Imke McClelland

Heading up the rehabilitation services within the organisation, I manage and co-ordinate a team of vision rehabilitation specialists to deliver services in a timely manner in accordance with our local authority contract. In addition I deliver Visual Impairment Awareness Training to external organisations and companies.

Tasks include:

• Devising new operational policies to promote best practice
• Undertaking regular staff appraisals and one to ones
• Managing a budget and establishing an equipment recycling service
• Offering additional support with complex cases
• Developing and managing the Eye Clinic Liaison Officer service within local hospitals, and creating a new community ECLO service
• Creation of a Visual Impairment awareness training course, which is adapted and delivered to a variety of external clients
• Mentoring a student through the rehabilitation for visual impairment apprenticeship

Alongside my part time role at Warwickshire Vision support I spend two days per week in a freelance role Delivering mobility programmes to new students receiving DSA across West & East Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Derbyshire.

Tasks involve:

Liaising with students to assess and plan required support.

Adapting teaching style based on individual additional needs.

Planning routes to ensure safe navigation for students.

Conducting orientation and mobility training sessions.

Collaborating with university staff to recommend adaptations for accessibility in learning environments.

Completing timesheets and reports to document activities.

Devising and delivering comprehensive, person led assessments both over the phone and face to face to a diverse community of people with visual impairment across the county of Warwickshire. This includes identifying goals, offering specialist advise, signposting, lesson planning and delivery. Regular collaboration with other related services such as social services, occupational therapy, low vision suppliers etc

This is a part-time, temporary role undertaken alongside caring for a family member.

Overseeing day-to-day management and budget responsibilities of the Member Support Hub. This included line managing a team of support workers and practitioners, engaging in organisational strategic planning and decision making and providing remote specialist, bespoke rehabilitation to members.

Regular chairing and participation in working groups to promote best practices within operational delivery and provide peer-to-peer support. Regular collaboration with practice development lead to improve service delivery and offering qualified mentorship to rehabilitation apprentices.

Creating and presenting impact and progress reports to the CEO and other operational leads.

Development of initiatives with external overseas partnerships to support those with sight loss in other countries.

Category Lead for equipment within the organisation, identifying trends, liaising with suppliers and analysing practice in order to ensure a sustainable and high quality service.

Working in partnership with community, grants and centre teams as well as external stakeholders to ensure the whole team was able to deliver the most appropriate and beneficial services to our beneficiaries at the right time.

Providing comprehensive assessments to members within their own homes and communities. Devising training objectives in the areas of orientation and mobility, independent living skills and communication as well as assessing for and recommending low vision aids. Undertaking training with members, ensuring objectives were met and documented using thorough case notes whilst complying with the charity's policies and guidelines. Also facilitation of guiding skills training both within the organisation and externally.

Similar job role to the community rehabilitation officer role but based in a training centre in Sheffield.

Included the facilitation of carer's sessions and plenary talks around eye conditions and the psychological impact of sight loss to various sizes and demographical groups.

Initially a work placement for the first year of the foundation degree. Offered a paid position six weeks after commencing the placement. The role included running vision support ‘drop-in' centres offering advice and demonstrating equipment to people with varying degrees of sight loss. Organisation and composition of programmes of events for these centres, liaising with relevant organisations and companies both within the sight loss sector and elsewhere to invite them to exhibit at the centres. Provision of advice, support and information at the hospital's low vision clinic, as well as taking referrals and signposting.

Responsible for the employment and management of reception and nursing staff, liaising with sales reps, ordering stock, general administration duties, managing patient accounts and ensuring excellent customer service and patient experience. This role changed to a part-time role after maternity leave as the clinical governance lead. This involved undertaking audits, organising and conducting staff meetings and training. Ensured care quality commission standards were met and that the practice always excelled in external inspections. Regularly attended safe guarding and basic life support courses

Co-ordinating a team of volunteers for the RNIB IT helpline in the Solihull area. This involved receiving client requests and contacting appropriate volunteers to assist with the query within a given time frame, and reporting back to RNIB once the query had been dealt with. Occasionally accompanied volunteers on home visits and assisted with IT support in the areas of Microsoft and Apple.

This was a voluntary role alongside a main paid position at the dental practice.

Working at trade exhibitions around the UK and sometimes in Europe, responsible for setting up and leasing data recording equipment to exhibitors during the length of the event. This involved taking payments, demonstrating equipment and generating reports to an ever changing demographic of customers. Sometimes this involved working within a team of people and sometimes alone depending on the size of the show. Good customer service was a fundamental part of this role to ensure high sales and repeat custom was maintained.