What type of training do our staff receive?
Welcome to our first blog! Today, we’ll be looking at what qualifications members of our team require to ensure your eyecare is of the highest of our priority.
The first person you would meet when you walk into our practice is an Optical Advisor. They are the people who help our patients along their eyecare journey. This position is an entry level role which gives people an opportunity to make a footing in the optical world. Many of the qualified staff you see around the practice will have started here. You will need a keen eye for customer service, providing positive energy and also excellent communication and interpersonal skills to ensure appointments are booked correctly, maintain professionalism throughout and assist the team in the sales of spectacles. The list can go on, but what qualifications do you need for this role you might ask. A standard level of education with GCSE’s ranging from 9-3/A*-D would be required. A lot of the training is done in house, but some practices can send you onto a Optical Assistant Course or Apprenticeship to learn more about customer service, dispensing and ocular anatomy. There is constant training throughout your optical career, as guidelines can change and new regulations can be released. Your manager may conduct training on a weekly or monthly basis, ensuring your skills are always up to date.
Next, we will look at the role of the Optometrist. You would be the person responsible for the testing of a patient’s vision. You will be able to use certain equipment and measuring tools, diagnose and give advice, prescribe, fit and supply spectacles. In addition, you will be able to fit contact lenses or refer patients on to specialists or ophthalmologists. To become and Optometrist, you will need to obtain a degree in Optometry, which should also be approved by the General Optical Council (GOC). This is normally a 3 year full time university course, and you will also have a pre-registration placement at the end of your course which usually takes up to a year. An Optometrist needs to have the knowledge of medicine, health conditions and refraction. This is something you would learn at university. Also, once working in practice you would need to possess excellent customer service skills, attention to detail and verbal communication skills. Think of this job role similar to that of a GP. The Optometrist has a duty of care and is responsible for providing the best possible eyecare solution to the patient.
Our final role we will look at is the Dispensing Optician. This person will assist the Optometrist in the interpretation of prescriptions and supply and fit the spectacles to a patient. To become a Dispensing Optician you will need to have worked in an optical setting for around 5 years or have 2 A-Levels to study the Ophthalmic Dispensing degree. This is normally done as a part time course for 3 years, as you’ll be working in practice throughout to gain the required experience to qualify. Once you’re qualified and registered with the GOC, you will be able to advise on the fit and supply spectacles. You will have expert knowledge on the different types of lenses available to the patient to provide them with the best possible eyecare. In addition, you’ll be able to dispense low vision aids, safety spectacles, sports eyewear, and frames and lenses for certain uses such as occupational, driving, etc. A Dispensing Optician can also provide clinical advice and guidance on common eyecare conditions such as dry eye or blepharitis. You would normally find a Dispensing Optician on the shopfloor dealing with customers choosing spectacles or fitting them. They will need to have high quality communication and problem solving skills As they tend to be the front-of-house clinical professional, they are more accessible than an Optometrist, so you will be able to approach them with any queries and a Dispensing Optician can give you a thorough answer.
Finally, any Optometrist or Dispensing Optician will have to undertake Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and gain a number of points to stay qualified during a 3 year cycle. Not only does this keep you qualified, but it continually brings your knowledge up to date so you know what’s going on in the world of optics. And that’s it! A brief (but in depth) overview of what our staff here at Hawley Optical do on a day-to-day basis and the training required to stay in the know.
“Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough, so they don’t want to.” Richard Branson, 2014
