The Institute for Apprenticeships approved the Rehabilitation Worker standard ST0 431 in 2017. The single biggest boost to regenerating the workforce for England is now in place. Here is the link to the standard.
Currently there are two providers for the on-training component of the Standard.
Birmingham City University The on-training element of the apprenticeship mirrors the course content of the traditional Foundation Degree programme.
Vision Rehabilitation Training.
Essex Cares has allowed us to share the JD for their Vision Rehabilitation apprentices. Sensory Rehabilitation Worker Apprentice JD.docx
Making the case for funding vision rehabilitation
Vision rehabilitation services are crucial to ensuring blind and partially sighted people remain as independent as possible. Now, new independent research commissioned by RNIB, with support from the Department of Health, has identified that the cost of providing vision rehabilitation services is dwarfed by the financial benefits.
Independent research by the Office for Public Management (OPM) and based on a case study of services provided by Sight for Surrey has shown that the financial benefits of good vision rehabilitation services significantly outweigh the actual costs of delivering this service. In fact in the case study site, over £3.4 million of health and social care costs were avoided, reduced or deferred annually based on a service which cost an estimated £900,000 a year to deliver. Here is a resume Economic value of vision rehabilitation - Briefing_1.pdf For the full report in detail:
Demonstrating the value and impact of vision rehabilitation - cost avoidance
Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) Statement on Vision Rehabilitation
End Point Assessor Organisation (EPAO)
The EPAO for this Standard is Occupational Awards Ltd.
External Quality Assurance (EQA)
RWPN joined the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education's (IfATE) employer directory in January 2022. The employer directory supports Ofqual with EQA functions. Our role with IfATE will allow us to monitor how the standard and the mechanisms for assessing the standard are meeting the needs of employers and the profession.