• Home
• Vacancies
• Family Support Officer (Hospital Outreach)

• Family Support tags

Closing date: Sunday 25 June 2023
Location: Sheffield
Hours: 35 hours per week
Salary: £31,000 per year + excellent benefits
Contract: 12 month fixed term
Interview date: To be confirmed

Guide Dogs is a National Charity that supports blind and visually impaired adults, children, and young people, allowing them to live the life they choose.

We have offices across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland which are made up of our Reginal Centres, Community Centres, our National Breeding Centre in Leamington Spa, and our Central Office in Reading.

Guide Dogs Children, Young People and Families Services are pleased to announce an exciting opportunity to join the Family Support Team.

As the Family Support Officer, you will be based in the Paediatric Ophthalmology Department at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.  As an integral part of the team, you will be working closely with the Ophthalmologists and other clinical staff within the department.  The role will be supported by an Honorary Contract, and therefore you will need to adhere to Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and Guide Dogs values, policies, and procedures.

As part of the team, you will be required to provide a person-centred service, providing emotional support, information, advice, and guidance.

Overview of the role:

• To support parents of children and young people in an Eye Clinic setting.
• To provide emotional support to parents and carers.
• To provide information, advice, and guidance on a variety of topics such as health, education, welfare, and social care.
• Complete and process all necessary paperwork for registration.
• Referral to Guide Dog Children and Young Peoples Services
• Referral to statutory and voluntary agencies.
• Liaising with external and external professionals.

Required skills and abilities:

• Experience of working with people with sight loss and disabilities.
• Empathetic approach
• Experience of identifying needs and signpost to other services.
• Experience of working with internal and external professionals in relation to health, education, welfare, and social care.
• The ability to implement a joined-up approach to service provision.
• Knowledge of eye care health.
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills.
• Work on own initiative as well as the ability to work as part of the team.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Confident user of multiple IT systems.

Guide Dogs Children, Young People and Families Services operate within regions and this vacancy falls within the North-East.  This role is based in Sheffield Children’s Hospital, 4 days per week supporting the Paediatric Ophthalmology Clinics from 9am to 5pm with the opportunity to work from home 1 day per week.

An enhanced Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) certificate will be required for this role.