Empower people with visual impairments to lead independent and fulfilling lives.
This occupation is found in the statutory, voluntary and private care sector including NHS trusts and local authorities. This could include adult social services sensory teams and early intervention teams. An employee in this occupation will work both indoors and outdoors in numerous environments including individuals' homes, places of work, care homes, shops and travelling on public transport to support individuals with vision impairment and deafblindness.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to support, train and coach vision impaired and deafblind individuals to lead independent and fulfilling lives. They will plan, implement, evaluate and review rehabilitative services for vision impaired and deafblind individuals to maximise and maintain their independence, safety, dignity and choice. They will conduct assessments and provide person-centred training and coaching for vision impaired and deafblind individuals to support their mobility, orientation, communication skills and independent living. They will understand the psychological aspects of sight loss and provide emotional support as part of the rehabilitation process to the individual, their family and carers to help them to positively adjust to living with vision impairment and deafblindness. They will be responsive to an individual's unique and complex situation and formulate and deliver a bespoke plan of action in a variety of settings. A vision rehabilitation specialist will support, design and influence the development of services, acting as an advocate to promote accessibility and equality for vision impaired and deafblind individuals. They will also provide information, guidance and support and make referrals to support agencies where needed. They support adults who have acquired or have congenital vision impairment to live independently. They help them access support and adapt new skills with mobility, life skills in the home, including personal care, communication skills, use of technology, housing, finance and social activities which are important to the individual. They support them to develop and maintain the independence and confidence they need to progress through life in the home, at work, socially or in higher or further education. This includes delivering training, support and coaching to develop the life skills needed to live independently, communicate effectively, travel safely and to build and maintain relationships.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with individuals, families and groups to provide recommendations in very specific and unique situations. They will work with multi-disciplinary teams, employers, welfare and employment services, care providers and the voluntary sector. They will also interact with primary and secondary care, public health services and ophthalmology, optometry practices and GP practices. Individuals with vision impairment and deafblindness may have a number of complex and additional needs that require bespoke interventions to provide a person-centred approach. An employee in this occupation will be subject to supervision and support, however on a daily basis they will work independently and act autonomously, making decisions based on their own assessment and professional judgement.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for conducting specialist assessments such as sensory, risk and safety adaptations and functional vision assessments to determine the most appropriate intervention to meet the individual's needs. They will design, plan, execute and evaluate a programme of interventions exercising autonomy with their judgement. They will be responsible for delivering training, providing specialist advice and making referrals to other organisations. They will also conduct environmental audits to support accessible and inclusive environments. An employee in this occupation would be responsible for keeping their knowledge and skills up to date which would include advances in specialist equipment, technologies and medical advances in the context of vision impairment and deafblindness.
This is a summary of the key things that you – the apprentice and your employer need to know about your end-point assessment (EPA). You and your employer should read the EPA plan for the full details. It has information on assessment method requirements, roles and responsibilities, and re-sits and re-takes.
An EPA is an assessment at the end of your apprenticeship. It will assess you against the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) in the occupational standard. Your training will cover the KSBs. The EPA is your opportunity to show an independent assessor how well you can carry out the occupation you have been trained for.
Your employer will choose an end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) to deliver the EPA. Your employer and training provider should tell you what to expect and how to prepare for your EPA.
The length of the training for this apprenticeship is typically 24 months. The EPA period is typically 3 months.
The overall grades available for this apprenticeship are:
When you pass the EPA, you will be awarded your apprenticeship certificate.
The EPA gateway is when the EPAO checks and confirms that you have met any requirements required before you start the EPA. You will only enter the gateway when your employer says you are ready.
The gateway requirements for your EPA are:
Practical assessment with questions
You will be observed by an independent assessor completing a set of tasks. It will last 1.25 hours. They will ask you at least 5 questions.
Professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence
You will have a professional discussion with an independent assessor. It will last 90 minutes. They will ask you at least 11 questions. The questions will be about certain aspects of your occupation. You need to compile a portfolio of evidence before the EPA gateway. You can use it to help answer the questions.
Long written test
You will complete a test requiring long written answers. It will be closed book, meaning you will not have access to any books or reference materials.
The test will have 6 long response written questions. You will have 90 minutes to complete it.
You should speak to your employer if you have a query that relates to your job.
You should speak to your training provider if you have any questions about your training or EPA before it starts.
You should receive detailed information and support from the EPAO before the EPA starts. You should speak to them if you have any questions about your EPA once it has started.Reasonable adjustments
If you have a disability, a physical or mental health condition or other special considerations, you may be able to have a reasonable adjustment that takes this into account. You should speak to your employer, training provider and EPAO and ask them what support you can get. The EPAO will decide if an adjustment is appropriate.
This apprenticeship aligns with Rehabilitation Workers Professional Network (Rehabilitation Specialists) for Level 5
Please contact the professional body for more details.
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