SIGHT CONCERN WORCESTERSHIRE
JOB DESCRIPTION – ADVICE AND SUPPORT OFFICER
Salary
£8.50 per hour
Hours
9.5 contracted hours per week
Additional casual hours available, to be agreed in advance with your line
manager.
OVERALL OBJECTIVE: - To provide a district based information, advice and support service
to enabled people affected by sight loss to lead independent and fulfilling lives.
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Provide information and advice to people in the community to enable them to make
informed decision
Provide short term interventions to support people with sight loss remain living in the
community
Facilitate a peer support and training group to enable people with sight loss to learn
new skills and develop confidence
Promote the service to encourage individuals and agencies to refer people with sight
loss to Sight Concerns services
DUTIES.
Information and Advice Service.
Provide a weekly information and advice ‘drop in’ service in the district within which you
operate
Respond to basic telephone and email enquiries relating to sight loss for people within the
district within which you operate
Support people to try out basic aids and equipment and to place their own orders for
equipment
Signpost people or make referrals to organisations who offer services to people affected by
sight loss
Support work
Provide short term interventions with the aim of developing or maintaining the person’s
independence.
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Work with the individual to complete an agreed, outcome focussed, support plan
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Avoid dependency by concentrating on strategies which empower the individual and
give them the confidence and skills to progress to successful independent living
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Support the individual to develop links with other service providers, community
groups/activities and volunteers/befrienders, where appropriate
Provide on-going, one to one, social and leisure support; funded by the client
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Work with the individual to agree a social and leisure activity plan
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Deliver one to one support in accordance with the agreed plan
Peer Support Group
Facilitate a weekly support group in the district within which you operate
Consult with group users to identify appropriate guest speakers and activities
Manage the finances for the group including collecting fees, banking funds and liaising with
head office regarding purchase orders and invoices and other finance related queries
Complete risk assessments and keep up to date emergency contact information for all
attendees
Building local links
Raise the profile of the charity on a local basis by attend appropriate local meetings and
events.
Raise the profile of the charity on a local basis within eye clinics, opticians, doctors, and other
appropriate community venues
Provide basic sight loss awareness and sighted guide training where appropriate
Other
Actively promote services in the local community and via professional networks
Maintain accurate records for monitoring and reporting purposes
Attend training, supervision and appraisals as and when appropriate.
Adhere to legislative and organisational policy and procedure.
Assist in the planning and improving of the delivery of service improvement and participate
positively in the implementation of new working methods and practices as required.
Carry out any additional duties, commensurate with this post, which the Association
management may reasonably require.
Breakdown of hours
In each of the six main districts of Worcestershire we aim to offer a weekly 3 hour drop in
information and advice service and we aim to offer a weekly 3 hr peer support and training
group run by the district advice and support officer, in addition to running the session the
member of staff will have some administration time following each session.
Info and advice (e.g. 9.45 -1.15pm to include set up and close down 3.5hrs + 1hr admin per
session) Total 4.5hrs
Peer support (e.g. 9.45 -12.45 pm to include set up and close down 3hrs + 2hrs admin and
planning per session) Total 5hrs
Total set hours = 9.5 per week
Casual hours – to be agreed, in advance, with line manager
o One to one supporting people support work funded under contract/grant
o One to one self-funded support work
o Building local links (attending local meetings, eye clinics, opticians, doctors, SIT, etc.)
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Team meetings
Full staff meetings
Supervision
Training
Travel to the Bradbury Centre for training and meetings will be paid per mile and for time
spent travelling, for staff whose place of work is not the Bradbury Centre
Travel time and mileage will be paid if you are covering for the absence of a support worker
in a district that is not your usual area of work.