Assistant Neurological Vision Rehabilitation Specialist Blog

Alister Lees, formally a part of our Patient Support team covering NHS GGC, shared his thoughts since taking up his role as an Assistant Neurological Vision Rehabilitation Specialist.

Life as an Assistant Neurological Vision Specialist

As I write this blog I’m surrounded by books, academic papers, hand-outs, print-outs and scribbles… Ah, the life of a newly appointed Assistant Neurological Vision Rehabilitation Specialist! There is so much to read and learn, but there is plenty of support from my fellow staff, which is exactly what you need when you want to get into supporting those living with neurological sight loss.

About the role

My role is to deliver Visibility Scotland’s unique and innovative neuro-programme, which includes a self-management programme and one-to-one rehabilitation for NHS GGC patients experiencing stroke-related visual change.

The first few weeks

I’ve hit the ground running, offering support to those living with visual impairment caused by issues with the brain, not with the eyes. I’m shadowing our CEO, Laura Walker, who is mentoring me and sharing her knowledge of neurological visual rehabilitation.

Having worked as part of the NHS GGC Patient Support team here at Visibility Scotland, I am equipped with the person-centred skills to focus on a tailored and individual support methodology. It also reminds me that the most important part of this job is still to listen. It’s at the heart of Visibility Scotland’s entire support ethos and one of the organisation’s key values; mine, too.

What I’m currently focusing on

Currently, I’m trying to do as much networking as possible, getting our service known to the professionals that I look forward to working with, learning, reading, shadowing, and even helping out with training.

At the start of March, I had the privilege to join Laura and Christine Hazleton (Senior Research Fellow at GCU) in delivering Neuro VI training to over 30 Vision Rehab Specialists in Belfast. What could have felt like “diving in at the deep end” was, in fact, a great experience, and I relished the opportunity to speak about the importance of early intervention in regard to vision support.

I think that’s what excites me most about the role: the opportunity to support people as part of a multi-disciplinary setting, getting people the right support in the right way, at the right time.