Job summary
Sheffield teaching hospitals is hoping to recruit an energetic Contact Lens Optician (Dispensing Optician) to help run the NHS contact lens service at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital.
The successful candidate will be trained (if required) to provide specialist expertise in the management of patients who require clinically necessary contact lenses. The role will also support and help to develop the administrative functions of the department. There will be an occasional requirement to support Sheffield Vision Centre.
The NHS Optometry department has several roles within the eye department. Its primary function was always to provide a professional, yet cost effective, "clinically necessary" contact lens service, and this is still one of its core functions. The Optometry department has grown over the years and is still growing to provide wider ranging support for the NHS ophthalmology department in several of its subspecialty areas.
Sheffield Vision Centre (SVC) is a private Opticians and refractive surgery clinic based within the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. It provides a high class service to private fee paying patients and supports the NHS eye department with its state of the art facilities. Crucially it provides a source of income to the Directorate which is used to support NHS services.
Main duties of the job
- To provide (under the management of the principal Optometrist and with the support of Optometrist colleagues) an experienced and professionally knowledgeable lead within the NHS contact lens clinic.
- To support as both a Dispensing Optician and a Contact Lens Optician, all services provided by the Optometry department which will include the Trusts private fee paying service known as Sheffield Vision Centre.
- To run contact lens clinics and take ownership of patient care, including assessment, fitting and follow up care of patients requiring clinically necessary specialist contact lenses.
- To oversee and help develop the administrative systems that support this clinic, that is the appointment booking process, the procurement process and accounting procedures.
- To provide professional support for administrative staff as required, this will include being a first point of contact for the resolution of primarily contact lens, but additionally, spectacle related queries and problems.
About us
You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all of its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its staff. This includes commitments to professional development but also many policies to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.
When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.
When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- 5 GCSEs at grade C or above (or equivalent) including Maths and English.
- FBDO - Fully Qualified Dispensing Optician.
- FBDOCL - Qualified and registered with the general Optical council as a contact lens Optician. That is, able to assess, fit and supply contact lenses.
- Current Registration with the General Optical Council
Desirable
- Any additional qualifications such as FBDO Hons CL
Experience
Essential
- Experience in a professional retail optical environment.
- Experience of managing customer complaints and none tolerances.
- Some experience with Microsoft Word and Excel.
- Sufficient experience to assess, fit and supply both soft and hard contact lenses.
Desirable
- Extensive experience of working in a retail optical environment.
- Glazing Skills.
- Proficient with the use of Microsoft word and Excel
- Above average understanding of information and communication technologies (ICT) in general.
- Experience of managerial duties within a retail Optical environment.
- Extensive contact lens fitting experience.
- Specialist contact lens fitting experience.
Further Training
Desirable
- Any additional skills and training that will contribute to this post
Special Skills/Aptitudes
Essential
- Ability to work on own initiative and to maintain a desire to continually improve the provision of all services provided.
- Ability to work methodically and accurately at all times.
- Ability to work as a team member and to nurture the development of good relations within that team.
- To have a desire to continually improve one's own product and professional knowledge and to have the confidence and enthusiasm to pass this knowledge onto to other members of the team.
- Effective organisational & communicational skills
- Ability to communicate with colleagues at all levels and to communicate effectively with the general public who may at times have grounds for complaint as is normal in any retail environment.
- Excellent standard to confidentiality.
Other Factors
Essential
- Professional approach to all working practices.
- Flexible approach to working practices
- Positive attitude to meet the varying needs of the services provided
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- 5 GCSEs at grade C or above (or equivalent) including Maths and English.
- FBDO - Fully Qualified Dispensing Optician.
- FBDOCL - Qualified and registered with the general Optical council as a contact lens Optician. That is, able to assess, fit and supply contact lenses.
- Current Registration with the General Optical Council
Desirable
- Any additional qualifications such as FBDO Hons CL
Experience
Essential
- Experience in a professional retail optical environment.
- Experience of managing customer complaints and none tolerances.
- Some experience with Microsoft Word and Excel.
- Sufficient experience to assess, fit and supply both soft and hard contact lenses.
Desirable
- Extensive experience of working in a retail optical environment.
- Glazing Skills.
- Proficient with the use of Microsoft word and Excel
- Above average understanding of information and communication technologies (ICT) in general.
- Experience of managerial duties within a retail Optical environment.
- Extensive contact lens fitting experience.
- Specialist contact lens fitting experience.
Further Training
Desirable
- Any additional skills and training that will contribute to this post
Special Skills/Aptitudes
Essential
- Ability to work on own initiative and to maintain a desire to continually improve the provision of all services provided.
- Ability to work methodically and accurately at all times.
- Ability to work as a team member and to nurture the development of good relations within that team.
- To have a desire to continually improve one's own product and professional knowledge and to have the confidence and enthusiasm to pass this knowledge onto to other members of the team.
- Effective organisational & communicational skills
- Ability to communicate with colleagues at all levels and to communicate effectively with the general public who may at times have grounds for complaint as is normal in any retail environment.
- Excellent standard to confidentiality.
Other Factors
Essential
- Professional approach to all working practices.
- Flexible approach to working practices
- Positive attitude to meet the varying needs of the services provided
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
