Rehabilitation Officer - Visual Impairment: Vision Rehabilitation Specialist

We are a local authority working for the community and committed to improving the lives of our residents. We are looking for a motivated and talented worker who has a qualification in Rehabilitation work for the visually impaired to join the Advice and Wellbeing Hub within Adult Social Care.
Working as a Vision Rehabilitation Specialist for Reading Borough Council you will be part of a friendly and supportive team. We are looking for an individual who can demonstrate great communication skills and the ability to build and maintain relationships with colleagues, external agencies and health care providers.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

About the Role:
The Advice and Wellbeing Hub is a busy, supportive, and friendly team, working with people of all ages and backgrounds and their families and carers. The Advice and Wellbeing Hub uses a Conversations Count strengths-based model to promote choice and control and achieve excellent outcomes.
Your role will be to:

• To assess and provide rehabilitation interventions, to help people at risk from harm or becoming dependent on others due to their sensory loss.
• To act as an advocate for people with sensory loss and the organisation to help promote accessible services, equality, social inclusion and understanding the impact of sight loss/dual sensory loss.
• To identify, deliver and evaluate professional rehabilitation interventions to people with vision loss or dual sensory loss to enhance their skills and confidence to maximise their independence.

You will hold a varied caseload and contribute to the team performance and positive outcomes for our residents.

The role involves working with adults with a broad range of needs including people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, older people and supporting people with substance/alcohol misuse. It also involves providing information, advice and support to Carers.

We offer a flexible working environment with a mixture of home working and access to an office based in the centre of Reading.

You will work within the legal framework provided by the statute, guidance, policies and procedures.

You will need to have:

• Qualification required – Honours Degree or Dip. H. E./Foundation Degree in Rehabilitation Studies (Visual Impairment) or equivalent.
• Registered with Rehabilitation Workers Professional Network.
• Ability to provide mobility and lone cane training for the visually impaired.
• Ability to assess and provide rehabilitation support and planning for those with Visual Impairment/dual sensory loss.
• Understanding of the Care Act 2014 and the Childrens and Families Act 2014

We offer excellent support, supervision and induction.

You will have access to our Learning and Development programme and be supported in your career and personal growth with opportunities to learn and develop new clinical skills, helping you to build your Continuing Professional Development portfolio, extending your skills and supporting you to grow as a social worker.

The team consists of Social Workers, Social Care Coordinators and Occupational Therapists.
We work closely with our colleagues in Reading Borough Council, Health Professionals, Voluntary and Charity colleagues to facilitate the best possible outcomes for those people we support.

This role offers Agile/Hybrid Working – you have the opportunity to work from home and the Civic Offices in Reading but also you will need to attend face to face visits within the Reading Borough.

Our offer
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• Maternity, adoption, parental and sick pay
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Access to a range of training and learning opportunities to help you develop
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
• Salary sacrifice scheme for Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) to help you save for your retirement

You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do

Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential

Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way

Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed

If you would like to find out more about this role and the team, please contact Caroline Marsh (Advice & Wellbeing Hub Manager) on 07834 335 313 or caroline.marsh@reading.gov.uk
Closing date: Applications considered on submission
Interview date: To be confirmed

Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.