About this course
This course is relevant to the whole optical team.
CPD Time: 90 minutes (1.50 CE Credits)
Assessment: 10 MCQs. Pass mark 80%. more…
On passing the assessment you will immediately receive a CPD Certificate.
Customer feedback on this course
- Clear, practical and directly applicable to our daily workflows.
- Excellent templates — the SBAR and referral checklist saved us time immediately.
- Valuable scenarios that helped the team agree escalation triggers and ownership.
- Inclusive adjustments section was practical and respectful to diverse needs.
- Well structured and easy to implement with locums and new staff.
Aim:
The aim of this course is to equip optical practice teams with practical skills, systems and behaviours to meet GOC Standard 10 by delivering safe, patient-centred collaborative care across organisational boundaries.
Course objective:
• to clarify roles, handover methods and operational supports so teams share responsibility and minimise risk to patients.
• to strengthen cross-professional working, inclusive communication and constructive conflict resolution to ensure continuity of care and lawful information sharing.
Anticipated learning outcomes:
The learner will:
• describe core principles of effective collaboration and why it supports patient safety in optical practice.
• apply structured handovers and referral checklists to support urgent escalation and clear cross-boundary communication.
• involve carers and families appropriately while maintaining patient autonomy and documenting agreed roles.
• adapt team approaches to meet cultural, neurodiverse and disability-related access needs consistently.
• manage disagreements constructively, protect patients during debates and ensure continuity through concise documentation and follow-up.
GOC Development Outcomes:
Standard 10
Learning content:
Introduction: Why Collaboration Matters | Collaborating Within the Practice Team | Scenario Page 1: In-Practice Teamwork | Collaborating Across the Healthcare System | Scenario Page 2: Cross-Professional Working | Involving Carers and Families as Care Partners | Scenario Page 3: Family and Carer Collaboration | Inclusive Collaboration: Culture, Neurodiversity, and Disability | Scenario Page 4: Inclusive Collaboration Challenges | Managing Disagreements and Conflict | Ensuring Continuity of Care | Reflection and Continuous Improvement | Reading List
View full course description
GOC Standard 10: Working Collaboratively with Colleagues in Optical Practice
Course Description
Introduction: Why Collaboration Matters
This section explains how collaboration improves safety, reduces errors and supports continuity. It outlines the rationale for GOC Standard 10 and the enablers needed: role clarity, shared language, leadership and appropriate IT.
Collaborating Within the Practice Team
Covers roles and scopes for optometrists, dispensing opticians, assistants and reception. Learn scope matrices, visible signage, structured handovers (SBAR/SOAPE) and how to support colleagues under pressure while preserving psychological safety.
Scenario Page 1: In-Practice Teamwork
A practical scenario on reception red-flag handover and flashes. Demonstrates structured verbal prompts, record entries, respectful correction and private debriefing. Emphasises learning and documentation after incidents.
Collaborating Across the Healthcare System
Details a referral content checklist and clinical question, direct escalation routes, contingency plans and feedback loops. Discusses barriers such as time pressure and incompatible IT, and how to close the loop.
Scenario Page 2: Cross-Professional Working
Covers urgent hospital referral processes, minimum dataset, phone escalation and documentation. Includes safeguarding referral steps for children and respectful multi-agency collaboration.
Involving Carers and Families as Care Partners
Guides balancing patient autonomy with carer input, consent and capacity considerations, practical support for carers and boundary setting, plus accessible aftercare for carers.
Scenario Page 3: Family and Carer Collaboration
Shows how to redirect family-dominated consultations, engage children and assess competence, document roles and communication adjustments, and escalate when disagreement affects safety.
Inclusive Collaboration: Culture, Neurodiversity, and Disability
Covers cultural humility, communication preferences, neurodiversity adjustments such as predictable sequences and literal language, and reasonable adjustments for D/deaf and blind patients. Explains communication passports and accessible assets.
Scenario Page 4: Inclusive Collaboration Challenges
Practical examples for consistent adaptations, appropriate interpreter use, recording successful strategies and briefing the team. Addresses rights, confidentiality and safe consent processes.
Managing Disagreements and Conflict
Teaches in-the-moment time-outs, PACE escalation, debriefing and learning after conflict. Defines red rules for common flashpoints and leadership actions to maintain psychological safety.
Ensuring Continuity of Care
Explains structured handovers, essential record entries, referral attachments and access needs. Covers task ownership, recall systems, dashboards and responsibilities for closing the loop and follow-up.
Reflection and Continuous Improvement
Describes short huddles, mini-audits, cross-shadowing and shared training. Shows how to capture improvements in SOPs and measure impact via referrals, no-shows and patient feedback.
Reading List
Recommended reading includes GOC and legal frameworks, SBAR and handover toolkits, the Accessible Information Standard and interpreter guidance, plus referral and HES commissioning guidance.
Course Completion
You will complete a feedback survey, take the multiple-choice exam and receive a CPD certificate. The course focuses on practical implementation and team reflection to embed changes in practice.
You can copy and adapt this example PDP entry for your own needs and circumstances.
| PDP Learning or Maintenance need |
| Comply with GOC Standard 10 and strengthen collaborative working in optical practice |
| How does this relate to my field of practice? |
| Directly applicable to day-to-day practice interactions, referrals, safeguarding and inclusive care. |
| Which development outcome(s) does it link to? |
| Standard 10 |
| What benefit will this have to my work? |
| Improved patient safety, clearer referrals, reduced errors, better team morale and consistent patient experience. |
| How will I meet this learning or maintenance need? |
| Complete this course, adopt structured handovers and referral templates, and participate in team huddles and audits. |
| When will I complete the activity? |