Eye Care Liaison Officer

**Job Title**: ECLO (Eye Care Liaison Officer) Job Level: M3 Directorate: Services Department: Eye Care Support Service Location: Broomfield Hospital Chelmsford (main location) and Orsett Hospital (with an expectation to sometimes work from other Essex locations dependant on clinical need). Reports to: ECLO Service Manager Purpose of Job: This is an exciting opportunity to join the new RNIB Eye Care Support Service at Broomfield Hospital. In this role, you will be a vital member of the team working directly with people diagnosed with conditions causing sight loss, their family members and carers. You will provide critical emotional support, information and guidance face to face within hospital settings, in community locations and via telephone or digital platforms as required.

Each day you will support people affected by sight loss to identify their needs, access information and make informed choices which enable and empower them to maintain their independence. You will be critical in developing referral pathways and partnerships with Statutory and Third Sector partners, NHS Eye Care Services and community-based partners to develop referral routes, relationships and partnership working to support the needs of people living with a sight condition, their family members and carers attending eye clinics in Chelmsford and local area. Impact: Line Management Responsibility No Line management responsibility Financial Responsibility: No budget responsibility. Decision Making Responsibility: Required to make judgements and to solve problems within discipline and within defined area.

**Main Accountabilities**: 1. Provide advice, information, practical and emotional support, to people of all ages affected by sight loss. 2. Provide a person-centred screening of needs by telephone, in person and via digital platforms, ensuring those affected by sight loss feel more confident about where and how to get support, advice and guidance, signposting and referring patients to a wide range of services and organisations, as identified in the screening of needs.

3. Develop positive working relationships to establish and maintain referral routes with a range of health, statutory and third sector organisations. 4. Provide basic visual awareness training to eye clinic staff and others as required.

5. To provide information and guidance on the certification and registration process for people with sight loss. To support eye clinic staff with the processing of the Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI) 6. Maintain an up-to-date and comprehensive information resource relating to services available for people with sight loss.

7. Support patient's, family and carers with advice on falls prevention and refer to available services where appropriate. 8. When needed, act as an advocate for patients to navigate the complexities of the sight loss pathway to ensure they receive appropriate services.

9. Collate and maintain accurate patient records and input quality data using multiple IT systems. Undertaking high-quality case recording in line with the highest standards and best practice principles and ensuring compliance with all GDPR and information governance policies and procedures. 10.

Engage patients, their family members or carers to gather feedback on the ECLO service. Positively contribute to RNIB evaluation, monitoring and continuous improvement of the service. 11. Attend clinical audit meetings, steering groups, forums and other events to promote the benefits of the service.

12. Positively contribute to a range of local and national ECLO team meetings, networks, training and information events. Attend mandatory ECLO seminars and take responsibility for own CPD. 13.

Ensure that specific safeguarding risks, GDPR and regulatory requirements are understood, applied and managed in line with relevant NHS and RNIB policies. 14. Support volunteers within the ECLO service and wider RNIB activities, where appropriate General: 1. Undertake any other duties commensurate with the post.

2. Adhere to all RNIB policies and procedures. 3. In addition to the safeguarding induction information, you will receive when you join RNIB, you are required to complete mandatory safeguarding training.

General The following points are common to all job descriptions: 1. Undertake any other duties commensurate with the post. 2. Adhere to all RNIB policies and procedures.

3. In addition to the safeguarding induction information, you will receive when you join RNIB you are required to complete safeguarding training, this must be completed within four weeks of joining RNIB. 4. Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults To complete training on Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults and be able to understand and implement the training accordance with Safeguarding policies and procedures.

Taking responsibility for reporting any safeguarding concerns to the Safeguarding Team and Line Manager.