31 July 2010 Good Evening

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A Sub regional approach to integrated low vision services

Context/Background

Gateshead Sight Service was the key partner together with the Royal National Institute for the Blind, Gateshead Council and Gateshead PCT, during the Gateshead Integrated Low Vision Service national eye care pilot.

Some aspects of the Gateshead pilot were:

• the Sight Service provided many services that had previously been delivered from a regional Eye Hospital
• four times as many local people received a low vision assessment than had previously
• these service users could access a face to face meeting with a rehabilitation officer for the blind
• integrated working between Health and Social Care and Voluntary Sector services took place
• many services, such as skills training, counselling and signposting were also readily available to them from the same venue.

The Aims and Objectives of the Activity

To share the learning from the Gateshead pilot by undertaking an 18 month initiative, driving through a sub-regional approach to developing integrated low vision services

To investigate the workforce development implications of other areas adopting this approach, and

The Plan

1. To hold information/learning exchange events with service users to identify gaps in services currently available, and to consider alternative ways of providing services.
2. To hold a sub-regional event to promote the benefits of an Integrated Low Vision Service and engage stakeholders for the next stage.
3. To run Action Learning Sets.
4. To publish a final report and interactive case studies to tackle the challenges to workforce redesign.

What Happened (so far)

Over the past few months Sight Service has, through its network of support groups, service user groups and other activities, been working with service users to identify gaps and shortfalls in services.

It has also been working with the Royal National Institute for the Blind, which has sent out Good Practice in Sight Guides to all councils. Service users are being encouraged to assess the services they receive against the 'standards' identified in the Guide, and this information will be fed back to the sub regional councils through the existing planning process, and any other means available.

A regional event has been held to bring together commissioners and planners, aiming to raise their awareness of the needs of visually impaired people. In particular, integrated service delivery and various options available were looked into.

What was Achieved

We are succeeding in centralising the role of the voluntary sector, which is now taking far more of a central stage in a 'preventative approach' for people who are visually impaired.

We are re-working the roles of the rehabilitation officer for the blind (social care) and optometrist (health).

Information gained from the work to date has been fed back to the local authorities and primary care trusts.

Following on from the commissioners and planners event, there will be follow ups at a more local level to set up action learning sets to consider workforce design (new types of working)

What Helped and What Hindered

We have been able to benefit from other work being undertaken nationally by the Royal National Institute for the Blind together with another national work lead by the UK Vision Strategy (a joint initiative involving all voluntary sector agencies working with visually impaired people.)

The benefits of joint working are very clear.

However, it was not easy to get involvement from local commissioners, and it was clear the visual impairment was not high on their list of priorities.

What We Found Out

That, in fact, although visual impairment was not a priority, the aims and objectives and outcomes very clearly met the priorities of both the PCT and the local authorities.

Evaluation

Work to date has been very positive.

A report and case studies are to follow and will be available on this site.

What New or Changed Skills do People Need to Work in This Way?

A changing role for rehabilitation officers for the blind, and for optometrists (who need to upgrade their Low Vision skills)

The Future

We hope that this model of working will become mainstream, as its many benefits are recognised.

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