Employer: Guide Dogs
Job Title: Trainee Habilitation Specialist
Job Location: Reading, South East region
Salary: £24,500 per annum (effective 01/04). The salary once qualified is £34,805.
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
Job Description:
A Habilitation Specialist supports children and young people, aged from birth up to 25 years, to become as independent as possible in their day-to-day lives.
This involves teaching them how to move around safely and confidently, as well as independent living skills to use at home, school or in the wider world. This ranges from supporting physical development in their early years to navigating streets safely, preparing food, handling money, using technology and managing their self-care routines as they grow older.
As a Trainee Habilitation Specialist, you will be joining one of our well-established Habilitation teams who support children and young people with a vision impairment in a wide range of settings. This will provide you with the opportunity to observe, practice and start to develop your own understanding, knowledge, and skills. In addition to the practical elements, you will also be studying for professionally recognised qualifications at Birmingham City University.
This is an office‑based (Reading), home‑Start role working 9am–5pm, Monday to Friday. Daily travel across Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire is required, so a full UK driving licence or Access to Work support for travel is essential.
Traineeship and Role Requirements Qualifications
For the complete list of essential and desirable criteria necessary to be successful in this role please see the website link below.
Information Session Guide Dogs Trainee Habilitation Specialist Recruitment Information Session – Monday 23rd March at 6.30pm. We’d love for you to join us for an information session all about the role of a Trainee Habilitation Specialist vacancies. It will provide an opportunity for you to find out more about the role and the training pathway to qualification. Register for the session by following this link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/d8773279-5b07-4077-a5f0-93647b0f1539@cb3bcfb5-16c9-4fd2-851a-82287749c564
Assessment dates Should you be shortlisted you will be invited to an in-person Assessment Day which will take place during week commencing the 9th June 2026.
Start date If you are successful, the role is scheduled to start on 16th August 2026.
Application Deadline: 12 April 2026
Application Details: Please apply via the website link below
Website Link: Trainee Habilitation Specialist in Reading – Guide Dogs for the Blind Association