Occupational Therapist/ CRW- Children's Team

Vision Ireland NCBI; Cork; On-site; EUR 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Vision Ireland is seeking a Community Resource Worker to support children with vision loss and their families in Cork City. The role emphasizes assessment, intervention, and coordinating services across internal teams and external agencies.

You will liaise with referrers, manage caseloads, and contribute to national initiatives. A third-level qualification in Occupational Therapy, Special Education or Low Vision Therapy is essential for success in this role.

Qualifications

• Third level qualification in Occupational Therapy, Special Education or Low Vision Therapy essential.
• Experience of working with children with a disability is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• To liaise with referrers and manage intake of referrals of children according to Vision Ireland's agreed protocols.
• To provide in depth functional impact assessment at baseline and ongoing, with all children deemed appropriate for referral to Vision Ireland services.
• To independently manage a caseload of children using a tiered approach to intervention based on assessed needs.
• To advise and/or deliver intervention programmes to children with vision loss, ranging from universal, targeted and/or individualised solutions and strategies including development of independent living skills, maximizing residual vision and safe travel.
• To provide emotional support and refer on for further help where necessary.
• Support coordination of group activities and inclusion of volunteers; may require stays away from home.
• Provide information regarding sight loss and its impact to support families in maximizing their child's potential.
• Liaise with government and statutory bodies to promote needs and rights of people with vision impairment.
• Work in partnership with families and other professionals to ensure optimal outcomes.
• Develop knowledge base and contribute to team learning.
• Contribute to policy and standards; maintain records and comply with policies.

Skills

Empathy

Communication

Caseload management

Record keeping

Family-centred practice

Education

Occupational Therapy

Special Education

Low Vision Therapy

Tools

Assistive technology

Job description

Vision Ireland Childrens Services Community Resource Worker

Location: Cork City Vacancy Type: Full-time, Permanent Contract Working hours: 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday Closing date: 3rd September 2026 Vision Ireland Services is an organisation which provides support and services nationwide to people experiencing sight loss. We also provide a range of services to public and private organisations to make sure that their services are accessible to people who are blind and vision impaired The successful applicant will also contribute to and support national initiatives. Third level qualification in Occupational Therapy, Special Education or Low Vision Therapy essential. Experience of working with children with a disability an advantage. The successful person will be expected to travel in the course of carrying out daily duties. Vision Ireland is an equal opportunities employer

Purpose of the post

To provide a quality and professional service to children with vision loss and their families to moderate the impact of vision loss and ensure children are supported to achieve their potential.

Key Relationships

Internal Children with vision loss and their families Colleagues within the Vision Ireland childrens team Colleagues within Life Cycle Teams & departments Other Vision Ireland colleagues Vision Ireland Volunteers External Referral agencies Visiting Teacher Service Schools & colleges Early Intervention & School Age teams Other statutory and voluntary bodies

Responsibilities

• To liaise with referrers and manage intake of referrals of children according to Vision Irelands agreed protocols.
• To provide in depth functional impact assessment at baseline and ongoing, with all children deemed appropriate for referral to Vision Ireland services.
• To independently manage a caseload of children using a tiered approach to intervention based on assessed needs.
• To advise and/or deliver intervention programmes to children with vision loss, ranging from universal, targeted and/or individualised solutions and strategies which include the following areas: Development/enhancement of independent living skills Maximising residual vision Development of compensatory skills Communication skills & assistive technology Safe and independent travel skills Environmental adaptation.
• To provide an appropriate level of emotional support and demonstrate empathy to families and children and refer on for further support where necessary.
• Support the co-ordination of group activities where required, e.g., group learning, peer support etc., and facilitate the inclusion of volunteers in such activities. (These activities may necessitate occasional stays away from home.)
• Provide relevant and appropriate information regarding all aspects of sight loss and how it impacts function to support families in maximising their childs potential.
• Liaise with government, statutory and voluntary bodies in the promotion of the needs and rights of people with vision impairment and their families.
• Work in partnership with families and other professionals in all stages of service provision to ensure optimal outcomes for children with vision loss.
• To develop and maintain your own knowledge base and skills and to contribute to the team learning.
• Take an active role in the development of Vision Ireland services for children working both independently and collaboratively within a skill mix team.
• To contribute to policy and assist in the setting & monitoring of standards as well as evaluation of practice & service.
• Maintain case and work records to the standards required within the Organisation and comply with all Vision Ireland policies in relation to electronic record keeping, file maintenance, information sharing, confidentiality, health and safety etc.
• To be aware of and adhere to Vision Ireland and statutory Child Protection measures.
• General Be cognisant of and conform to all the Vision Ireland policies & procedures.
• Above responsibilities reflect the current service requirements and may be subject to amendment to meet the changing needs of the service.

Selection Criteria

• Relevant professional qualification (Essential)
• Experience working with children with disabilities (Essential)
• Assessment and individualised intervention (Desirable)
• Knowledge of vision loss and supporting children's independence (Essential)
• Caseload management, organisation and record keeping (Essential)
• Communication, empathy and family-centred practice (Essential)
• Multi-disciplinary/stakeholder working (Essential)
• Safeguarding, professional standards and commitment to continuous development (Essential)
• Right to work and live in Ireland (Essential)
• Experience supporting children with sight loss (Desirable)
• Ability to travel to other service and community locations when required

Values

Vision Ireland core values give effect to our vision and permeate our mission and inform all of our actions to ensure that we achieve the highest standards in everything we do.

Inclusive Approach

Vision Ireland listens to people who use our services, staff members, volunteers and all other stakeholders and collaborates with them in the design and delivery of our services and all related activities.

Choice

Vision Ireland acknowledges and respects the right of people to make choices about their lives. We will do everything in our power to support people who are blind and vision impaired in exercising this right.

Openness and Accountability

Vision Ireland carries out its work in an open manner and is accountable to all stakeholders for our actions and decisions.

Pursuit of Excellence

Vision Ireland is committed to attaining excellence in everything we do through our policies, procedures and staff.

Accessibility, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Vision Ireland is committed to creating an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated, and everyone is afforded equality of opportunity. It is our policy to recognise people as a key resource required for successful attainment of the organisations mission. In support of this, it is important to remember that differences between people, whether devised from their different backgrounds and personalities, cultures and/or their different abilities, can be a source of strength to the organisation. We welcome, encourage, and embrace people of all backgrounds, to include those with disabilities, accessibility plays a huge part of ensuring that the needs of all our employees and service users, can access our systems and services, with ease and respect, in a supportive environment, enabling all to effectively engage our services and achieve our goals whether they are an applicant for employment or an employee requiring special facilitation.

Further information: The successful candidate will be garda vetted. Informal queries to Skills: Functional vision assessment Assistive technology and accessibility Independent living skills training TPBN1_IJ