Placement documentation

Section A – Placement Outline
1. Placement details
Job title:
Occupational Therapy Consultant

Partner Organisation:
ECSAT (Equality-based Community Support And Training)

Head Office:
7a Simon Abeywickrama Avenue, Mount Lavinia
Sri Lanka

Tel: +94 (0)11 2735649
E-mail: ecsatlanka@gmail.com
Website: www.ecsatlanka.org
Operational base:
75 Elliot Road
Galle
Sri Lanka
Country:
Sri Lanka

2. Likely volunteer role / responsibilities
NB This section can be updated and changed as progress is made on an ongoing basis
Rationale for placement and how it fits into the partnership between VSO and the partner organisation
The Occupational Therapist is seen as a vital link between our organisations capacity now and where we want to be in two years. For this reason the volunteer will not be focused on service delivery, but will be engaged in training and advising on programme development in the light of Occupational Therapy. This volunteer is needed because in Sri Lanka there are only around 35 local OTs, the vast majority of whom work for the Government and do not have the time to advise NGOs. There are also questions about the quality of their training, and so a foreign-qualified trainer/advisor would ensure that ECSAT develops in a way that is up-to-date and relevant in the modern world.
VSO has not developed a formal partnership with ECSAT at present. However, ECSAT’s approach and way of working are in line with VSO’s approach and disability programme area objectives. VSO will explore the possibility of a more long-term partnership with ECSAT in the future. This placement could be a possible entry point for such a partnership.
Likely volunteer role
The volunteer would take on the role of training staff to be able to work in a way that takes into account the essentials of Occupational Therapy, and advising the organisation on how to develop its programme and systems with regard to services to people with disabilities in the most professional and appropriate way. This work would have to be done within the context of the volunteer using their own knowledge and experience, plus learning about the situation on the ground from field staff, and also liaising with other doctors and professionals in the field in Galle.
Likely tasks and duties of the volunteer
- Training of ECSAT staff in essential OT knowledge, how to work with people with disabilities, contemporary disability issues, how to train and support carers and parents of people with disabilities, identifying and referring people with disabilities
- Design and implement a simple system of providing support that includes identification of need, methods of support, referral, follow up and record keeping.
- Liaising with government and NGO health service providers on technical aspects of rehabilitation to make sure our models are compatible, and where possible contributing to training initiatives.
- Provide ongoing on-the-job training and support to key ECSAT staff.
- Maintain a dialogue about the development of the disability programme with the Director including any issues about the way the programme is developing.

3. Volunteer profile
Educational qualifications
Essential:
Graduate in the field of Occupational Therapy.

Professional work experience
Essential:
At least one year of work experience, experience of working with people with disabilities
Desirable:
Experience of working in a foreign country, experience of training others, experience of working with children with disabilities

Other skills / competencies
Essential:
Computer literacy
Desirable:
Knowledge of Community-based Rehabilitation
Essential pre-departure training requirements
If possible, a course on working with communities in a participatory manner if volunteer has no experience of this, and training methodology
Personal qualities
Self motivation, ability to manage own time, adaptability, cultural sensitivity, openness to change, patience with systems that are often slow or illogical, and diplomacy in all situations.

4. Placement specific information
Professional support available at placement (within or outside the employing organisation)
Doctors from Karapitiya hospital and the Ministry of Health in Galle work very closely with ECSAT through the Galle Disability Network that ECSAT was instrumental in establishing. Closest local Occupational Therapist is in Matara, while we also have close links with a foreign Occupational Therapist who has been in Sri Lanka for many years and would be willing to support where necessary.
Resources / equipment available (including funding, finances, facilities and equipment)
We are at the start of a UNICEF-funded project and so during that project the Occupational Therapist would be instrumental in recommending equipment and items that need to be bought. This project does not include Occupational Therapist wages, but it is likely we will be teaming up with Save the Children too, at which time it is possible that there would be more funds available to use on the work. We currently have a Community Support Centre and vehicle for transporting clients, toys and items for stimulation, a playground, water play items, and a strong client outreach staff partnership who visit people with disabilities in their homes.
Terms and conditions of work (hours, salary, leave, etc.)
The OT would be expected to work 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekdays with the weekends free. She would also have all national holidays off and an additional annual leave of 21 days. We would be able to pay the OT a salary of LKR 10,000 per month in line with our other project managers.
The current VSO volunteer monthly allowance is LKR 20,000 (approximately USD 200).
Language requirement
The most common language spoken in Galle is Sinhala. An intense four-week language training programme is provided through VSO’s in-country training upon arrival.
No motorbike training required

Volunteer accommodation
Accommodation is usually in a self-contained annexe or house or one storey of a house with a separate entrance. This tends to comprise a bed/sitting room, kitchen and bathroom. There will be electricity and running water but a telephone is unlikely. Volunteers are not expected to share accommodation. They are encouraged to build good relations with their landlords/family and to be considerate but are generally able to live privately.