History
Vocational rehabilitation for disabled people is well established in the United Kingdom. A wealth of experience and skills exists among those who practise vocational rehabilitation but there has been no national, agreed standard of practice or training for practice. While strong local networks exist in most parts of the UK, no one knows how many people work in vocational rehabilitation or where they all are. People using the services may receive good training and support but have no standards to evaluate their rehabilitation services. Rehabilitation services exist in large numbers across the UK but there has been no national forum to consult, exchange ideas or share information.

To address these issues a professional body has now been established. The Vocational Rehabilitation Association exists to:

Advance education for the public benefit in matters related to vocational rehabilitation: in particular, but not exclusively, the promotion and development of the professional skills, knowledge and resources of people working in the field of vocational rehabilitation through national and regional structures for communication, liaison and training.

The Association is committed to fulfilling aims that will ensure the long overdue recognition of the skills and knowledge of existing practitioners, set standards for future practitioners and provide a competence framework for users of vocational rehabilitation at a time when services are developing rapidly from a variety of voluntary, statutory and private sources.

The initiative to form this Association emerged from a group discussion at the 1993 BT Conference, "The Way Forward". This was picked up by the participants of the Rehab Forum meetings run by the Rehabilitation Resource Centre of City University, London. Initial sponsorship was provided by UNUM Ltd., a long-term disability insurance company. The first AGM was held in 1994. We are now registered as a limited company and have charitable status.

Our Aims

• To promote the professional knowledge, attitudes and skills of people practising in the field of vocational rehabilitation.

• To provide a vehicle for the exchange of ideas and experience across the UK.

• To contribute towards the development of quality standards and training in Vocational Rehabilitation practice.

• To promote equal opportunities within the field of vocational rehabilitation.

• To increase awareness and recognition of vocational rehabilitation.