Visual Impairment Specialist

Job Introduction

About Us

Do you want to help us radically change the way we deliver social care?

Join Oxfordshire County Council on an exciting journey towards Delivering the Future Together, our ambitious transformation programme which is enabling us to be an employer, partner, and place shaper of choice.   We’re seeking the right people who can help us get there while embracing our value of ‘daring to do it differently’, as we continue to strive to do better.

In Adult Services, this means we're daring to do adult social care differently by supporting Oxfordshire’s residents to stay fit, healthy and independent in their communities for as long as possible through a strength’s-based approach.  Working with local NHS services, care providers and community and voluntary groups, we make the most of what each of our strengths are, pulling in the same direction, and united by one shared vision.

This means we keep the people we support at the heart of all that we do. And that works. By listening to people and building on the positives in their lives, we can work collaboratively to help them live the lives they want with the right support around them. 

It is something we call the Oxfordshire Way and we can’t do it alone – our proactive, positive approach to social care gives everyone the opportunity to make a bigger difference. If we’re doing a good job, we don’t stand still – we’re ambitious and we’re always striving to do better; it’s in our DNA.

About the Role

Our team empowers you to deliver bespoke solutions that support people to achieve their desired goals and outcomes.  

We do this through our commitment of giving you the autonomy to do your role, to create new ideas and ways of doing things, with the support from our stable leadership team, regular group and 1:1 supervision and the opportunity to develop and progress across many different areas of Adult Social Care. 

We continue to be a financially stable local authority and our investment in Adult Services enables us to recruit to the vacancy of Specialist Visual Impairment Worker (qualified Vision Rehabilitation Specialist) to join us and help shape and deliver our team vision; it’s an exciting time to join us!

You will be working alongside Vision Rehabilitation Specialists and Support Workers within the Sensory Impairment Team. You will be supported by a qualified Vision Rehabilitation practice supervisor and sensory impairment manager. We are a specialist countywide team providing support and direct rehabilitation for both children and adults within Oxfordshire. As part of this team, you will:

• Empower people in the community to identify their strengths and desired outcomes, embracing new ideas and ways of doing things to improve and maintain their independence through direct rehabilitation.
• Utilise a strength-based approach to promote people’s wellbeing to help them achieve their desired outcomes.
• Support people and carers to ensure their voice is heard through advocacy where necessary.
• Support children and young adults to identify and work towards their habilitation goals and maximise inclusion. 

About you

You are…

• Driven to do things differently to find creative solutions that problem solves with the person, rather than for the person.
• Willing to take responsibility, you are a self-leader with the ambition to lead your community in different areas of adult social care. 
• Kind and caring, with an understanding of and respect for individuals’ qualities, abilities and diverse backgrounds. 
• Advocating for equality and integrity in all you do, and with your strong communication skills you work collaboratively to achieve the best outcome.
• Always learning, with an excellent working knowledge of legislation and statutory guidance, you have natural entrepreneurial qualities. 
• Passionate about following the professional standards of RWPN.

Rewards and benefits

• Up to 33 day’s holiday p.a. plus bank holidays - Option to ‘buy’ additional days
• Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, employer’s contribution of up to 19.9%
• Relocation package up to a maximum of £8,000 to cover reimbursement of expenses for newly appointed employees (conditions apply in line with council policy)
• Regular monthly formal and informal support and supervision
• Local and national discounts for shopping and travel
• Continuous Professional Development opportunities and career progression scheme. 
• Learn more here: Our benefits | Jobs (oxfordshire.gov.uk) 

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact John Fearn-Webster on 01865 894935.

Our commitment to:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:
Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:
Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, full time and part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you encounter any technical issues with the application system, please contact us at: careers@oxfordshire.gov.uk