Advertise Now

Apprentice Optical Assistant

Apprentice
Login to Mark Your Interest

Mark Your Interest

KINGS HILL OPTICIANS LTD

Apprentice Optical Assistant

Type: Apprentice
Location: West Malling (ME19 4AU)

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you’ll do at work

Role purpose:

As an Optical Assistant, you will provide exceptional patient care, ensuring that patients feel comfortable and engaged throughout their optical experience. You will support patients in choosing the perfect optical solution for their needs and leave them feeling confident that they have found the right practice for their ongoing eye care needs.

Key responsibilities:

  • Assist with the selection and fitting of optical appliances such as glasses and contact lenses.
  • Take accurate measurements of patients’ eyes and facial features.
  • Work as part of the wider practice team supporting colleagues with administration duties including greeting patients, answering telephone calls, booking appointments, and taking payments to name a few examples.
  • Creating great rapport with customers and understanding their needs throughout their journey; making recommendations suited to the customer’s vision and lifestyle needs.
  • Using the Optometrist’s recommendations to build perfect product solutions for the customer, including accessories, contact lenses and additional pairs.
  • Completing regular tasks in the practice as ordering, verification, contact lens teaches, glasses collections, glasses adjustments and relevant administration.
  • Operating optical equipment when pre-screening patients.
  • Delivering operational processes and tasks relating to the role such as date checking, banking etc.
  • Follow all legal and professional requirements and clinical SOP’s to the required standards.
  • To effectively contribute towards achieving the regional key performance indicators as directed by the area manager known as practice buddy, through the delivery of exceptional customer services and best practice professional standards.
  • To accurately maintain patient records and audits in accordance with data protection, GOC, and company regulations.
  • Contribute to key forums, including sharing learnings, experiences and highlighting and risks.
  • Support the Dispensing Optician and Contact Lens Optician in their duties as required.

Where you’ll work

2 Liberty Square
Kings Hill
West Malling
ME19 4AU

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

TRAINING 2000 LIMITED

Your training course

Optical assistant 2022 (level 3)


Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you’ll learn


Course contents

  • Deliver customer service which aligns with company values, beliefs and purposes
  • Identify when and who to refer to when supervision is required such as ocular emergencies, screening, dispensing and collections of restricted categories
  • Work within the limits of policies, procedures, and regulated activity such as GDPR, NHS, GOC, Health and Safety at Work and safeguarding
  • Follow employer’s guidelines and expectations for presentation and team working
  • Identify and meet customer needs within the optical environment
  • Communicate with customers and the optical team to maximise understanding
  • Refer customers needing communication support such as language, hearing, visual or learning difficulties to appropriate services
  • Follow health and safety legislation in the optical environment including customer safety, hygiene, and infection control
  • Follow safe use instructions when using optical equipment such as adjustment tools, screening equipment and measuring equipment
  • Follow procedures and processes for first aid, accident and incident reporting or evacuations
  • Provide the benefits and limitations of the different services (e.g. sight tests, contact lenses) and extended services (e.g. minor eye condition services, low vision services) to the customers within the optical environment
  • Offer non-prescribed products such as contact lens solutions, common ophthalmic drops, ready readers, magnifiers, and other accessories to customers
  • Select appointments, recall information, appointment types and exemptions on the employer’s system, and maintain accurate records, e.g. customer details
  • Report and record ocular emergencies following correct employer procedures
  • Accurately prepare clinical records for use following employer procedures
  • Accurately complete customer pre-appointment procedures
  • Use product tolerances to validate product accuracy
  • Use lens measuring equipment to identify prescriptions and lens measurements
  • Identify lens types using engravings such as progressive lenses and safety spectacles and remark lenses where required
  • Interpret the spectacle prescription to identify a range of vision correction options suitable for the customer
  • Offer suitable lens products to the customer based on customer needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Offer specialised products to the customer based on their needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Offer suitable frames to the customer based on their needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Identify frame fitting suitability including facial, frame and spectacle lens measurements required to process spectacle orders for the customer
  • Process spectacle orders, payments and arrange collections, offering relevant promotions to the customer where appropriate
  • Identify and check visual acuity for near vision spectacle, explaining adaption as required
  • Fit spectacle frames through the use of questioning, measurements, and tools
  • Use tools correctly to adjust frame without causing damage
  • Provide advice and guidance on frame fitting, lens care and after sales service
  • Identify guarantees and warranties of optical products and adhere to the legal requirements for consumers
  • Manage customer concerns and or complaints in line with employer procedures
  • Use problem solving techniques to identify concern and or complaint causes
  • Communicate with customers to resolve concerns or complaints within the limits of their own authority
  • Follow remake procedures
  • Follow repair procedures
  • Recognise and resolve customer complaints e.g. poor fitting, incorrect measurements, or offer alternative options in line with business requirements
  • Participate in training and development activities to maintain own practice
  • Participate in appraisal, obtain feedback, and use self-reflection to plan further development opportunities and identify available career opportunities to support progression
  • Adapt approach for customers with ocular conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetes
  • Conduct screening using screening equipment and record accurate results
  • Inform the patient about the equipment, processes and procedures used for screening
  • Gain support or guidance from colleagues during screening when required
  • Inform the patient that the tests check for medical conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetes
  • Demonstrate contact lens handling and insertion and removal to a patient
  • Show the patient how to care for their lens
  • Provide advice and guidance on cleaning of lenses and solution types
  • Follow out of hours emergency procedures
  • Recognise a customer’s ability to make an informed decision
  • Tell the customer what the sight test includes and how it is carried out
  • Work independently to plan and manage workload
  • Assess and mitigate risk in patient’s home to ensure an appropriate eye test can be delivered
  • Mange own wellbeing and resources
  • Maintain team communications when working remotely
  • Deliver customer service which aligns with company values, beliefs and purposes
  • Identify when and who to refer to when supervision is required such as ocular emergencies, screening, dispensing and collections of restricted categories
  • Work within the limits of policies, procedures, and regulated activity such as GDPR, NHS, GOC, Health and Safety at Work and safeguarding
  • Follow employer’s guidelines and expectations for presentation and team working
  • Identify and meet customer needs within the optical environment
  • Communicate with customers and the optical team to maximise understanding
  • Refer customers needing communication support such as language, hearing, visual or learning difficulties to appropriate services
  • Follow health and safety legislation in the optical environment including customer safety, hygiene, and infection control
  • Follow safe use instructions when using optical equipment such as adjustment tools, screening equipment and measuring equipment
  • Follow procedures and processes for first aid, accident and incident reporting or evacuations
  • Provide the benefits and limitations of the different services (e.g. sight tests, contact lenses) and extended services (e.g. minor eye condition services, low vision services) to the customers within the optical environment
  • Offer non-prescribed products such as contact lens solutions, common ophthalmic drops, ready readers, magnifiers, and other accessories to customers
  • Select appointments, recall information, appointment types and exemptions on the employer’s system, and maintain accurate records, e.g. customer details
  • Report and record ocular emergencies following correct employer procedures
  • Accurately prepare clinical records for use following employer procedures
  • Accurately complete customer pre-appointment procedures
  • Use product tolerances to validate product accuracy
  • Use lens measuring equipment to identify prescriptions and lens measurements
  • Identify lens types using engravings such as progressive lenses and safety spectacles and remark lenses where required
  • Interpret the spectacle prescription to identify a range of vision correction options suitable for the customer
  • Offer suitable lens products to the customer based on customer needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Offer specialised products to the customer based on their needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Offer suitable frames to the customer based on their needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Identify frame fitting suitability including facial, frame and spectacle lens measurements required to process spectacle orders for the customer
  • Process spectacle orders, payments and arrange collections, offering relevant promotions to the customer where appropriate
  • Identify and check visual acuity for near vision spectacle, explaining adaption as required
  • Fit spectacle frames through the use of questioning, measurements, and tools
  • Use tools correctly to adjust frame without causing damage
  • Provide advice and guidance on frame fitting, lens care and after sales service
  • Identify guarantees and warranties of optical products and adhere to the legal requirements for consumers
  • Manage customer concerns and or complaints in line with employer procedures
  • Use problem solving techniques to identify concern and or complaint causes
  • Communicate with customers to resolve concerns or complaints within the limits of their own authority
  • Follow remake procedures
  • Follow repair procedures
  • Recognise and resolve customer complaints e.g. poor fitting, incorrect measurements, or offer alternative options in line with business requirements
  • Participate in training and development activities to maintain own practice
  • Participate in appraisal, obtain feedback, and use self-reflection to plan further development opportunities and identify available career opportunities to support progression
  • Adapt approach for customers with ocular conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetes

Your training plan

  • Level 3 Optical Assistant Apprenticeship.
  • Functional Skills Level 2 Maths and English can be obtained on the course if you don’t already hold these qualifications.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4 (C))
  • Maths (grade 4 (C))

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can
adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Customer care skills
  • Team working
  • Initiative

Other requirements

Please do not contact the company directly. Please note – we reserve the right to close any vacancies from further applications when we have received a suitable number of applications from which to make a shortlist. Please ensure you apply as soon as possible if you wish to be considered for this role.

About this company

Kings Hill Opticians & Hearing Care is a trusted opticians in Kings Hill, near West Malling and Maidstone, Kent. We specialise in expert eye care, using cutting-edge diagnostic technology to provide the highest clinical standards and outstanding customer service.

https://www.kingshillopticians.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)

⚠ Disclaimer: This job listing is aggregated from a third-party provider and may have closed earlier than stated. Job listings are automatically updated, but availability may change. For the latest updates, visit the employer’s website or browse similar roles on our platform.

Job Overview

Register for Updates


This will close in 0 seconds

EarlyCareers.co.uk
This website uses cookies to ensure proper functionality and track site usage. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies.
Accept More info

Share