Steps to train non-registered optical staff

Optical assistants (OA) and other non-registered staff can flourish in any practice environment, but few employers make it as easy as Specsavers. With more than 20,000 OAs in its business, the majority of whom are performing delegated functions, director of professional development, Grant Duncan, (pictured right) says the company wants the level of expertise among them to be as high as possible. 

Learning begins in earnest for new OAs. There are two levels of training OAs are expected to have completed within the first six months of employment: OA1 and OA2. OA1 begins to build the essential practice skills, including an introduction to dispensing and customer service, along with mandatory internal compliance training.