About this course
Safeguarding means protecting dignity, preventing harm, and supporting patient wellbeing.
[podcast mini /media/goc-standard-11-adult-safeguarding-intro.mp3]
A patient comes into your clinic. On the surface, it looks like a routine visit—but something feels off. Perhaps a relative answers every question before the patient can speak. Or maybe you notice signs of neglect during a home visit. In those moments, your instincts matter. They could be the difference between silent harm continuing or someone finally receiving the protection they need.
Safeguarding adults at risk is not about taking over decisions or stripping away autonomy—it’s about creating the conditions where people are safe, respected, and heard. Under GOC Standard 11, it’s part of your professional duty, and in practice, it’s one of the most powerful ways you can protect life, dignity, and trust in optical care.
This course will give you clear, practical tools: what red flags to look for, how to respond proportionately, and how to record and escalate safely. By strengthening your confidence in safeguarding, you strengthen the safety net around your patients—and that safety net could save a life.
Adults at risk may need extra care and vigilance in optical practice. This Level 2 course helps you recognise signs of abuse or neglect, understand your safeguarding responsibilities, and act appropriately to protect vulnerable patients. With clear guidance and practical tools, you can meet GOC Standard 11 with confidence.
This course is relevant to the whole optical team, including
- Registered optical professionals wanting reliable CPD mapped to GOC Standards
- Locums, jobseekers, and overseas practitioners needing to demonstrate current knowledge
- Colleagues addressing professional challenges who require structured CPD for reflection and remediation
- Managers and teams who want consistent, defensible training
CPD Time: 60 minutes (1 CE Credit / 1 Non-interactive CPD Point)
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 clinic and domiciliary work.
- Excellent scenarios — helped me spot red flags I had previously missed.
- Concise guidance on capacity checks and lawful information sharing.
- Useful templates and record‑keeping prompts for immediate use in practice.
- Essential training for anyone doing home visits or lone working.
Aim:
To ensure optical professionals recognise safeguarding signals, assess capacity appropriately, and take lawful, proportionate action to protect adults at risk in clinical and domiciliary settings in line with GOC Standard 11.
Course objectives:
- Provide clear teaching on the legal and professional framework for adult safeguarding, including the Care Act principles and the Mental Capacity Act.
- Deliver practical scenarios, tools, and escalation pathways to help learners recognise abuse, assess capacity, share information lawfully, and record safeguarding actions appropriately.
Anticipated learning outcomes:
On course completion you will be able to:
- Recognise categories and warning signs of adult abuse and neglect (Standard 11) in both clinic and domiciliary contexts.
- Apply the six safeguarding principles and assess capacity (Standard 11) to act in a person’s best interests when necessary.
- Escalate safeguarding concerns and share information lawfully (Standard 11) while documenting actions clearly for accountability and continuity of care.
GOC Framework Mapping:
Standard 11: Protect and safeguard: Safeguarding Adults at Risk
Domain: Professionalism
Learning content:
Introduction: Why Adult Safeguarding Matters | Legal and Regulatory Framework | Categories of Abuse and Neglect | Scenario Page 1: Recognising Adult Abuse | The Mental Capacity Act 2005 | Scenario Page 2: Capacity and Consent | Raising a Concern and Escalation | Information Sharing and Recording | Scenario Page 3: Escalation and Information Sharing | Complex Safeguarding Risks | Preparing the Practice | Reflection and Continuous Improvement | MCQ | Reading List
View full course description
GOC Standard 11: Safeguarding Adults at Risk in Optical Practice
Course Description
GOC Standard 11: Safeguarding Adults at Risk in Optical Practice
This course teaches optical professionals how to protect adults at risk while respecting choice and dignity. It covers statutory duties, practical first responses, capacity assessment, lawful information sharing and escalation in both clinic and domiciliary contexts.
Introduction: Why Adult Safeguarding Matters
Sets out the statutory and professional duty, the balance of protection and autonomy, how risks present in optical settings, first response principles (listen, record, escalate) and domiciliary considerations including lone-working.
Legal and Regulatory Framework
Explains the Care Act 2014 principles, GOC Standard 11 expectations, intersections with the MCA, Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Prevent, and data protection obligations under UK GDPR/DPA.
Categories of Abuse and Neglect
Defines physical, emotional and sexual abuse, financial abuse and coercion, neglect and organisational abuse, domestic abuse and controlling behaviour, and differentiates patterns from clinical differentials.
Scenario Page 1: Recognising Adult Abuse
Case scenarios include a person with dementia and a controlling carer, indicators of financial abuse, private questioning techniques, immediate actions and proportionate capacity checks.
The Mental Capacity Act 2005
Covers the five MCA principles, the functional test (understand, retain, weigh, communicate), support for decision-making, unwise choices and best‑interests processes including IMCA.
Scenario Page 2: Capacity and Consent
Applies MCA principles to real decisions such as dilation with dementia, fluctuating capacity, teach‑back techniques and when to act in a person's best interests.
Raising a Concern and Escalation
Details indicators and thresholds for referral, immediate safety steps, internal escalation, what to include in a referral and care home/domiciliary escalation routes.
Information Sharing and Recording
Explains lawful bases (public task, essential interests), the minimum‑necessary principle, recording essentials (verbatim quotes, chronology, lawful basis) and creating an audit trail.
Scenario Page 3: Escalation and Information Sharing
Covers care home concerns, responding to multi‑agency information requests, verifying requests, secure transmission and redaction of sensitive disclosures.
Complex Safeguarding Risks
Addresses domestic abuse, coercive control, modern slavery indicators and NRM, Prevent and radicalisation pathways, and safe, non‑confrontational staff responses.
Preparing the Practice
Guidance on appointing a safeguarding lead/deputy, training matrices, policies and SOPs, lone‑working protocols, safer recruitment, templates, contact lists and governance.
Reflection and Continuous Improvement
Promotes after‑action reviews, case reflection, audit of records and referrals, targeted CPD, supervision and staff wellbeing.
Reading List
Core statutory guidance (Care Act, MCA), GOC and College guidance, ICO data sharing codes, and resources on domestic abuse, modern slavery, Prevent and lone‑working.
Practice Reflection
Use complaints and concerns as learning opportunities. This course encourages team reflection, audit and continuous improvement to strengthen safeguarding practice.
Course Completion
Participants complete a feedback survey, take a multiple‑choice exam and receive a CPD certificate. Apply course scenarios to practice and update local protocols and records prompts.
You can copy and adapt this example PDP entry for your own needs and circumstances.
| PDP Learning or Maintenance need |
| Adult safeguarding knowledge for optical practice |
| How does this relate to my field of practice? |
| Essential for recognising abuse, assessing capacity, and fulfilling GOC Standard 11 responsibilities in clinic and domiciliary settings. |
| Which development outcome(s) does it link to? |
| Standard 11 / Safeguarding Adults at Riskk |
| What benefit will this have to my work? |
| Improved patient protection, lawful information sharing, and clearer practice procedures for safer care delivery. |
| How will I meet this learning or maintenance need? |
| Complete this course, apply scenarios to practice, and update local protocols and records prompts. |
| When will I complete the activity? |