New Types of Worker - Angel Eyes
Angel Eyes
Context/Background
Angel Eyes is a project from Gateshead Sight Service (see A sub regional approach to integrated low vision services)
Angel Eyes was initially set up as a social enterprise aiming to employ visually impaired people or encourage visually impaired people to volunteer. As a part of the work of the social enterprise it was decided to focus on how visually impaired people could be supported through the various stages of the personalisation process.
A forum of people with visual impairments, based at Sight Service, identified that many social workers and assessing officers, especially working within the personalisation agenda, had little or no knowledge of the needs of someone with a visual impairment, and therefore the clients urgently need support.
The Aims and Objectives of the Activity
To develop the team so it could:
- support people with visual impairments through the individual budgets processes of self assessment, assessment, resource allocation and brokerage
- provide a peer advocacy service.
The Plan
We planned to identify the workforce development implications of developing 2 new roles for people taking up positions in the team of volunteers. These roles would be for 1 part time coordinator, and 15 volunteer peer advocates.
We planned to identify key messages as we went along, and to produce a report, including case studies, which would be useful for service users, commissioners, trainers etc. We hope to have this completed by the end of January 2010.
What Happened so far
So far, the coordinator is in post and volunteers have been recruited.
Induction has been completed.
Individual training needs have been identified and a personal development log has been initiated for each volunteer.
Links have been made with groups in Sunderland and South Tyneside, with whom we are sharing the learning as we progress.
A leaflet has been made so that council and service users know the service is available.
Contact details -
Tel - 0191 478 5959
E-mail - contactus@sightservice.co.uk
Date - 19.6.09
