Vision Collaborative Scotland, formerly the Scottish Vision Services Steering Group, has re-launched with a new name, a renewed purpose, and an ambitious vision. Now known as Vision Collaborative Scotland, the group of third sector partners is committed to transforming the future of vision impairment services across the country.
Recognising the complex challenges faced by people with vision impairment across Scotland, such as limited access to support and a shortage of trained rehabilitation professionals, the group aims to bring together organisations from across the sector to amplify the voices of people living with vision impairment, identify shared priorities, and co-create sustainable solutions. Alongside Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, our members include Guide Dogs, Visibility Scotland, RNIB Scotland, the Rehabilitation Workers Professional Network (RWPN), the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland, Thomas Pocklington Trust, and now Visionary – the national network for local sight loss charities.
Susan Shippey, Chair of Vision Collaborative Scotland and new Head of Strategic Partnerships at Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans says that the relaunch marks an exciting and important milestone for the vision impairment sector in Scotland.
Susan explains: “We believe the key to meaningful progress lies in both collaboration and listening. As the new Chair of Vision Collaborative Scotland and newly appointed Head of Strategic Partnerships at Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, I feel both proud and deeply responsible to help guide the direction of our sector at this critical moment. People with vision impairment in Scotland face serious and often complex challenges. Support services are hard to access, and there aren’t enough trained rehabilitation professionals. No single organisation can solve these issues on its own.
“One of our first major steps is the landscape review, which will give us a detailed understanding of adult vision impairment services across the country by showing what support exists, where it is provided, who delivers it and how it is resourced. The review, A Clearer Picture: Mapping Adult Vision Impairment Support in Scotland, will for the first time provide a clear, evidence-based overview of community support in Scotland. The work will be led by Birch Tree Associates, who will be contacting all Health and Social Care Partnerships and vision impairment charities this autumn.
“Workforce sustainability is another critical priority. There is an urgent need to train and retain professionals in vision rehabilitation. That is why we are working with the University of Strathclyde to develop a new training programme for rehabilitation workers. The course will include a one-year postgraduate certificate and a two-year postgraduate diploma, creating accessible routes into the profession. Thanks to support from the RS Macdonald Charitable Trust, part funded sponsorships will be available to help people already working in the Scottish visual impairment sector access the course.”
Shippey adds: “The relaunch of Vision Collaborative Scotland is about more than just a new name. It is a renewed commitment to genuine partnership, shared learning and collective action. At the heart of our work is the belief that people with lived visual impairment experience must be central to every decision we make. Policy and services cannot be designed in isolation or behind closed doors. Those who use them know better than anyone what works and what does not. Their insight must shape how support is designed, delivered and improved.”
For more information in Vision Collaborative Scotland, please visit visioncollaborativescotland.org.uk