Dispensing Optician

SeeAbility; England; Remote; GBP 27,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully paid training

Company pension

Annual excellence awards

Long service awards

Flexible holidays

Cycle to Work scheme

Life assurance 2x salary

Employee assistance programme

Free eye test

Discounted Gym Membership

Job summary

SeeAbility is seeking a dispensing optician to work in NHS special school eyecare across Surrey, with a caseload of schools and a collaborative eye care team. The role involves clinic management, dispensing spectacles, and providing life-changing services to young people.

The position is full-time (37.5 hours) or part-time (negotiable) in a non-commercial setting, with full driving licence and car access required. Travel and clinics across schools form the core duties.

Qualifications

• Qualified dispensing optician with NHS eyecare experience.
• Ability to travel between Surrey schools with a full driving license.
• Excellent coordination of diary, clinics and patient care.

Responsibilities

• Work 4-5 school days (20-25 hours) in Surrey schools during term time.
• Manage your own diary and clinics to provide high-quality eye care for children.
• Provide spectacle dispensing, repairs, replacements and follow-ups.
• Support service manager in planning clinics and liaising with schools for rooms and consent.

Skills

Dispensing Optician

Driving license

Car access

Multi-site clinics

Education

Qualified Dispensing Optician

Job description

Role Description

Join our Team as Special School Dispensing Optician-Mobile- SEN Services

Location

Schools across Surrey

Salary

£31,500 per annum with SeeAbility benefits + all professional fees and travel expenses paid + company pension

Hours

Full Time (37.5 hours- Monday to Friday) or Part Time (negotiable)

Contract

Permanent

Essential

Ability to attend multiple schools in Surrey region is required, as well as a full driving license and regular access to a car

About You

This is an exciting opportunity for a full-time/ part-time dispensing optician to work in a non-commercial, clinically challenging setting providing complex, creative and often life-changing support with spectacles to young people as part of our NHS special school eyecare service. You will have your own caseload of Surrey schools and will work collaboratively with our established eye care team, as well as the school staff teams, and under the guidance of the special schools service manager and dispensing optician clinical lead. Ability to attend multiple schools in Surrey is required, as well as a full driving license and regular access to a car.

What will you be doing?

The successful candidate would be expected to work 4-5 school days (20-25 hours) in the school setting during term time and the rest of time from home. You will be responsible for ensuring the smooth running of clinics across your defined school caseload. This will include managing your own diary, under the supervision of the service manager and dispensing optician clinical lead, to ensure efficient, timely, high-quality care for all children under our care. You will be responsible for providing spectacle dispensing, repairs, replacements and follow ups to your caseload.

Your responsibilities for the remainder of your full time role and the school holidays, will be to support the special schools service manager in ensuring the smooth running of the service. The service manager will have overall responsibility for the planning of clinics, and you will support by liaising with schools to book clinic rooms and gain consent from parents, book appointment diaries for yourself and the optometrists, respond to parent and school enquiries and offer and provide teaching staff inset training on eye care and vision.

*Please see the attached job description for detailed information involving the role

About us

Registered as The Royal School for the Blind, SeeAbility is one of the oldest disability charities in the UK. This year we are celebrating our 225th anniversary, having pioneered specialist support across multiple generations since 1799!

We specialise in supporting people who have learning disabilities, autism, complex needs, who may also have sight loss. Our support ranges from providing person-centred support across our many supported-living and residential care provisions. Furthermore, we provide specialist eye-care services to children and adults alike and assists people with a disability to find paid employment for the very first time.

SeeAbility provides the resources and expertise that make this possible, we support people to live ambitious lives and achieve things they never thought possible.

Our Benefits

• Fully paid essential training inc. 15 point Module with City St Georges University of London
• Annual excellence awards
• Long service awards every 5 years and recognition
• Development Discussions: Opportunity to discuss your progress and your future
• Leadership development academy for the next steps in your career

Your work-life balance

• No weekends plus working from home during school holidays and outside school hours
• 33 days holiday (Pro-rata) (incl. bank holidays), increasing to 41 days with long service (1 extra day for each year of service)
• Life events: Time off when you need it most
• 2 weeks Organisational Sick Pay after 6 months service, increasing to 12 weeks over your first 3 years
• Enhanced Family-Friendly Pay
• Paid Fertility Leave
• Carers Leave available

• Your money goes further
• £500 monthly bonus scheme for two lucky colleagues
• Eligible for Blue Light Card discounts

• Discounts and cashback at hundreds of shops, restaurants and activities
• Access to Tickets for Good
• Employer contributory pension scheme: Support and tools to help you make the right decisions about your future
• Refer a friend and receive £600
• Paid DBS and renewals
• Advance pay scheme and high interest saving scheme through Wage Stream App for all our colleagues.

• Cycle to Work scheme
• Life assurance of 2x annual salary
• Free 24/7 employee assistance programme for advice and support
• Free eye test
• Discounted Gym Membership
• Dedicated in house Wellbeing Coach for your team

Safeguarding and Promoting Welfare

SeeAbility is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the people we support. We expect all staff to uphold this commitment and have a strong understanding of their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding.

Safer Recruitment

As part of our safer recruitment procedures, we require the following checks for all successful applicants:

• A criminal background check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (where appropriate).
• Documentary evidence to confirm your identity, current address, and the right to work in the UK.
• Health Declaration to ensure that you are medically suitable for the role you have been offered.
• References will be obtained to ensures satisfactory evidence of conduct in current or previous employment concerned with the provision of services relating to (a) health or social care, or (b) children or vulnerable adults.

These checks will be carried out and completed prior offering a date to start employment at SeeAbility’s expense.

Diversity

SeeAbility is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from individuals of all identities, including those from underrepresented groups and those who have a disability or neurodivergent condition. We are please to confirm that we are a Disability Confident employer.

We believe a diverse workforce drives innovation, creativity, and success. Everyone’s unique experiences and views are appreciated, and their opinion valued. We are happy to offer any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process or the role itself to ensure a fair and equitable experience for all candidates.

In exceptional circumstances, the exempt from the Equality Act 2010 (Schedule 9, Part 1) which provides for the application of a genuine occupational requirement.