you too can be a PIP / ESA assessor!

In my search for work, I have signed up for many email alerts.

Imagine my surprise to receive this one.

Yes, it certainly does seem to be for a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) assessor. You may find it as interesting as I did!

Posted here without comment...

(Excuse the screen grabs from my phone - full text included below)

Full advert text:

My client based in Derby is looking for a number of Disability Assessors to join their team.

Full training will be provided and hours of work will be during the day from Monday to Friday.

Starting salary is £34,000 with additional benefits including paid holidays, life insurance and company pension. 

Duties:
Undertake an assessment of an individual who is making a claim taking into account all of the information presented including any supporting evidence e.g. the claimants completed questionnaire and information from GPs etc

Carry out a comprehensive review and analysis to enable you to complete a robust, structured report which will then be presented.

This report will contain a detailed history of the claimant condition(s) including information gathered on the functional impact of their health condition or impairment on their daily living and mobility, their current medication and treatment

You will provide a full justification explaining how you came to these conclusions from the evidence gathered and define the probable timescales over which a health condition or impairment may affect the claimant.

Criteria:

• Qualified Nurse, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist or Paramedic
• 2 years post qualification experience
• Valid PIN

To apply for this position please email your CV via the link provided

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: £34,000.00 to £38,000.00 /year

Experience:

• Paramedic: 2 years
• Nursing: 2 years
• Physiotherapy: 2 years
• Occupational Therapy: 2 years

mind games

My mental game has been taking a bit of a battering over the last week or so, not helped by the stifling heat in the UK.

As Cole Cuchna would say, let's Dissect!

sing me to sleep

Obviously the heat isn't helping any of us with getting to sleep. The weirdest thing is, I have been dreaming that my alarm is going off. Yes, my dreams are that interesting.

It always happens about 30 minutes before my alarm is due to go off. But that doesn't stop me taking an age to realise what has happened.

One night this happened three times.

the drugs don't [seem to] work 

No complaints about Tysabri. But it seems that Fampyra / Fampridine has plateaued again. It doesn't seem to be doing anything to help at the moment so I'll probably need to have a fallow month.

Just in time for the summer holidays. Score.

never gonna do it without the FES on

In other walking news, the FES (Functional Electrical Stimulation) seems to be doing its job quite nicely. But it currently takes me around half an hour to get the damn thing on, however.

After drawing the correct position for the electrodes on my leg with so-called permanent markers (which ALWAYS washed off), I've been trying to do it by sight and touch. Way more complicated than it sounds.

I've got another appointment with the Gait Lab next month. Remind me to ask them to explain why I can't have a tattoo of the correct position.

wii Can Work It Out

I'm going swimming when I can but on days when I don't I've dug out our old Wii Fit. There is a great range of things to do on there.

I aim to do a bit of Yoga, some exercises and end by doing a few balance games (NOTE: I'm still the king of the Penguin Slide game).

well DUH...

I could without the not-so-passive commentary from the instructors, though.

oh get knotted..

you can't put your arms around a memory

Ah Facebook. Such an odd place. I quite like the Memories feature. Even though it's usually a memory of me posting some asinine political meme or musical blathering.

But I'll be honest. This bit of musical blather almost broke me.

Longtime visitors might recognise Annabel as my late friend who I wrote about here. Still much missed.

the blogger’s conundrum

What to write when there isn't much going on?

This time last July I had only just returned home from my parents' house, after a second relapse and second dose of steroids. I was just about to begin Cognitive Behavioural Therapy sessions as well as recommencing physiotherapy. Plus I'd just had my first PIP assessment.

Quite a lot has happened since then!

• CBT was fantastic. I never did put myself in for another round but I don't think there’ll come a time when I won't need to keep working on my mental game. Still many improvements to be made! Mostly to do with the way I handle (or don't) stressful situations. 
• I started on Tysabri, one of the more intensive MS treatment options. I started writing this during my 11th infusion. I've also had bloods taken for a further JC Virus test. As I mentioned previously, because I recently tested slightly positive I'll always be considered positive now, even though the score can go up and down. 
• And because of this I've got another MRI coming up soon. My last one showed no physical signs of Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Which is something. I'd hate to die because of something which I can't even say...
• I'm still keeping on with my physio - the improvements are incremental but enough to keep me going. 
• We've been to Philadelphia! Still seems utterly surreal. 
• We defeated the evil PIP monster. Not to sound overly triumphalist but I am proud - of my family and, yes, me too. That we didn't give up. 

I'm still trying to find work that I can do - or want to do. That's the big challenge now!

This isn't work but it's nice to have been nominated, regardless - if you should feel so inclined, please click on the image below to endorse this little blog.