Rehabilitation Specialists - A profession to be proud of.

Welcome to the area of the site that discusses professional issues affecting Rehabilitation Specialists today. Those of you who have been with us from the start will know that the principal subjects - The formation of a professional body, the training of Rehabilitation Workers (RW) and what is perceived as the 'erosion' of the traditional RW role - have been widely discussed. However. don't let this put you off commenting or opening up new subjects.

Page last updated: Thursday 8 May, 2008 12:02 PM

Here you will find articles written by other professionals and sent to us - we add our thoughts and comments but prefer you to add yours. For those looking for 'instant' feedback there's the discussion board - where you can add your thoughts quickly. If any of the subjects on this page rattle your cage why not promote further thought by adding the subject to the board.

The headlines section has some interesting news - both new and old - click on 'Professional Body' in the section to read the AER, SCA & Unison presentations to the London Rehab Workers Forum regarding this subject.

Moving to digital audio…
Dear colleague, Switching to digital audio offers many benefits for reading but to some people it can seem daunting.
The Reading through Audio initiative aims to help you to help your clients
choose and use the digital audio services which best meet their needs. This could be helping them to make full use of an existing digital player or
advising them on a new player. We hope you have seen the Reading though Audio leaflet, which has been distributed to local societies for the blind and to social services departments. The leaflet is a short guide to the main national audio services for people with sight problems or other disabilities, a guide to how to listen, and a quick reference chart. We hope you will find it useful.
We have set up a website, www.readingthroughaudio.org.uk which will gradually include more information and links to other sites.
We think this will be useful to many of you out there  

Strategy Report - Final!
The UK Vision Strategy is a VISION 2020 UK initiative, led by RNIB working with partners from all areas of the sector, to develop a unified plan for action on all issues relating to eye health and sight loss, across the four countries of the UK - click here to download

It never rains…or does it?
Hello, I recently have been asked by a service user if there is any gadget that can alert him to when it is raining (with regard to drying washing).  He has no sight at all.  I understand that there used to be a rain alert on the market, but after doing an internet search I get the impression that they are no longer available.
Do you or any of your web-site users know if there is anything still on the market of use?  (He lives in a very rainy part of the world!)
This is always a good one! You can get all sorts of rain alerts on the web, whether (or should that be weather?) any of these are suitable we cannot say. There is one piece of software available that sends you an alert up to 60 minutes before rain is anticipated in your area, this could then be accessed by the user's mobile screenreader. Any of you have any good ideas? – send them to us

Money, money, money…
Hi, I was just wondering if you had any information about the various pay scales which RO’s receive throughout the UK?
Thanks,
An interesting request. By ‘Pay Scales’ we presume you mean within Social Services. At the present time the rates of pay throughout the UK are not standardised, all authorities are different and view services to people with a visual impairment  with varying degrees of priority. It also depends if you are in London – where house prices make it difficult to recruit – or in suburban or rural areas. Rates vary but we’ve recently seen advertisements for vacancies at £21,000 – £25,000 and £27,000 – £32,000. The role the employee is expected to undertake also affects the salary grade they offer, traditionally, more ‘social care’ work means more money for the post. The higher ends of the scale may only be achieved if you are a qualified Social Worker in addition to a Rehabilitation Worker. In contrast, we are also aware of ‘job re-evaluation’ where RW’s are having their salaries ‘frozen’ or moved to a lower scale – this affects salaries in adjacent authorities. do you have anything to add? Contact us info@rehabworker.co.uk

Glad we can help… 
The letter below - click here to view - (to various statutory and voluntary organisations in the UK) explains the work that we have been commissioned to undertake. It will be dear to the hearts of many of the people who visit your website and I wondered if there were any chance of it being posted or circulated?
But in our search for good practice we would be delighted to learn of any initiatives that your contacts are aware of. The outcomes of our work will be published and any help you provide will, of course, be acknowledged.
Many thanks for your help.

Dr Malcolm J. Fisk
Managing Director
Insight Social Research Ltd.
PO Box 14
Ferndale
CF43 9AJ
Tel: +44 1443 733733
Website: www.researchatinsight.org
Registered Number 3756867 England and Wales
Registered Office at Old Vicarage, Ferndale CF43 4PT
If you would like to contribute or you have any comments, please contact Insight Social Research

This will be of interest and welcomed…

WELSH REHABILITATION OFFICERS FORUM

New body for professional sight loss workers in Wales

Rehabilitation (rehab) Officers in Wales have set up the Welsh Rehabilitation Officers Forum to promote the views and needs of the profession throughout Wales. The Forum provides an important point of contact for the 34 rehab officers working across Wales.
Forum chairman Alun Roberts said: “The Forum is a historic step forward for rehab officers in Wales. We play a vital role in supporting visually impaired and blind people in Wales. The Forum enables us to make sure our voice is heard and to contribute fully to the exciting improvements in eye health care being pioneered by the Welsh Assembly Government.”
Most rehab officers work in isolation with little or no peer support and until recently there has been no mechanism for consultation on service delivery, strategic planning or policy initiatives.
The Forum will enable rehab officers to take part in the debate and research on the development of services for visually impaired people. It will also allow us to contribute to the development of a Professional Body for Rehabilitation Officers in the UK.
We welcome contact, consultation and collaboration with other eye health care professionals on the provision of services to visually impaired people.
Contact details
Chair           Alun Roberts        01443 420503
Secretary     Ceri Ellerton        01792 785020
welshrehab@googlemail.com
Rehabworker.co.uk applauds this new forum – if you would like to set up a regional forum in your area please contact us info@rehabworker.co.uk

Someone values their staff…
I have just been given the go ahead to attend the 2 day course in Birmingham on eccentric fixation for people with MD. This is a course I have wanted to go on for ages now as to be able to offer people the chance of being able to use their useful vision to read when they previously haven't been able to, is something I feel is a massive part of a Rehab Workers remit. Unfortunately this doesn't come cheaply though. I anticipate that on top of the £195 for the two days, the entire bill will be more like £300 once I have travelled and stayed in Brum over night. Luckily I work in the voluntary sector and after a little bit of cajoling my boss seems keen for me to attend in the hope that possibly I can also pass on these skills to colleagues. Hopefully the benefits will far outweigh the cost when I'm out in my community working with visually impaired clients.
We’re asking about training this month – visit the home page and tell us what’s happening for you

Free screenreader…
I just want you and your readers to know about Screenreader.net CIC and our website www.screenreader.net. We deliver a great talking screenreader free to all blind and partially-sighted would-be computer users. Lots of features and very stable. No tricks. We just know that many or most can't afford the expensive screenreaders however good they might be.
If any of you have used this product, or know someone who has, why not write a review and send it to us? info@rehabworker.co.uk

Response to 'Another Consultation'…(not read it yet? - click here)
Like most other initiatives this has its good points- one of them being the range of people from different organisations who have given a lot of time and energy to produce the initial draft. If everyone in this field actually worked together and developed cohesive plans some might work! What usually happens however is that plans are made but not followed through or given any priority by those who wield any power ( or have any influence on finance).

In my experience - and I am a bit disillusioned being of the older generation - the plans are made and then individual organisations go and do their own thing ignoring the cooperation needed to implement the plans. A good example is Rehab Worker Training - the big Charities talked together - at the so called Training  Board - and then went ahead with their own plans. The result being the lack of training provision and now of qualified workers. If only they had made a cohesive effort and fought to mainstream the profession. They did a profound disservice to all visually impaired people as well as the workers involved. So lets hope this time they really pull together.

The other worry is bringing prevention and treatment on line with those who have lost vision. In some ways this has to be good as the people involved have more power to influence decision making than those of us working with visually impaired people. And, don't misunderstand me I think many people working in the area of treatment and prevention of sight loss do care about those who do lose vision but the emphasis is on these areas rather than visual impairment.
I also know that those people who have little or no useful vision feel very excluded by all the talk of 'Low Vision' services.

My hope is that the people involved with this will really work together to delver a cohesive policy that will benefit all groups. That it will not be just a talking shop and that all agencies involved will pull together and not go off with there own little bits here and there - that can only weaken the argument.

No one organisation can change everything and if they can all speak with one voice so much the better. They have put the strategy out for consultation and we have to use the opportunities to try to influence the decision making. On our own we (Rehab workers) have little influence in the grand scheme of things so we have to keep plugging away when the opportunities arise. Yes I did attend a consultation; I did add my ideas for what they're worth and we will have to wait and see if anything improves.

Like your site, sorry I don't respond more often. Did like the little car parking game from last time - not that relevant but it gave us a laugh in the office

This response raises many points and in our opinion accurately highlights the necessity to unite  the decision makers. It is true, much of this has been done before but for whatever reason, the agencies have not done anything about it. What are your thoughts about this? E-mail info@rehabworker.co.uk

Getting on with it…
I don’t want to appear negative but are ROVI’s insecure? I ask this because whenever I meet them at conferences or workshops they are always quick to tell me they are working with ‘complex’ service users. Further conversation tends to reveal that these service users have learning difficulties/asylum problems/mental health issues or some other difficulty going on in their lives. Isn’t being blind or having low vision enough? It seems working with older people who have macular degeneration or cataract is not enough for these people – do they get some sort of satisfaction from playing this ‘disability poker’? Does it give them more self-esteem? “My service users have more issues than yours therefore I’m better than you”. It may be corny but I entered this work to try and make a difference, can’t we be confident in the knowledge that what we do with the majority of our service users is important to them rather than look for some personal or professional kudos?
This is an interesting article and it raises many questions. If there are Rehabilitation Specialists out there who need their clients to have additional disabilities in order to ‘sex up’ the work they do, how well are they promoting the rehabilitation profession? If professionals are not confident that what they teach is useful, then why would their managers, colleagues or even clients show any interest? What are your views? Have you had similar experiences? info@rehabworker.co.uk

Welcome…
When I googled "rehab workers", I was pleasantly surprised to find the
rehabworker.co,uk website. It's very useful, but I haven't yet found
what I'm looking for. Talking to a rehab worker earlier in the summer, I
heard that the profession is at long last about to set up it's own
association. I'm trying to find out more about how this initiative is
progressing so that I can mention it on the news section of my website
(http://www.johnsanders.clara.net/js17news.html).
The SCA still operate the ‘professional body’ and there are no current movements on this theme – click on the professional body link in the headlines section on the right of this page to read the latest

Your help needed…
To the RO working up north who has just taken part in the job evaluation
process, I am about to go through the same process.  Do you have any
advice/information that might help in getting a fair grading?
A contact number and e-mail is available – however, we would still like to publish your comments in order to assist others.

Not just O&M…
I am a rehabilitation officer based in Education, I work with VI children aged between 4 and 16 (0 – 19 for registration/assessment /support and rehab up to 19 if child staying on at school). The main parts of my role are to provide mobility/orientation training, daily living skills training, support with grants, staff training at schools, basic access audits/advice at schools, equipment (issue equipment & advise on equipment) and service development – to read the full article click here.
Thank you for taking the time to send this to us – an interesting insight into your working life. More articles like this please info@rehabworker.co.uk

Some good news…
I just wanted to let you know I am a RO working up north, I work for a LA and have been part of the job evaluation process over the last 2 years, last week I got the news that I have been regraded to the same pay scale as a progressed social worker. I feel this is a great victory for our profession.
Congratulations! Hopefully this will be replicated across the country…what do you all think? info@rehabworker.co.uk

One way of doing it…
How to show them we are not a waste of space? Ask a doubter to train a registered blind person to become independent in the home,shops,mobility and social activities.  I would like them to try without training!! Or even better get them to teach Braille or keyboard skills.  The list is endless...
If only...Education is the only way to ‘convince’ people of the necessity for specialists. Unfortunately, you can take the horse to water but you can’t make it drink.

Rushed off my feet but…
Hi, just dashing out again so some quick thoughts about your editorial page.
Could not attend Consultation on NOS as Department would only fund 'bus fare' and I could not face a four hour journey to Birmingham by public bus. Did read Standards and submitted a response. The main area of concern was the lack of any detail to do with visual impairment - especially compared with amount of detail on hearing impairment. The lack of any correlation with the VI Standards that were rejected some time ago in favour of these new standards and the assumption that the skills needed by hearing impaired and vi people are identical.
I do agree that many tasks currently seen as the work of RWs can be undertaken by other staff with appropriate training and awareness which brings me to the issue of where our skills will be needed (or recognised) in the future. Where people have major loss of vision and have to rely on non sighted methods of progressing/learning, our skills are of paramount importance. I am a whole hearted supporter of Low Vision Committees but do feel the current emphasis on 'low vision' and eye care pathways can detract from the services needed by people who have little or no useful vision. It is also difficult for professionals in other fields to recognise the major psychological impact of sight loss - of whatever degree - on an individual and one of the key roles of an RW is to deal with these emotional issues in order to motivate and encourage a person to take on training or to continue to undertake everyday tasks.
The role is bound to change - and so it should in an evolving society - but to 'throw the baby out with the bath water' will only result in poorer services to a group of people who receive little enough in the current climate. Ensuring that all people who work, in whatever capacity, have a greater knowledge and understanding of visual impairment can only be of benefit and should lead to more inclusion and less isolation. On the other hand to lose the expertise of trained RWs will mean that many people will become more dependent and isolated.
The NOS need to take all these issues into account as do the Managers and professionals who advised the ADSS sub group on sensory impairment.
Not the most coherent argument but the best I can do with current pressure of work.
Thank you for this. Unfortunately, you are one of many who have been unable to secure any funding to attend the NOS consultations and your comments above would have been an important addition. However, by submitting a response it is hoped your views are considered.    

Oooh! I think he likes us…
I’d just like to add my two pen’orth by saying I like the comments made on this site – by the ‘owners’ and the ‘contributors’. Yes, the monthly ‘editorial’ is often of a downbeat nature but in my view this is valid. The articles should be written to promote a response from professionals – what else are they supposed to do? Wipe our brow perhaps, tell us not to worry it’ll all be alright? Things in the rehab world are not alright – for too long now people have sat around doing nothing to promote rehab. C’mon everybody – wake up!
This is obviously written from the heart, we happen to agree – no surprise there.

…and another…Location, wrong side of Bristol, not good accessibility,...Location, easier to get to the Birmingham venue, near train station, door to door so to speak. Location, in time that is; easier to take the time on a Friday and then slink off somewhere for the weekend.....Don't accuse anyone of disinterest. How many people raised the question of when the first set of dates were approaching and the secretariat had no idea of potential dates, times, locations, uptake to cater for.....And who is going to raise why educators/providers of training like yourselves with your other hats on are to be excluded???? We are a little confused by this but thanks for responding.Incidentally, Rehabworker.co.uk does not offer any training/education programmes. Keep your comments coming info@rehabworker.co.uk

Someone disagrees...I visit this site quite regularly (when work pressures allow) and every time I do, I come away feeling annoyed at the tone of some of the home page editorial.  The latest thing to annoy me is the assumption that people can not be bothered to turn up to consultation meetings in Bristol.  The more likely scenario is that people cannot get the time off or afford the time off to attend.  The other factor is that there are always places that are miles from such consultations which makes attending impossible. This does not mean people are not interested or bothered!  Also the use of capitals in your editorial suggests that you are shouting at us (may just be my interpretation) which I feel is unnecessary.  I know you are probably just trying to motivate us - some of us are highly motivated but have enough trouble finding the time to undertake our bread and butter work.  Lengthy waiting lists and battles with management on a local level take up all our 'campaigning strength.If you choose to post my response, please do not publish my personal details other than my name. Thank you for responding, it’s a pleasure to receive an e-mail that contradicts what people say and starts the debate. The ‘editorial’ is designed to get people like you talking to us and to let us know what holds you back from attending an important consultation meeting like the NOS. If there is a consistent theme then this should be put to the organisers so that they can consider other options. In fairness, there is an online consultation going on but how many Rehab Specialists know about it? You obviously know your e-mail etiquette and we apologise if you were offended by the use of capital letters; we are not intending to shout – the emphasis is there to attract the eye. While we admire your work ethic – and many of us are the same – it is important to remember that this is your career you are ‘campaigning’ for. Without the Rehab Specialist’s view there is no-one to put forward the case for a rehabilitative approach to care and the NOS will reflect this – remember, this is about ‘best practice’ to bring together skills, knowledge and values. Thanks again for your effort in responding - please keep it up.

Have your say like this dedicated professional e-mail  info@rehabworker.co.uk

Thank god someone has replied…
I recognise that you have attempted to take a different stance of late, but I am slightly concerned about the constant reference there seems to be to recent students and their competence and skills to be ‘function at the top level’ as a rehabilitation officer.
Whilst I am certainly of the belief that the course options available have room for improvement, I also believe that some blame for the few ‘less confident’ students I know of, should maybe lie also with the fact that these issues have been raised so publicly and strongly during the past few months. Had this situation not occurred then maybe the seed of doubt would not have been placed so freely.
I am personally about to go into my placement period and have confidence that I will be qualifying later this year. I feel that I will possess both the skills and aptitude to carry out my role in a professional manner, but also recognise that we, as rehabilitation workers, can never stop learning.
I do believe that there will always be those that ‘struggle’ within any course, and it is likely that this is reflected on any rehab course, but as to whether ‘it is more fundamental than that’, I have to disagree. Surely it is time to start encouraging precious new rehab workers rather than place doubt in whether they will ever be as good as others because of the course they picked, or the year they qualified?
Thank you for your response. Firstly, we agree with much of what you say and we only ‘print’ what is sent to us. It is true, many RW’s feel the training is not quite what they would like however, the only stance rehabworker.co.uk takes is that the training of RW’s in the UK is due for review. This does not necessarily mean that everything needs replacing and we end up throwing out the baby with the bath water. At rehabworker.co.uk we believe it’s time for a debate on the whole issue of training. While we wait for that, may we wish you good luck with the remainder of your studies and placement – we look forward to more of your comments in the future.
*** You can vote on this subject using the Your Vote link and/or have your say on the Discussion Board ***

A rookie…
A big hello. I have just discovered your website and would like to know if you do monthly newsletters?
I am in total agreement with you about training. My background is in Occupational Therapy until I had a sudden sight loss and life lead me to work as a Rehabilitation worker as it is loosely named. It was evident very early on that there was very little evidence based material around even in the well known magazines that the Rehabilitation Workers seem to rave on about.
A professional body is badly needed and required to take the profession forward and help to get the recognition for the specialised and hard work that so many Rehabilitation workers deserve. This will take a long time and much hard work but the effort surely must be worth it for future Rehabilitation workers and Visually Impaired people alike. So come on all you Rehabilitation Workers, don’t be shy!!!!!
A warm welcome – thank you for your interest in the site. Well…the PB subject is well documented on this site – add some more of your thoughts on the discussion board. We have considered a ‘newsletter’ – we sort of offer this already but we are always willing to look at new formats. It would require all of you to contribute, so as the man says Don’t be shy!

Passing thoughts…
I too am surprised at what I read about lack of comments re the ROVI conferences.
Personally I found them to be a very useful tool, not only because of the info one can pick up from attending, but also the opportunity to compare notes, compare service provision and pass good practices on to our own places of work, and an opportunity to network and stand back from the front line to give us chance to reflect on things. 
It would be such a shame if these conferences were to fizzle out.  I attended the last one held in Doncaster last year.  The attendance numbers were down on the previous one held in Bristol, but I think it is vital that we support this and begin to formulate a proper professional body that can give weight to our opinions, discussions and grievances.
By its nature, our work is often on the sideline of the main action in Social Services partly due to budget priorities and the perception of the impact of Vision impairment compared to physical disability and / or illnesses.  This is why we really need to be linked to a recognised profession, perhaps even re-examine the option of working and linking more closely with the medical side of the vision impairment services and perhaps becoming part of the professional body that supports the ophthalmologists, orthoptists etc. 
This subject keeps on simmering. There’s a lot of you out there who haven’t voiced an opinion – why not?

Dead men walking?...I feel the lack of 'cohesion' and points raised before about training, the expansion of an unqualified workforce, the apparent reluctance of the major charities to address the 'Rehabilitation' issue and the impact of government legislation is leading to the gradual erosion of the RW as we know it. If present trends continue, I believe Social Services will cease to recruit RW's, opting instead for 'support workers' and using other agencies and/or charity staff to meet the more complex needs on an ad hoc basis. Not only would this represent financial savings but it would also give an increased amount of flexibility in the service provided. This is a model that we have seen and it does appear to be growing. Part of the problem for all employers is the shortage of appropriately qualified staff. The services still need providing so employers will look at other ways to solve the problem.