RNIB – supporting blind and partially sighted people
Policy position statement
Rehabilitation Services
Policy Position Statement (England Only)
October 2015
What we think
Blind and partially sighted people should have timely access to
rehabilitation services at the point that they require support.
Rehabilitation services help people adapt to their sight loss by
providing support and training in skills for independent living and
mobility. These services are delivered by staff that have the skills,
knowledge, and experience to understand the unique challenges
faced by people with a visual impairment including qualified
rehabilitation officers.
Rehabilitation services for blind and partially sighted people must
be commissioned in line with the Care Act 2014.
The services must be fit for purpose and meet the assessed needs
of an individual.
Rehabilitation support can include:
 Teaching mobility and confidence skills to negotiate the
outside safely, and to get to key identified destinations. This
can include how to use a white cane safely and correctly.
 Teaching indoor mobility skills, for example how to get
upstairs, and minimise the risk of falling or tripping.
 Identifying and providing the right walking aids and
equipment to support with mobility and daily living.
 Teaching skills and helping to build confidence to complete
tasks at home safely. For example, safe kitchen skills, and
how to clean and maintain the home.
 Identifying and providing appropriate aids and minor
adaptations to help achieve assessed outcomes.
 Indentifying appropriate emotional support needs.
Registered charity number 226227
The appropriate intervention should ensure blind and partially
sighted people have choice, control, enjoyment and independence
in daily living and to make the most of their sight.
What’s happening now
The Care Act and associated statutory regulations and guidance,
has cemented the importance of investing in preventative services.
Statutory guidance recognises the role of rehabilitation services for
blind and partially sighted people.
As of January 2015, most local authorities in England were providing
some sort of rehabilitation for blind and partially sighted people.
However, there has been a significant erosion of services over the past
five years. In some local authority areas people are waiting up to 6
months before receiving help.
What should happen
All local authorities should provide structured rehabilitation support;
which is built on the following elements. Statutory regulations and
guidance is referenced, where appropriate.
Rehabilitation as a preventative service
Rehabilitation support is recognised as a preventative service (paragraph
2.9). Therefore eligibility criteria must not be applied as a
prerequisite for receiving rehabilitation support (chapter 6) and
(paragraph 2.3).
Based on assessed need
Rehabilitation support should be provided based on assessed needs and an
agreed outcome. It should therefore be made available for longer than six
weeks, when required (paragraph 2.61).
Local authorities should not charge for rehabilitation support,
which lasts for longer than six weeks (see chapter 6) and
(paragraph 2.3).
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Assessments
Blind and partially sighted people should receive a timely and
quality assessment.
 By timely we mean that people should receive an
appropriate assessment within two weeks of coming into
contact with the local authority.
 By quality, we mean that local authorities should ensure that
staff carrying out any initial assessments are trained and
competent to assess the needs of visually impaired people.
The assessment process starts at the moment that a person has
contact with the local authority. Given the particular and specific
needs of blind and partially sighted people, a detailed assessment
should be carried out to identify whether rehabilitation and/or a full
care assessment is needed. This assessment criterion should be
informed and developed by qualified rehabilitation and sensory
loss specialist social workers.
Certificate of visual impairment (CVI)
When a CVI is issued by a clinician, a copy should be sent to the
local authority. The local authority must make contact with the
person within two weeks of receiving a certificate of visual
impairment (CVI) to discuss registration and arrange an
assessment of rehabilitation needs (22.16 and 22.17).
Withdrawing services
When considering the reconfiguration or reduction of rehabilitation
service the local authority should consider the impact that any
change will have on delivering preventative services (2.62).
RNIB recommend that local authorities fully consult with users of
rehabilitation services, professionals and providers of local
services.
Rehabilitation available when needed
Rehabilitation support should be available at any point that a
person requires the intervention.
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Provision of aids and adaptations
The Care Act and Section 2 of ‘Preventing Needs for Care and
Support Regulations’, legislates that local authorities must provide
aids and adaptations up to the cost of £1000 free of charge, for the
purpose of assisting with nursing at home or aiding daily living.
Aids and minor adaptations which could support a person with a
visual impairment include a white cane (and the replacement of
tips), a talking microwave and other kitchen equipment, magnifying
equipment, lighting or screen reading software for a computer. This
is not an exhaustive list and other items which meet needs must be
considered.
Local authorities should not apply an arbitrary policy, that restricts
which equipment can and cannot be provided, or that limits items
to a cost less than £1000 per item. The provision of equipment
should be based on assessed need.
What RNIB is doing
We are mapping the provision of rehabilitation services for blind
and partially sighted people in England. We will continue to work
with local authorities, where appropriate, to ensure the delivery of
high quality rehabilitation services.
We have produced a guide on the Care Act for local authorities
http://www.rnib.org.uk/socialcarecampaign
Contact
For further information please contact the RNIB policy and
campaigns team
[email protected] 020 7391 2123.
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