Employment Details
Job Title: Rehabilitation Worker
Based at: KAB Sight Centre in Maidstone
Responsible to: Team Leader
Hours of work: 35 hours per week
Probationary Period: Six months
Salary (pro rata): Unqualified - £18,655 - £20,464
Qualified/Part Qualified - £21,814 - £26,685
Use of Private Car: 40p per mile for business mileage
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, up to a maximum of 6% of salary
Holiday Details: 21 days per annum plus relevant public holidays, Holiday increases with length of service up to a
maximum of 25 days
KAB is a 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.
KAB has six local rehabilitation teams throughout the region, three based at KAB Sight Centres (in Maidstone, Canterbury and Bromley) and three based in offices in Gravesend, Dover and Medway. In addition KAB has two workers based within the rehab team at Inspire, the agency serving the London Borough of 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 provision of 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 provide additional services, such as resource rooms displaying a range of equipment and technology, low vision clinics, training courses, and meeting spaces for specialist support groups.
Other services provided by KAB include:
· IT/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.
· A Talking Newspaper service, 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.
· Eye Clinic Liaison Officers based in Kent hospital eye clinics.
More information can be found in our Annual Review, which can be
downloaded from our website www.kab.org.uk.
Rehabilitation Worker
Job Description
To work as part of a KAB Rehabilitation Team; to provide statutory assessments of social care needs on behalf of the local authority and to plan and deliver programmes of rehabilitative training for people who are sight impaired.
The post involves working in service users’ homes and KAB Centres and providing training on a one to one basis and in groups.
Duties
a. To provide newly registered service users with relevant information regarding services, benefits and concessions.
b. To perform statutory assessments of needs for blind and sight impaired people and undertake the necessary computerised and paper based recording.
c. To train as a Trusted Assessor, enabling the Post holder to provide efficiencies by simultaneously assessing for and issuing specific pieces of equipment relating to other specialisms, including chair raisers, grab rails and equipment related to hearing impairments.
d. Maximise independence, health and wellbeing of service users by developing and delivering individual programmes of support and rehabilitation training and undertake the necessary review of progress, in areas including:
· Daily Living Skills
· Communication (Braille, Moon, Deafblind Manual and assistive technology)
· Low Vision Training, including enabling service users to learn skills to maximise remaining useful vision – e.g. eccentric viewing
· Orientation and Mobility Training.
e. In discussion with the service user set individual personal budgets for ongoing support.
f. Provide current information regarding relevant benefits and concessions, including supporting clients to apply for Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance where appropriate.
g. Provide emotional support in relation to sight loss and develop programmes that are tailored to the individual needs of the service user, including specialist provision for clients with additional needs such as learning disabilities or dementia.
h. Assess, recommend and provide appropriate equipment with reference to the eligibility criteria applied by the local authority.
i. Risk assess activities in relation to the safety of service users, volunteers and staff as appropriate.
j. Involve and inform friends, family members and carers as appropriate; consider and discuss the need for a separate carers assessment and facilitate where necessary.
k. Follow protocols in relation to safeguarding vulnerable adults and children, supporting referrals as required.
l. Respond to telephone and personal enquiries as part of a rotational duty system, as part of the information and advice giving process.
m. To provide support to KAB social clubs, including making occasional visits to ensure the club’s provision is in line with KAB values and standards and to assist in the development of new clubs according to identified need.
n. To organise and be involved in training and awareness raising sessions for other disciplines within Social Services, Health Authorities, voluntary and community groups and the general public.
o. To deliver appropriate in-service training and shadowing for KAB colleagues, external students and staff on placement with KAB.
p. To maintain and update knowledge in key areas including equipment and technology, local policy and relevant legislation.
q. To act as a team lead on a specific area of service provision – e.g. for service users who are deafblind or who have experienced a stroke.
r. Document records accurately and timely using the required paper and computer based systems.
s. To refer clients to KAB Volunteer Co-ordinators, so they can receive appropriate services from a volunteer such as befriending or driving.
t. To perform other duties that the Chief Executive of the KAB or their authorised Deputy may consider appropriate.
Person Specification - Essential Criteria
Be able to demonstrate:
· Knowledge of the issues affecting sight and severely sight impaired people, an understanding of the range of rehabilitation support available and the ability to put this knowledge into practice.
· The ability to analyse and use professional judgement to assess risk and understand safeguarding indicators.
· Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate with a range of audiences.
· The ability to work independently and as a team member, with a clear understanding of responsibilities and when it is appropriate to seek the support and advice of a manager.
· Excellent organisational skills and the ability to work to tight deadlines and manage workload effectively.
· Competent IT skills, including the ability to be self-supporting in the use of MS Office, including Outlook, Excel and the use of databases for inputting and information retrieval.
· A commitment to KAB’s aims and values and to anti-discriminatory practice, in addition to an empathetic client centred approach and a focus on maximising enablement.
· Possession of a professional manner and flexible approach to working.
· Ability to travel independently across the area of service.
· A commitment to professional development and a willingness to undertake training – specifically the Foundation Degree in Rehabilitation Studies.
Desirable Criteria
· Foundation Degree/Diploma/Certificate in Rehabilitation Studies.
· Qualification in the delivery of orientation and mobility training.
This job description is not exhaustive, but is provided to assist the post holder to know what her/his main duties are. It may be amended from time to time without change to the levels of responsibility appropriate to the grade of the post and in discussion with the post holder.
KAB is an equal opportunities employer.