NHS Trust Achieves RNIB Employment Accessibility Award

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has become the first NHS Trust in the northeast of England to achieve the Royal National Institute of Blind People’s (RNIB) Visibly Better Employer Standard (VBE).

The Trust, which runs a major new eye hospital in Sunderland, will display a plaque for the award which demonstrates that it offers an inclusive and accessible workplace for blind and partially sighted people.

The new Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital is set to be a centre of excellence for ophthalmology in the northeast and will contain facilities including a 24/7 Emergency Department, a Cataract Treatment Centre, a Surgical Day Unit, a Treatment and Investigation Unit, operating theatres and a dedicated room for eye care support services staffed by two Eye Care Liaison Officers (ECLOs) provided by RNIB.

The VBE Standard is a quality framework based on six key criteria, focused on the recruitment, retention and career progression of blind and partially sighted staff. RNIB also monitors the number of blind and partially sighted staff appointed and retained by VBE organisations.

The six criteria for organisations to achieve the Visibly Better Employer Standard are:

·       Job vacancies need to be advertised on websites and publications that are accessible and user friendly to people with sight loss.

·       The content of recruitment packs and the processes for applying for a job needs to be accessible to people with sight loss.

·       Staff involved in the recruitment and selection of new recruits need to have a basic understanding of sight loss and how it affects people in the workplace.

·       The interview process must be accessible to people with sight loss.

·       Employees with sight loss must have the necessary adjustments in place to allow them to do their job.

·       Employees with sight loss will have the same opportunities as other employees to participate in career development programmes and to gain opportunities for promotion.

 “This was never just about bricks and mortar,” said Cathie Burke, RNIB’s Practice Lead for Eye Care Support Services.

“The Trust wanted the new Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital to improve services in every way for people with sight loss, from the accessibility of the building and the training of staff to the way blind and partially sighted people are supported as employees.

“Achieving Visibly Better Employer is part of that bigger commitment, and shows the Trust wants this new hospital to have a lasting impact beyond simply moving into a new building.”

The Trust also runs Sunderland Royal Hospital, South Tyneside General Hospital in Sunderland and community health centres including at Durham, Gateshead, Houghton-le-Spring, South Tyneside and Washington. All of these are now covered by the VBE Standard.

“Creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, supported and able to reach their full potential is a key priority for the Trust,” said Ben Moody, Divisional Human Resources Manager at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.

“Working closely with RNIB has helped us strengthen our recruitment practices, workplace support and career development opportunities for blind and partially sighted colleagues”.

To find out more visit https://www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/equality-and-employment/become-a-visibly-better-employer/work-with-a-visibly-better-employer/