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Closing date: Sunday 30 April 2023
Location: North London & Hertfordshire - Home Location with travel across the regions
Hours: 37 hours per week
Salary: £33,500 per annum
Contract: Permanent, Full Time
Interview date: week commencing Tuesday 9 May 2023

Are you interested in working for an organisation making a real difference to the lives of young blind and partially sighted people?
Here at the Royal Society for Blind Children we believe that every blind young person should have the chance to live life without limits. Our values of Trust, Energy, Ambition, and Motivation underpin everything we do, and by giving young people the essential skills to take control of their life, they can unleash their true potential.

We are seeking a full time Family Practitioner who will support families with vision impaired children and young people to develop improved wellbeing, resilience, and coping strategies. This post will cover North London and Herts so the ability to visit families in both areas and being a car driver with access to your own vehicle will be an advantage.

The Family Practitioners work within a family first ethos and provide therapeutic input for the person with the visual impairment and their support network. This may be supporting a family around the time of a life- changing diagnosis or providing direct clinical input at various points in the person’s life. A key part of the role will also be to work with other professionals and services e.g. ECLOs, QTVI’s SENCOs, disability services, local authorities, and CAMHS to support provision that is already in place or could be accessed.

The work is varied and will allow you to draw on a wide range of therapeutic and engagement skills including assessment, formulation, intervention, liaison and evaluation.

You will have regular supervision with the Clinical Lead for the service and liaise with other professionals and maintain links with the networks in your area.

Experience of working therapeutically with families is required.

In return we offer a competitive range of benefits including a generous annual leave allowance of 27 days (rising to 28 days after 3 years’ service) + bank holidays, Employee Assistance Programme, Perkbox, flexible working opportunities, 3% contribution towards pension, and season ticket loan. We are a welcoming, diverse and inclusive workforce and are a Disability Confident Employer. We also hold the Investors in People Silver Award.

For further details on the role, please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification.
https://www.rsbc.org.uk/work-for-us/

Please apply by emailing your CV and a supporting statement which details how you meet the requirements of the role and person spec to recruitment@rsbc.org.uk

To apply you will need to have the right to work in the UK

The Society is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Therefore, all posts are subject to an Enhanced Disclosure check from the Disclosure and Barring Service and 2 satisfactory professional references. Registered Charity No.307892

Jobe Description

Primary Objective

To support families with vision impaired children and young people to develop improved wellbeing, resilience, and coping strategies.

Key tasks and main duties

Main areas of responsibility:

• To establish and maintain a case load of families with vision impaired children aged 0 to 25 who identify themselves as needing support
• To undertake family assessments to identify specific areas of need; to provide therapeutic support for families; to identify appropriate interventions that will promote children’s development and emotional wellbeing and make onward referrals as required
• To ensure that service delivery meets the high standard that RSBC sets, with pre agreed performance indicators and regular peer
• Be prepared for regular line management and clinical supervision meetings, ensuring you are taking responsibility for your development
• Maintain accurate records of work in a timely manner using a range of digital tools.

Specific activities:

• Maintain contact in line with the agreed individual needs of each family through home visits/telephone/email/video calls including evenings and weekends if necessary
• Assess the needs of child and family (relationships, coping strategies, parenting skills) and identify and agree with the child and family, the support to be provided
• Support family in establishing relationships and maintaining working relationships with
  • local organisations
  • schools and childcare settings
  • social services
  • medical services
  • education including QTVIs
  • advocacy services

This includes support for families through attendance at meetings with professionals e.g. school reviews, meetings with other agencies

• Organise and facilitate peer support groups and workshops, both in person and online as required
• Provide access to information from reputable sources on the causes and impact of sight loss, signposting to other services as appropriate
• Establish and build partnerships to ensure new referrals are continuous
• Keep accurate records of interactions on the RSBC database and the production of case studies within departmental timescales.

Adhere to data protection requirements of the role

• Collaborate with other Family Practitioners in the team to ensure consistency of approach to family support and for overall peer support
• Where appropriate make referrals to local statutory service teams (Sensory, Education VI teams, Social Care), or other charity sector partners
• Ensure equality and diversity principles are embedded in service delivery
• Promote and safeguard the welfare of all children and young people/vulnerable adults and families that have contact with the organisation.

This Job Description is not exhaustive and other duties not included above may arise from time to time. On the understanding that such duties are commensurate with the purpose of the job and have been identified as such by the post holder’s line manager and advised to the post holder, then such additional duties shall form part of the requirements of the post.

Person Specification

Educational or Professional Qualifications

• A qualification that demonstrates the ability to establish a therapeutic relationship with families and CYP such as;
  a. Degree in psychology, social science, education or health
  b. A qualification that provides eligibility for Professional registration / membership (e.g. BACP, UKCP, HCPC, BPS, AFT etc)

Skills, Experience and Knowledge – Essential

• Experience in working therapeutically with families directly
• Knowledge of child development, particularly Early Years – from experience or qualification
• Knowledge of family systems/systemic practice – from experience or qualification
• Evidence or knowledge in relevant professional areas (children and family support counselling, therapy, social work, nursing)
• Knowledge and practical experience of using non-directive therapeutic interventions with families
• Experience of providing effective interventions to support the development and wellbeing of children
• Proven ability to maintain accurate case files where outcomes are clearly defined
• Ability and commitment to assess need and implement evidenced based interventions in line with best practice
• Ability to communicate clearly and sensitively with families, children and young people
• Knowledge and/or the willingness to develop an understanding of vision impairment, its implications and impact
• A clear understanding of, and the ability to practise within, appropriate professional boundaries, whilst maintaining an appropriate level of empathy and support
• Good report writing and IT skills
• Excellent organisational skills and an understanding of good home working practice
• Ability to network effectively
• Experience of, and ability to develop through clinical supervision effectively.

Desirable

• Experience of working with children and young adults with disabilities across age range 0-25 minimum in teaching or therapeutic intervention role (not just managing a service).
• Good knowledge of other professional roles and expertise in the field of visual impairment.
• Good knowledge of the Framework for Statutory Assessment and understanding of the SEND Reforms and Code of Practice