Roles & Responsibilities
Orthoptic and ophthalmic clinical support workers are employed in patient-facing roles and carry out a wide range of tasks assisting registered orthoptists and others. At all levels support workers should be appropriately educated, trained, and supervised with appropriate delegation processes in place.
Working with support staff, the guide should be used to review existing or new Job Descriptions and Person Specifications to ensure that they fully reflect service needs and are up to date. Any substantial change to roles, such as the addition of new tasks, will require agreement with the staff concerned and, if appropriate, their trade union representatives in line with local policies and procedures.
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Competency Checklists
These are template competency checklists for mentors to build their assessments around. They are modelled on the checklist style used for the Ophthalmic Practitioner Training (OPT) – one page for ease and efficiency. The aim is for these competency checklists to be used as part of the wider governance structure when delegating tasks and supervising our support workforce. However, local teaching and education are essential to accompany these. The chosen topics were the top 9 or 10 tasks that a previous survey found Orthoptic and Ophthalmic Support Staff were undertaking most commonly.