March 2018

Dear Applicant

IGA Development Manager, North East Region (part-time)

Thank you for your interest in the role of Development Manager with the IGA. Please find attached:

  • Background information about the post and the IGA
  • A Job Description and person specification
  • An application and monitoring form

If you would like to apply for the post, please send your completed application

to or by post to Richenda Kew, IGA, Woodcote House, 15 Highpoint Business Village, Henwood, Ashford, Kent TN24 8DH.

If you have any queries about the job or about the charity, please feel free to contact Richenda. Please note that we cannot accept CVs.

The closing date for applications is 17.00 on Friday6 April 2018, and interviews will be held in Newcastle on Tuesday 17 April.

As a charity we try hard to control costs, so I hope you understand that we are only able to contact people who we would like to invite for interview. Therefore if you do not hear from us by Wednesday 11 April, please assume that on this occasion your application has not been successful.

Thank you again for your interest, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely

Karen Osborn

Chief Executive

About the International Glaucoma Association

The IGA is the charity for people with glaucoma. Our vision is that everyone living with glaucoma, and all those at risk, should have the knowledge and access to the care they need to avoid preventable sight loss. To make this a reality we do three things:

  • Support people to live well with glaucoma

The range of treatment options available for glaucoma can be complex and confusing. Glaucoma is usually painless and asymptomatic, which means that

the treatment is often worse than the condition itself. Our member surveys repeatedly find that many patients don’t fully understand their condition, and this makes treatment choices especially difficult and can cause great anxiety.

To help people understand glaucoma and the treatment options that are available, we provide a wide range of free information and advice leaflets, a telephone helpline, and a moderated user forum on our website. We increase understanding and awareness by giving presentations to patients and professionals, and we help to set up patient support groups in hospital eye clinics across the country. And for people facing difficult or frightening treatment decisions, we provide volunteer Buddies who have been through the treatment themselves, and can offer peer support.

  • Prevention

As long as glaucoma is detected early, most people retain a good degree of useful sight for life. Glaucoma is detected by having regular eye health checks at a local optician or optometrist practice. Sadly these two facts aren’t well known, so our Communications Team runs awareness campaigns to get the message across to the general public, and especially to those most at risk. We are particularly active during World Glaucoma Week in March and our own National Glaucoma Awareness Week in June.

  • Research

Working with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, the Royal College of Nursing, the College of Optometrists and the UK and Eire Glaucoma Society, we fund research into diagnosis and treatment of the condition. Our annual grant spend averages £200,000.

The IGA also funds the majority of the costs of the IGA Professor of Ophthalmology at University College London, currently Ted Garway-Heath.

Our services are open to anyone, but the vast majority of our beneficiaries come from the UK, and all our staff are based here. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, our services are free to anyone who needs them.

For more information please visit our website or find us on Facebook @internationalglaucomaassociation, on Twitter @TweetIGA and on LinkedIn – International Glaucoma Association.

About the role
The IGA Development Manager role is a challenging combination of practical face-to-face support work with people living with glaucoma, and strategic influencing among healthcare professionals and commissioners.

Living with glaucoma can sometimes be a challenge, so it is essential that our Development Managers have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and show empathy, patience and tact. Patient support work will include helping to establish patient support groups and give presentations at them, ensuring that advice and support reaches those most in need, and raising awareness of glaucoma and encouraging good eye health care.

The post holder will also need to work closely with a wide range of professionals, and develop key relationships with glaucoma consultants, nurses, pharmacists, optometrists, Eye Clinic Liaison Officers, and colleagues from across the voluntary and statutory sight loss sector.

The IGA staff team

We have three other part-time Development Managers (DMs) covering Wales and the South West, London and the South East, and Scotland.

This North East post was developed after a fourth DM retired last year. He covered the entire North of England and the Midlands, but it became evident that this was too large a patch to cover effectively. In response we want to test the pros and cons of targeting our resources in a smaller regional area, to see if this is a more or a less effective way of achieving our aims. If successful, there is a possibility that this may become a permanent post.

Our DMs are supported by staff in our Kent HQ, who handle our national media campaigns, membership and fundraising, the IGA helpline and information materials.

The benefitsinclude 21 days annual leave pro rata, up to 5% contributory pension, access to Benenden healthcare support and anAXA Employee Assistance Programme.

Please note, a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check is required for this post, as it involves work with potentially vulnerable adults.

IGA Staff and Structure

Job Description

Job TitleIGA Development Manager, North East England

Responsible to Chief Executive Officer

Responsible forno other staff

Hours of work21 / week (may be worked flexibly with prior agreement, and

will include occasional evening and weekend work)

Salary£29,000 p.a. fte (actual salary £17,400)

Contract length18 months

LocationHome based. The role will cover Northumberland, County Durham and Tyne and Wear, and will involve travel throughout the region. Hotdesking with partner organisations may be available.

Key Responsibilities

To ensure that anyone affected by glaucoma in the North East of England is aware of and can access our services.

To raise awareness and understanding of glaucoma among the general population.

To promote excellence in glaucoma care among health and social care professionals of good practice in glaucoma care.

Main duties

  • Increase take up of IGA services by patients and carers living in the North East.
  • To support the development of regular (and ideally self-sustaining) glaucoma Patient Support Group meetings (PSGs) across the North East region, so that anyone with glaucoma can access a local group; this may include new models of support.

To identify and share best practice in group support,both regionally and UK-wide via IGA colleagues.

  • Prepare and give presentations to PSGs and other health, social care and community groups, to increase understanding of glaucoma, encourage good eye health care and compliance with treatment, and raise awareness of the IGA.
  • Encourage and support health and social care professionals to
  • Ensure patients’ views are considered when commissioning, designing and delivering services
  • understand and prioritise the needs of glaucoma patients
  • strive to achieve the NICE Glaucoma Guidelines
  • disseminate IGA information to patients
  • refer people to the IGA where appropriate
  • Support national IGA campaigns at regional level. This will involve giving presentations, liaising with local media, supporting corporate partners at events etc.
  • Promote IGA membership and help to expand the charity’s supporter base.
  • Keep detailed records of work carried out in the region; evaluate the impact and make recommendations for future work.
  • Support the recruitment and retention of regional IGA volunteers, who will act as ambassadors for the IGA, promoting our messages and raising awareness.
  • Maintain a good level of contact with the IGA’s head office, and provide feedback from experience in the field.Attend IGA meetings and other events as required.
  • Ensure personal knowledge of glaucoma is at an acceptable level to enable credible discussions with professionals and patients
  • Promote the IGA’s mission and vision at every opportunityand generate a positive image of the work of the IGA.
  • Take advantage of and implement all training that may become available.
  • Comply with and implement the IGA policies & procedures and statutory legislation
  • Manage ad hoc projects as necessary, as delegated by the CEO, and undertake other duties as may reasonably be required by the employer

Person specification

Essential

  • Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to negotiate and influence professionals about the importance of highlighting health/social care issues
  • An understanding of primary and secondary health care services and structures
  • A strong work ethic, a commitment to the IGA’s aims and values, and a desire to improve the lives of people living with glaucoma
  • The ability to organise and prioritise a varied workload effectively, to work on your own initiative, and demonstrate self-motivation and resourcefulness
  • The ability to be administratively self-supporting, with strong IT skills across a range of packages,
  • Able to maintain a high degree of confidentiality and attention to data security
  • Sound written communication skills and a good level of numeracy
  • Ability to work flexible hours as required, travelling independently throughout the North East.

Desirable

  • An understanding of the issues faced by people living with glaucoma or other eye conditions
  • An understanding of the health and social care landscape and the services available for people with, and at risk of, glaucoma