Assistant Rehabilitation Officer Apprenticeship Opportunity

Summary

Devon County Council’s Sensory Team is looking to recruit an Assistant in order to join the Apprenticeship Programme as an Apprentice Visual Impairment Rehabilitation Officer. The Sensory Team support people with sight loss in Devon with rehabilitation, training, support and advice, via qualified Rehabilitation Officers for visual impairment.

Wage: £24,790 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Training course: Vision rehabilitation specialist (level 5)
Hours: Monday to Friday. Shifts to be confirmed.
37 hours a week
Possible start date: Monday 31 March
Duration: 2 years
Positions available: 1

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

Working within the Integrated Adult Social Care service, you will work with a mentor from an office base in Barnstaple.

Travel around the county leanring how sight low can impact upon people and how new skills and techniques can be taught, in order to maintain independence and wellbeing.
Learn about assessment techniques, promoting independence, supporting carers and professional networking.

Where you’ll work

Derby Road

Barnstaple

EX32 7EZ

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY

Your training course

Vision rehabilitation specialist (level 5)

Equal to higher national diploma (HND)

Course contents

Identify an individuals vision impairment and the impact on daily life and wellbeing.
Provide person-centred interventions that meet individuals social, psychological, physical or disability needs.
Undertake function vision assessments to maximise any remaining vision and teach low vision strategies.
Conduct health and safety risk assessments.
Conduct environmental access audits.
Adapt delivery method to meet the learning style of the individual.
Work within the scope of practice and professional boundaries and refer or escalate to appropriate individuals when needed.
Identify and develop intervention strategies to support individuals with vision impairment.
Teach independent life skills relevant to individuals with vision impairment.
Make recommendations of environmental adaptations required by individuals with vision impairment.
Select appropriate communication methods and adapt to the individuals needs and preferred format including braille, deafblind manual, block alphabet, audio equipment and other low vision aids and strategies.
Maintain records in accordance with legal, policy and procedural requirements.
Manage and prioritise caseload.
Identify referral pathways suitable for individuals with vision impairment.
Source and teach the use of assistive devices, mobility aids and specialist equipment and utilise existing resources to promote safe and sustainable independent living skills.
Teach the use of assistive technologies and telecommunications to meet individuals needs.
Work in partnership with stakeholders to maintain the principles of a duty of care, safeguarding and protection.
Obtain consent from individuals or escalate when consent is not available.
Identify an individual with vision impairment acquired deafblindness and impact on daily life and wellbeing.
Teach Braille to grade one to individuals with vision impairment.
Conduct a person-centred assessment of individuals with vision impairment.
Recognise the inter-relation between aging and vision impairment.
Provide orientation and mobility training to individuals with vision impairment using appropriate techniques and equipment; pre-cane skills, sensory travel skills, cane skills, cognitive mapping, route-planning techniques, use of public transport and the use of technology to promote independence to travel safely indoors and outdoors.
Recognise mental health issues and or cognitive impairment in individuals with vision impairment and know when to refer to appropriate services.
Interpret legislation, policies, standards and codes of conduct of practice for adult social care.
Participate in appraisal, training and development activities, gain feedback, reflect and evaluate the impact of learning on own practice.
Identify an individuals vision impairment and the impact on daily life and wellbeing.
Provide person-centred interventions that meet individuals social, psychological, physical or disability needs.
Undertake function vision assessments to maximise any remaining vision and teach low vision strategies.
Conduct health and safety risk assessments.
Conduct environmental access audits.
Adapt delivery method to meet the learning style of the individual.
Work within the scope of practice and professional boundaries and refer or escalate to appropriate individuals when needed.
Identify and develop intervention strategies to support individuals with vision impairment.
Teach independent life skills relevant to individuals with vision impairment.
Make recommendations of environmental adaptations required by individuals with vision impairment.
Select appropriate communication methods and adapt to the individuals needs and preferred format including braille, deafblind manual, block alphabet, audio equipment and other low vision aids and strategies.
Maintain records in accordance with legal, policy and procedural requirements.
Manage and prioritise caseload.
Identify referral pathways suitable for individuals with vision impairment.
Source and teach the use of assistive devices, mobility aids and specialist equipment and utilise existing resources to promote safe and sustainable independent living skills.
Teach the use of assistive technologies and telecommunications to meet individuals needs.
Work in partnership with stakeholders to maintain the principles of a duty of care, safeguarding and protection.
Obtain consent from individuals or escalate when consent is not available.
Identify an individual with vision impairment acquired deafblindness and impact on daily life and wellbeing.
Teach Braille to grade one to individuals with vision impairment.
Conduct a person-centred assessment of individuals with vision impairment.
Recognise the inter-relation between aging and vision impairment.
Provide orientation and mobility training to individuals with vision impairment using appropriate techniques and equipment; pre-cane skills, sensory travel skills, cane skills, cognitive mapping, route-planning techniques, use of public transport and the use of technology to promote independence to travel safely indoors and outdoors.
Recognise mental health issues and or cognitive impairment in individuals with vision impairment and know when to refer to appropriate services.
Interpret legislation, policies, standards and codes of conduct of practice for adult social care.
Participate in appraisal, training and development activities, gain feedback, reflect and evaluate the impact of learning on own practice.

Your training plan

The Apprenticeship course involves 7 separate study weeks up in Birmingham and a North Devon based placement, over each of the 2 academic years, plus submission of assignments and a final assessment.

More training information

You will be employed by Devon County Council as an Assistant Rehabilitation Officer for Visually impaired people, on a fixed term contract, until September 2025 - prior to being engaged on an Apprenticeship contract.

The reason for this is to allow you the opportunity to gain experience prior to the course start date and the training providers (BCU’s) assessment day, in order to support you in securing a place on the apprenticeship programme.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade C/4 or above)
maths (grade C/4 or above)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
Organisation skills
Problem solving skills
Logical
Team working
Initiative
Non judgemental
Patience

Other requirements

You will need independent means to travel around Devon including to rural areas. Full support and mentoring will be available from the Sensory Team Manager, plus Qualified Rehabilitation Officers and BCU staff.

About this company

At Devon County Council, we work together to improve life across Devon for everyone. We want to create a place that people enjoy living in, as well as a place that you enjoy working.

https://www.devon.gov.uk/workingfordevon/work-in/early-careers/step-in/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

We offer a highly competitive starting salary, 26 days holiday, flexible working arrangements and training. The salary includes study time of at least one day per week.

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

After sucessful completion, the apprentice will have the opporutntiy to apply for a permanent job with Devon County Council.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

Devon County Council

Alyson Badnell

01392 383949

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000300845.

Apply now

Closes in 14 days (Thursday 20 February)

When you apply, you’ll be asked to sign in with a GOV.UK One Login. You can create one at the same time as applying for this apprenticeship.

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.

Company’s application instructions

Please apply directly through the Devon Jobs Website.

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