely Sight Impaired (SSI).

In particular, to work closely with stroke wards, diabetes and falls teams, paediatric services and low vision clinics to identify gaps in provision or understanding, and improve patient pathways.

  • Maximise the number of patients being registered as sight impaired or severely sight impaired by ensuring consultants understand the benefits of registration. Support consultants and clinic staff to complete Certificate of Visual Impairments (CVIs), and ensure their prompt submission.
  • Provide emotional support to patients.
  • Provide comprehensive advice and information to patients and their family and carers, to help them cope better with emotional, psychological, social, economic and any other difficulties that may arise following diagnosis of their eye conditions.
  • Promote the importance of good, on-going eye health care and the need to continue to have regular eye tests.
  • Liaise with the local KAB team to add people’s names to the register of SI and SSI people, if that is their wish, and to provide advice to referring agencies or self-referrers.
  • Refer patients on to a wide range of other services as required, and/or signpost to them if appropriate. This will involve maintaining a good overview of relevant agencies and the ability to research information if needed.
  • Act as a contact at clinic for people needing advice or assistance, to facilitate and/or follow up referrals to other services and agencies.
  • Give talks and presentations and run basic awareness raising sessions for hospital staff and other professionals.
  • Liaise with relevant community based services - statutory, voluntary and private - in order that appropriate referral pathways are known and developed.
  • With the support of the local KAB Team Leader and Volunteer Coordinator, to encourage and support the engagement of any KAB volunteers based in the host hospital eye clinic with the ECLO project.
  • Maintain detailed and accurate monitoring and evaluation systems.
  • Be part of the national ECLO network and KAB’s own ECLO network, attending training and meetings as needed.
  • To be administratively self-sufficient, keep detailed records in the formats required by local services, and to produce reports, case studies, information and statistics as required for KAB Management and the Bromley ECLO Steering Group.

These are the normal duties which the employer will require from you at the date of your employment. However, it is necessary for all staff to be flexible in this respect and all employees may be required from time to time to perform other duties which are required for the efficient running of the organisation.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Level Criminal Records Bureau check.

KAB is an equal opportunities employer.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

  • A knowledge of the structures and operation of hospital, community health and social care services.
  • An understanding of the issues surrounding sight loss, and its impact on people’s daily lives.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, tact and patience. The ability to communicate effectively with, and influence, individuals and groups from many different backgrounds, and to listen and empathise while remaining objective.
  • Good written communication skills, the ability to produce accurate written reports and materials as appropriate for different media and diverse audiences.
  • Sound ICT and administrative skills: the ability to develop and maintain office systems and to use MS Word, Outlook, Excel, and Explorer effectively, and to be administratively self-sufficient.
  • A proven ability to manage discreet projects or workstreams, establish efficient systems and work schedules from scratch, meet deadlines and make decisions independently.
  • An understanding of equality and diversity issues and a commitment to anti-discriminatory practice.

Desirable Criteria

  • A knowledge of the services available to people with sight loss, particularly in relation to the aims embodied in ‘Seeing It My Way’.
  • An understanding of, or experience of, working within ophthalmology services.
  • Knowledge of databases and/or health or social care IT and recording systems.

Kent Association for the Blind

Application Form

Position applied for: Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO) Bromley
Personal details
Surname: ______
Forenames: ______
Address: ______
______
______
Postcode: ______
Telephone: ______Business: ______
Mobile: ______
Email: ______
National Insurance Number: ______

Education

Please list qualifications achieved from Secondary, Higher and Further Education

Name of School, College or
University /

Qualifications (including GCSE, O & A Levels or equivalent, NVQs, Work based courses and any further education)

/ Grade
and year taken

Please list any training courses undertaken, any other relevant skills, interests or public duties, and any voluntary work experience.

Employment History
(Please list your present or most recent job first, give full details, explain any gaps in your job history, and continue on a separate sheet if needed)
Date
/ Employer / Position held / Reason for leaving if applicable
Please give your current salary £______p.a.
If you have applied for a position with the KAB before, please give details:
Please attach a statement (no more than two sides of A4) detailing what skills, knowledge and experience you could bring to the role and why you would like to be employed in this position.
Please make sure you address the person specification in your response, as these are the criteria we will use to shortlist for the post.
Referees
(Not members of your family or friends), one of whom should be your present employer (or, if not employed, the most recent)
Referee 1
Name: ______
Address: ______
______
Occupation: ______
Relationship to you: ______
Telephone: ______Email: ______
Referee 2
Name: ______
Address: ______
______
Occupation: ______
Relationship to you: ______
Telephone: ______Email: ______
Do you need a work permit to work in the UK? Yes/No
(please delete as appropriate)
If offered this position will you continue to work in any other capacity? Yes/No
(please delete as appropriate)
If yes, please give details below
Please note this post is subject to Criminal Records Bureau Enhanced Disclosure clearance.
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 – Exemption from S4(2)
This employment is exempted from the above and employees are not therefore entitled to withhold information about “spent” convictions. In the event of you ever having been convicted of any offence by a Court of Law, please give the offence(s) with dates. If you have not, please write “No Convictions”.
______
I understand that any employment, if offered, will be subject to the information on this form being correct, and I confirm that no valid information has been wilfully withheld. I understand that if I am appointed, I am liable to dismissal without notice if the information on this form is later proved to be inaccurate.
I agree that Kent Association for the Blind can hold and handle these details in line with Data Protection Legislation.
Signed: ______Date: ______
Please tell us how you became aware of the position:

Equality Monitoring Form

Kent Association for the Blind is committed to developing and implementing its Equality Policy and seeks to ensure that recruitment and selection is carried out fairly. You are asked to assist us by completing the following information.

Ethnic Group

Please circle one of the options from the list below to describe your ethnicity:

White British

White Irish

White - any other White background

(please specify) ______

White & Black Caribbean

White & Black African

White & Asian

Any other mixed background

(please specify) ______

Asian or Asian British

Indian

Pakistani

Bangladeshi

Any other Asian background

(please specify) ______

Black or black British

Caribbean

African

Any other black background

(please specify) ______

Any other Ethnic background (please specify) ______

Gender

Male/Female (delete as appropriate)

Age Range (please circle)

Up to 1920-2526-3536-4546-5556-65

Over 65

Accessibility Statement

Kent Association for the Blind aims to be a fair employer and is committed to equality of opportunity for disabled people. Applications from disabled people are welcome. All disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview. At interview, we have a policy of providing appropriate access and equipment to ensure that disabled people are considered on an equal basis. If you would like any further assistance or advice about this application we will try to help.

In order to help us fulfil our aims, please answer the following questions.

  1. Do you consider yourself to be disabled?

Yes/No(Please delete as appropriate)

If yes, do you consider yourself to be disabled under the terms of the Disability Discrimination Act?

Yes/No (Please delete as appropriate)

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 defines disability as “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse affect on an individual’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities.”

  1. If there is anything you would particularly like to tell us about your disability please use the space below.

3. If you wish us to try to arrange for the following to be available if you are called for an interview, please specify below:

Induction loop or other hearing enhancement

Keyboard for written tests

Assistance in and out of vehicle

Wheelchair access

Sign language interpreter (please specify type)

Someone with you at the interview (e.g. advocate or facilitator)

Accessible car parking

Accessible toilet

Any other assistance or additional needs required (please specify):

______

______

This section will be used by the recruitment team to support the recruitment and interview process. It will be treated as confidential.

Name: ______

Signed: ______

Date: ______

Thank you for providing this information.

Please return this form with your application form.

Guidance notes for completing Application Forms

The Dos:

  • DO read the application form fully before starting to fill it in as you will have an idea of the information we are asking for and in what order.
  • DO ask for email confirmation of receipt of forms.
  • DO write in black ink (if hand writing the form). The reason is that application forms are photocopied and they copy better if the ink is black, rather than blue.
  • DO ensure that your hand writing is legible and neat as this makes it easier to read and looks more professional.
  • DO use the same font and text size throughout the document if you are completing the form online. The style of the form may vary due to the formatting in the document and it is worth double checking that the style remains the same.
  • DO indicate a preferred name when completing the form if this is different to your first name. and job history and ensure that the qualifications, dates and companies line up.
  • DO list your education
  • DO complete a supporting statement. This is very important. We ask that you write no more than two sides of A4, which is equivalent to approximately 800 words. We won’t read any further information over two pages.
  • DO make the font and size of text easy to read – i.e. Verdana style, Font 12.
  • DO read the personal specification before completing this section as applications are shortlisted against these criteria.
  • DO relate your skills to the person specification, making it relevant to the job you are applying for.
  • DO keep your examples succinct, partly because you have limited space and partly because you want to grab the interest of the person shortlisting the form.
  • DO put your name on the supporting statement.
  • DO write a covering letter/email when submitting your form otherwise your application looks rushed and unprofessional.
  • DO double check your application for spelling and grammatical errors. You can always ask someone to read it through for you, as they may bring something else to the application that you had not remembered.
  • DO keep a copy of your application form for your own records, as you may want to read this/bring this to the interview to remember what information you put about yourself.
  • DO ensure that the correct postage has been used to post an application form as we don’t pay for insufficient postage.

The Do Nots:

  • DO NOT leave sections blank. If the question does not apply to you, then write ‘Not applicable’ or ‘N/A’.
  • DO NOT send a CV as part of your application papers as we only look at the completed application form.
  • DO NOT leave gaps in your employment history but give an explanation if there is a gap in your employment history, e.g. travelling, left due to carer’s responsibility, career break.
  • DO NOT simply write ‘refer to attached CV’ with regards to employment history and/or for the personal statement. We appreciate that people have CVs that they have worked on, but we are looking for people who are keen to work for the organisation and submitting a rushed application form will not give this impression.
  • DO NOT write a generic supporting statement. This statement is what the application form is scored on against the criteria in the personal specification.
  • DO NOT give names of friends or family as referees.