TY - JOUR
T1 - Examining the impact of a Volunteer-Delivered counselling service for people experiencing sight loss: a mixed methods evaluation
AU - Gray, Debra
AU - Manning, Rachel
N1 - Funding Information:
The current study seeks to address these questions through an evaluation of a volunteer-delivered counselling and emotional support service (CESS) for people adjusting to serious sight loss. The evaluation was part of a three-year project run by a national charity (‘The Charity’), which secured funding from the Department of Health, Health and Volunteering Fund to design and deliver free counselling to those affected by sight loss, where volunteers provided the core counselling service. This paper reports the findings from a mixed-methods evaluation of this three-year volunteer-delivered CESS project.
PY - 2022/9/21
Y1 - 2022/9/21
N2 - Purpose: This article describes a mixed methods evaluation of a volunteer-delivered counselling service for people experiencing sight loss, to identify the outcomes, benefits, and challenges of this model of service provision within rehabilitation services. Materials and method: A mixed methods approach was used, with both outcome and process evaluation components. Outcomes for 817 service users were assessed pre-and-post service use, using standardised (CORE10) measures. Semi-structured interviews and surveys with 22 volunteer counsellors and 4 senior counsellors were conducted, to understand their experiences of the format, content, and delivery of the service. Results: Clients presenting for counselling experienced significant levels of self-reported depression, anxiety, and feelings of bereavement. Analysis showed a significant positive change in clinical outcomes for service users who received volunteer-delivered counselling services. Volunteer counsellors saw the unique and specialist nature of the service as critical for its impact on clients, and reported benefits of volunteering for this service, including developing their skills with this client group. Conclusions: Volunteer-delivered counselling can be effective for people affected by sight loss, providing accessible and much-needed psychological support, which is relevant given current pressures on health and social care services. There are key lessons for future models of this type.Implications for Rehabilitation Vision loss can have a profound negative impact on people’s emotional and mental well-being, with many advocating for counselling and emotional support (CESS) to be included in low vision rehabilitative services. Despite this, access to psychological support is often overlooked in low vision rehabilitation, and access to CESS services is often poor. This study evaluated a volunteer-delivered CESS service, demonstrating that this model of service delivery is effective for this group. There are clear advantages to a volunteer-delivered model for those with sight loss, in terms of widening access, supporting integrated rehabilitative care, and reducing health inequalities.
AB - Purpose: This article describes a mixed methods evaluation of a volunteer-delivered counselling service for people experiencing sight loss, to identify the outcomes, benefits, and challenges of this model of service provision within rehabilitation services. Materials and method: A mixed methods approach was used, with both outcome and process evaluation components. Outcomes for 817 service users were assessed pre-and-post service use, using standardised (CORE10) measures. Semi-structured interviews and surveys with 22 volunteer counsellors and 4 senior counsellors were conducted, to understand their experiences of the format, content, and delivery of the service. Results: Clients presenting for counselling experienced significant levels of self-reported depression, anxiety, and feelings of bereavement. Analysis showed a significant positive change in clinical outcomes for service users who received volunteer-delivered counselling services. Volunteer counsellors saw the unique and specialist nature of the service as critical for its impact on clients, and reported benefits of volunteering for this service, including developing their skills with this client group. Conclusions: Volunteer-delivered counselling can be effective for people affected by sight loss, providing accessible and much-needed psychological support, which is relevant given current pressures on health and social care services. There are key lessons for future models of this type.Implications for Rehabilitation Vision loss can have a profound negative impact on people’s emotional and mental well-being, with many advocating for counselling and emotional support (CESS) to be included in low vision rehabilitative services. Despite this, access to psychological support is often overlooked in low vision rehabilitation, and access to CESS services is often poor. This study evaluated a volunteer-delivered CESS service, demonstrating that this model of service delivery is effective for this group. There are clear advantages to a volunteer-delivered model for those with sight loss, in terms of widening access, supporting integrated rehabilitative care, and reducing health inequalities.
KW - Mental health
KW - counselling
KW - emotional support
KW - vision disorders
KW - visual impairment
KW - volunteering
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85139138602&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/226763c6-e4d6-338d-9c9e-4fde2cc159cf/
U2 - 10.1080/09638288.2022.2125591
DO - 10.1080/09638288.2022.2125591
M3 - Article
JO - Disability and Rehabilitation
JF - Disability and Rehabilitation
SN - 0963-8288
ER -