Sessional Optometrist

Overview

Role Description

Sessional Optometrist – Make a difference!

Location: London Schools and the South East Schools

Salary: £250 per day plus benefits

Hours: 7.5 to 37.5 hours per week, (1- 5 days a week) – School term time only

About See Ability

See Ability is established as the leading national eye care expert for people with learning disabilities. As a Specialist Registered Charity it has over 220 years’ experience supporting people who have a visual impairment, learning disability, autism or complex support needs.

What you bring

To be part of See Ability’s NHS England commissioned Special School’s Eye Care team in a London school or schools. You will be responsible for regular visits to the same school(s) with a Dispensing Optician partner during school term times only. See Ability Special Schools Eye Care team training will be provided to all successful applicants.

Your responsibility

• Provide specialist eye care and eye care and vision information in schools to meet NHS England’s Special School Eye Care Service Specification
• To undertake See Ability Special Schools Eye Care Team training
• Communicate appropriately and confidently with children who have complex needs
• Communicate highly sensitive, potentially distressing information to patients’ relatives or carers, not infrequently in the presence of significant barriers to understanding learning and physical disabilities
• To manage your caseload of patients using evidence based practice whenever possible
• To be responsible for independent complex decision making in the management of individual clinical cases in areas where expert opinions may differ
• Liaise directly with parents and schools on your caseload of children (using secure NHS mail when indicated and meeting GDPR requirements). You will have the support of See Ability’s Special Schools Service Manager and administrators.
• To be responsible for referral of all children needing spectacle correction to the See Ability Dispensing Optician (and to provide spectacle dispensing services when required)
• To prescribe and advise on the use of eye drops
• To demonstrate a high degree of physical skill in the manipulation and utilisation of complex diagnostic equipment
• To effect interdisciplinary cooperation with other agencies such as local social services and educational representatives to facilitate the provision of high quality patient care
• To consider the appropriate involvement of other healthcare professionals to benefit patient care. This may include but is not limited to orthoptists, GPs, Ophthalmologists, Paediatricians, Speech and Language therapists, Occupational therapists, Physiotherapists
• To ensure accurate documentation of all interactions with patients, fellow healthcare professionals and other agencies
• Produce for all children written reports of clinical outcomes for parents, teaching staff and other professionals where that information may positively impact their professional management of the child and according to NHS England’s Service Specification and Guidelines. These reports should be produced within 5 working days of a clinical assessment in the absence of exceptional circumstances.
• Share clinical information in the most appropriate and secure way (with administrative support from the practice administrators and/or service manager)
• Where clinically indicated, refer a child for further management to an ophthalmologist, orthoptist or general practitioner.
• Transport notes, laptop and testing equipment between sites as required
• To be accountable for own actions, using initiative and judgement with regard to patient’s management working within broad health policies but able to act independently in the best interests of patient care
• To ensure a safe clean, therapeutic environment for patients, visitors and colleagues is maintained and ensure that all procedures for infection control are carried out according to policy
• To maintain a safe working environment and to follow the requirements of See Ability’s Health and Safety Manual (policies and procedures) and any local codes of set working practices
• To maintain confidentiality at all times and adhere to safeguarding procedures
• To undertake other duties…