Access Assistant / Driver

At the Guide Dogs our Access Assistants help our employees to live the life they choose by working as a driver and support worker to enable the person supported to carry out their duties efficiently and effectively. An Access Assistant does not fulfil the role for the individual but enables the person supported to carry out their role by supporting tasks to enable them to be successful in their role.

This role will include driving daily, working closely with the Habilitation Specialist. You will ideally be located within a 30-minute commute of NG9, use of vehicles will be discussed in more detail at interview. You’ll be working 22 hours per week and the majority of hours are likely to be spread across 3 days between 9am to 5pm. However, there may be some flexibility around how hours can be split, which we are happy to discuss at interview.

The Access Assistant will be confident when driving to new and unfamiliar locations and will possess strong written skills, including the ability to take accurate notes and keep clear records. They should be comfortable using basic IT tools such as email, word processing, and data entry programs. The role requires someone who can follow verbal instructions and work independently once tasks have been explained. Reliability and good time management are important, as is the physical ability to lift and carry items when needed.

Previous experience working with individuals who have physical or sensory processing access needs would be beneficial, as would familiarity with accessibility software or adapting digital and printed content. Experience supporting professional or training events may also be useful.

The successful candidate will approach their work with a calm, friendly, and respectful manner, maintaining a high level of discretion and confidentiality. They should be adaptable, open to varied tasks, and comfortable working one-to-one or in unfamiliar environments. A commitment to inclusion and accessibility, and working in a values-led way, is central to this role.

No two people with sight loss are the same, and none of our people are either. So, we are proud to offer a range of person-centred benefits that can support each member of staff in ways that really mean something to them – and show them how much they mean to us. We offer a flexible benefits package, discounts and cashback scheme, a generous holiday allowance and matched contributory pension scheme to care for our people.  

Further details on the full role are attached below. When you are ready to apply, submit an online application form via this page.

If you would like to have an informal conversation about the role before applying, or require any accessibility support to apply, our friendly recruitment team is ready and waiting to help. Call them on 0118 3540345 or drop an email to [email protected].

As part of your application ensure you provide evidence and examples of how your skills & experience meet the criteria as set out in the attached job description. You will also be asked to complete a few job-specific questions as part of this application process, so please be prepared to write your answers to these questions.

If you want to know more about the teams who work at Guide Dogs, you can find it on our Careers Page

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Guide Dogs welcomes applications from all sections of the community and actively encourages diversity to maximise achievements, creativity and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability or nationality. 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are proud, whenever possible, to offer an interview to all candidates that meet our selection criteria, and who indicate they wish their application to be considered under our Disability Confident interview commitment. For more details, visit our careers site.

If you are successful you will need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK via our digital ID checking supplier; in addition, we cannot offer visa sponsorship at this time.

Every day is different at Guide Dogs. And no person with sight loss is the same. We work side by side, on our sites and in the community, in schools and on our streets, supporting people to live the life they choose. Our staff therefore also work in different ways to support the delivery of our life changing work.

Safeguarding

Guide Dogs is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and adults at risk of harm with whom we work. We expect all our employees and volunteers to fully share this commitment.

At Guide Dogs, we believe in fair and equitable hiring practices. A criminal record will not automatically disqualify an applicant from consideration for a position. Each case will be evaluated individually, taking into account the nature of the offense, its relevance to the role, and the time that has passed since the incident. We encourage all candidates to disclose relevant information, and we assure you that it will be handled confidentially and fairly.

Guide Dogs follow Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding the vulnerable people we work with. As part of this, we require a full work history with any gaps accounted for & a minimum of 2 professional referee details fully covering the past 5 years. If you are applying for a disclosure role, please note that you will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check and sign up to the DBS update service.

For high volumes of applications, we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than advertised.