Dispensing Optician

SeeAbility; Leatherhead; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

A charity focused on disability services is looking for a Special School Dispensing Optician to work in a clinical, non-commercial environment. The role requires delivering eye care services to children across various London schools. Candidates must have a full driving license and the ability to visit multiple sites. Additional benefits include a competitive salary, flexible working arrangements, and comprehensive training opportunities.

Benefits

Employer contributory pension scheme

Enhanced Family-Friendly Pay

Paid Fertility Leave

Discounts and cashback at shops

Free eye test

Access to dedicated Wellbeing Coach

Qualifications

• Experience in providing eye care services to children
• Ability to navigate a clinical environment
• Strong communication skills and ability to work with school staff

Responsibilities

• Deliver spectacles, repairs, and follow-ups to students
• Manage your own diary and clinic schedules
• Liaise with parents and school staff for appointments

Skills

Full driving license

Ability to attend multiple schools

Job description

Role Description

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

• Location: London school sites/ Home
• 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 your London 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 London 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 your South London and South East London region is required, as well as a full driving license and regular access to a car.

What will you be doing?

• Work 4-5 school days (20-25 hours) in the school setting during term time.
• Responsible for ensuring the smooth running of clinics across your defined school caseload, 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.
• Provide spectacle dispensing, repairs, replacements and follow ups to your caseload.
• Support the special schools service manager during full-time role and school holidays 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 assist 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.

#INDSJS

Our Benefits

• SeeAbility Total Rewards Package
• 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
• £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 ensure 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 pleased 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, exempt from the Equality Act 2010 (Schedule 9, Part 1) which provides for the application of a genuine occupational requirement.