Rehabilitation Worker (Visual Impairment)

Skills

Visual Impairment

• Explain medical characteristics and the impact of visual impairment, secondary illnesses, disabilities and deafblindness in understandable terms, and descriptions.
•  Evaluate, in terms of the support required, the effect a visual impairment and/or deafblindness has on a person, family and community.
• Support a person, family and community to positively come to terms with living with a visual impairment and or deafblindness

Assessment

• Undertake one-to-one and group specialist vision and dual sensory needs led assessments. Producing tangible outcomes, services and referrals.
• Undertake assessment of risk and health and safety adaptations, recommending and overseeing installation of environmental adaptations required by people with a visual impairment and who are deafblind.
• Undertake functional vision assessment, to promote the use of residual vision, and provide and refer for training and services.
• Undertake environmental access audits that promote accessibility to the built environment for disabled people.

 Rehabilitation

• Deliver group and individual person centred rehabilitative intervention in, but not restricted to, the following areas: Independent living skills for all aspects of daily living, personal care and home management; Strategies that facilitate and promote inclusion in recreation, education and employment activities; Orientation and mobility indoors and outdoors, including guiding skills, pre-cane skills, sensory travel skills, guide, symbol and long-cane skills, mobility aids, cognitive mapping, route-planning techniques, use of public transport and the use of technology that promotes independence and navigation ; Communication skills including braille, IT, smart and standard telecommunications, assistive technology, deafblind manual, block alphabet and audio equipment; Low vision training/therapy to maximise functional vision, magnifiers, lighting and other low vision aids and strategies

Access to Information

• Deliver awareness training, information and support to people with a visual impairment and/or deafblind, employers, care providers and educational establishments, to improve access to statutory and voluntary social care services, health services, education and employment.

Technology

• Deliver training, education and support to use assistive and standard technology to people with a visual impairment and people who are deafblind.

 Legislation

• Interpret legislation to empower people with a visual impairment and who are deafblind to live fulfilling lives

Professional Development

• Evaluate, through reflective practice, professional performance and development. Use professional knowledge to make appropriate decisions and judgements. Keep up-to-date, evaluate and assimilate research into practice.

Knowledge

Visual Impairment:

• Anatomy, epidemiology, cause and prognosis of visual impairment and Deafblindness.
• The cumulative effect of physiological and psychological illness or disability when combined with a visual impairment
• Relevance and value of Individual and social models of disability
• The physical, psychological and social impact of a loss of vision

 Assessment

• Voluntary & statutory process, procedure and legal requirement to assess people with a visual impairment and/or deafblind
• Risk, benefits and personal management
• Individual, family and societal aspirations and needs of fulfilment
• The value, availability and use of health and safety adaptations
• The process, documentation and application of access audits

 Rehabilitation

• Theories and models of person centred therapeutic rehabilitative intervention Group and Individual teaching and learning theory and practice
• Person-centred intervention and strategy
• Rehabilitation techniques and strategies including but not restricted to: Independent living skills; Inclusion in recreation, education and employment activities; orientation and mobility; communication; low vision maximisation.

 Access to Information

• Health, education and employment advice
•  Family and carers support services
•  Welfare, statutory, voluntary and community services
•  Professional roles relationships and boundaries

 Technology

• The range, value and use of standard and assistive technology for use by people with a visual impairment and who are deafblind
•  How to research, learn to interpret technology for use by disabled people

Legislation

• International, national and local equality, human rights, health, social care and safeguarding legislation

 Professional Development

• The value, techniques and methods of gathering and assimilating research into practice Submission criteria and regulations for peer review publication

Behaviours

The personal attributes and behaviours expected of all Rehabilitation Workers (Visual Impairment) when carrying out their role is to:

• Safeguard – share information with others to protect and support the wellbeing of vulnerable people
•  Advocate – act for and on behalf of vulnerable individuals, their carers, family and circle of support
•  Be Compassionate – deliver support with kindness, consideration, dignity, empathy and respect
•  Communication – communicate for effective development of successful relationships
•  Show Commitment – improve the experience of people who need support ensuring it is person-centred
•  Respect – value professional opinion, confidentiality and respectful relationships

Entry Requirements

Whilst entry requirements will be a matter for employers, an apprentice should be expected to undertake the Disclosure and Barring Service process and have already achieved a pass grade in GCSE Maths & English or equivalent.

Apprentices without Level 2 English and Maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end-point assessment.

Duration

Duration is typically 24 months.

Professional Qualifications / Recognition

This is a Level 4 apprenticeship.

Apprentices will have met the level of competence needed to secure professional registration with the Rehabilitation Workers Professional Network.

Originally published on Gov.uk, this information has been re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence.