Location: The successful candidate will be based in Vision Ireland's Athlone office. Hybrid option available for 2 days per week following successful completion of probation period.
Contract type: Full time, Permanent
Working hours: 37 hours per week, 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday.
Closing date: 14th August 2025
Vision Ireland Services is an organisation which provides support and services nationwide to people experiencing sight loss. We also provide a range of services to public and private organisations to ensure their services are accessible to people who are blind and vision impaired
About the role
The CRW will work with children who are blind and vision impaired within the midlands/CHO8 area and surrounding wider areas.
The successful candidate will, along with their colleagues on the Children and Young Persons Team, work collectively to support and contribute to national initiatives and caseloads, therefore you will be required to travel while carrying out your daily duties.
Third level qualification in Occupational Therapy or other allied health profession, Special Education or Low Vision is essential. Experience of working with children with a disability an advantage.
Purpose of the post
To provide a quality and professional service to children with vision loss and their families to moderate the impact of vision loss and ensure children are supported to achieve their potential.
Key Relationships:
Internal
Children with vision loss and their families
Colleagues within the Vision Ireland children's team
Colleagues within Life Cycle Teams & departments
Other Vision Ireland colleagues
Vision Ireland Volunteer
External
Referral agencies
Visiting Teacher Service
Schools & colleges
Early Intervention & School Age teams
Other statutory and voluntary bodies
Responsibilities
To liaise with referrers and manage intake of referrals of children according to Vision Ireland's agreed protocols.
To provide in depth functional impact assessment at baseline and ongoing, with all children deemed appropriate for referral to Vision Ireland services
To independently manage a caseload of children using a tiered approach to intervention based on assessed needs.
To advise and/or deliver intervention programmes to children with vision loss, ranging from universal, targeted and/or individualised solutions and strategies which include the following areas:
- Development/enhancement of independent living skills
- Maximising residual vision
- Development of compensatory skills
- Communication skills & assistive technology
- Safe and independent travel skills
- Environmental adaptation
To provide an appropriate level of emotional support and demonstrate empathy to families and children and refer on for further support where necessary.
Support the co-ordination of group activities where required, e.g., group learning, peer support etc., and facilitate the inclusion of volunteers in such activities. (These activities may necessitate occasional stays away from home.)
Provide relevant and appropriate information regarding all aspects of sight loss and how it impacts function to support families in maximising their child's potential.
Liaise with government, statutory and voluntary bodies in the promotion of the needs and rights of people with vision impairment and their families.
Work in partnership with families and other professionals in all stages of service provision to ensure optimal outcomes for children with vision loss.
To develop and maintain your own knowledge base and skills and to contribute to the team learning
Take an active role in the development of Vision Ireland services for children working both independently and collaboratively within a skill mix team
To contribute to policy and assist in the setting & monitoring of standards as well as evaluation of practice & service.
Maintain case and work records to the standards required within the Organisation and comply with all Vision Ireland policies in relation to electronic record keeping, file maintenance, information sharing, confidentiality, health and safety etc.
To be aware of and adhere to Vision Ireland and statutory Child Protection measures
General
Be cognisant of and conform to all the Vision Ireland policies & procedures
Above responsibilities reflect the current service requirements and may be subject to amendment to meet the changing needs of the service.
Selection Criteria
Essential:
Third level qualification in Occupational Therapy or other allied health profession, Special Education or Low Vision.
Experience working with children with a disability
Knowledge and skills in vision habilitation
Knowledge and experience of working with people with disability or in education
Strong report writing & record-keeping skills
Willingness to travel to other Vision Ireland locations and/or community settings as required
Excellent communication skills (professional standard of English required)
Desirable
Experience working within the health & social care sector, particular relating to vision impairment
Experience working with children experiencing sight loss
Knowledge of, or experience in special education
Garda Vetting required:
Garda Vetting will be conducted for the recommended candidate as part of the selection process for the post in accordance with the VI Garda Vetting policy.
Vision Ireland is an equal opportunities employer.
Apply with both a cover letter and CV.
Applicants must be eligible to work full time within EEA.
Informal enquiries by email only to [email protected].
Our Values
Vision Ireland's core values give effect to our vision and permeate our mission and inform all of our actions to ensure that we achieve the highest standards in everything we do.
Inclusive Approach
Vision Ireland listens to people who use our services, staff members, volunteers and all other stakeholders and collaborates with them in the design and delivery of our services and all related activities.
Choice
Vision Ireland acknowledges and respects the right of people to make choices about their lives. We will do everything in our power to support people who are blind and vision impaired in exercising this right.
Openness and Accountability
Vision Ireland carries out its work in an open manner and is accountable to all stakeholders for our actions and decisions.
Pursuit of Excellence
Vision Ireland is committed to attaining excellence in everything we do through our policies, procedures and staff.
Accessibility, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Vision Ireland is committed to creating an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated, and everyone is afforded equality of opportunity. It is our policy to recognise people as a key resource required for successful attainment of the organisation's mission. In support of this, it is important to remember that differences between people, whether devised from their different backgrounds and personalities, cultures and/or their different abilities, can be a source of strength to the organisation.
We welcome, encourage, and embrace people of all backgrounds including those with disabilities. Accessibility plays a huge part of ensuring that all our employees and service users, can access our systems and services, with ease and respect, in a supportive environment, enabling all to effectively engage our services and achieve our goals whether they are an applicant for employment or an employee requiring special facilitation.
