About this course
Clear boundaries mean safer care, respectful relationships, and stronger professional trust.
[podcast mini /media/goc-standard-15-boundaries-intro.mp3]
Every consultation is built on trust. A patient sits in front of you—sometimes anxious, sometimes vulnerable—expecting care that is safe, respectful, and free from bias. That trust is fragile. A casual comment, an over-familiar gesture, or a blurred line between professional and personal can quickly erode it. What starts as something small can escalate into complaints, harm, or even fitness-to-practise consequences.
Professional boundaries aren’t about creating distance—they’re about creating clarity. They protect patient dignity, preserve your objectivity, and ensure every decision is defensible. Whether it’s declining a friend request, resetting inappropriate behaviour, or documenting a sensitive interaction, these moments show your professionalism in action.
This course will give you practical scripts, checklists, and escalation steps you can rely on every day. By applying them, you’ll make boundaries visible, auditable, and sustainable. Most importantly, you’ll strengthen the respect and safety that patients deserve—and reinforce the professional integrity that underpins our entire field.
Professional boundaries protect both patients and practitioners. This course explores how to recognise and maintain appropriate limits, avoid conflicts of interest, and manage challenging situations with professionalism. With these skills, you will be ready to meet GOC Standard 15 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
- Practical, concise and immediately usable in clinic.
- Clear scripts helped me manage an awkward patient interaction calmly.
- Excellent coverage of digital and domiciliary boundary issues.
- Useful for supervising students and locums — easy to teach and audit.
- Helped reduce uncertainty around dual-role appointments and record-keeping.
Aim:
The aim of this course is to meet the requirements of GOC Standard 15 by enabling optical staff to recognise, prevent and respond to boundary challenges across clinical, digital and domiciliary settings.
Course objective:
• to define professional boundaries and equip learners with practical scripts, documentation practices and escalation approaches to maintain professional distance while providing compassionate care.
Anticipated learning outcomes:
On course completion you will be able to:
• describe different types of professional boundary relevant to optical practice.
• recognise signs that a boundary is being approached or crossed.
• apply neutral scripts and documentation to reset or manage boundary challenges.
• manage digital and social media interactions using approved channels and data-safe practices.
• handle dual relationships and domiciliary boundary risks following proportional mitigations and escalation routes.
GOC Framework Mapping:
Standard 15: Professional Boundaries
Domain: Professionalism
Learning content:
Aim | Objectives | Anticipated Learning Outcomes | Introduction: Why Boundaries Matter | Types of Boundaries in Optical Practice | Scenario Page 1: Boundary Awareness | Emotional Boundaries | Scenario Page 2: Emotional Challenges | Digital & Social Boundaries | Scenario Page 3: Digital Boundaries | Professional Distance & Dual Relationships | Scenario Page 4: Dual Relationship Dilemmas | Boundaries in Domiciliary and Community Care | Scenario Page 5: Sexual Boundary Challenges | Reflection and Continuous Improvement | MCQ | Reading List
View full course description
GOC Standard 15: Professional Boundaries in Optical Practice
Course Description
GOC Standard 15: Professional Boundaries in Optical Practice
This course explains why clear professional boundaries matter in optics and how to manage them in everyday practice. It focuses on practical controls, scripts and documentation to protect patients and professionals across clinic, tele-optometry and domiciliary care.
Aim
Purpose of the course | Link to GOC Standard 15 | Scope of boundary duties
Objectives
Define professional boundaries | Identify risks and boundary types | Manage digital and domiciliary risks | Handle dual relationships and harassment
Anticipated Learning Outcomes
Describe boundary types | Recognise boundary crossings | Apply resets and documentation | Reflect on personal practice
Introduction: Why Boundaries Matter
Safety rationale for boundaries | Connection to Fitness to Practise | Where risks concentrate in optics
Types of Boundaries in Optical Practice
Sexual and intimate boundaries | Emotional boundaries | Financial/commercial boundaries | Digital and social boundaries | Professional distance and dual roles
Scenario Page 1: Boundary Awareness
Over-involvement scenario | Sales pressure scenario | Reset actions and scripts | Accountability recording
Emotional Boundaries
Compassion with structure | Recognising rescuer patterns | Signposting and team support | Domiciliary emotional risks
Scenario Page 2: Emotional Challenges
Vulnerable patient handling | Carer dependency management | Time limits and signposting | Documentation of actions
Digital & Social Boundaries
Approved channels and audit trails | Avoiding personal contact details | Social media and professional separation | Device hygiene and encryption
Scenario Page 3: Digital Boundaries
Declining friend requests | WhatsApp and informal case-sharing | Immediate containment and policy updates | Logging near-misses
Professional Distance & Dual Relationships
Treating friends, family, colleagues | Conflicts of interest | Controls for care if proceeding | Record-keeping and access limits
Scenario Page 4: Dual Relationship Dilemmas
Friend-as-patient scenario | Colleague-as-patient scenario | Booking and documentation procedures | When to transfer care
Boundaries in Domiciliary and Community Care
Setting the frame at the door | Lone-working and safety checks | Privacy and positioning of equipment | Care-home specific considerations
Scenario Page 5: Sexual Boundary Challenges
Patient flirting and persistent advances | Colleague sexual 'banter' and harassment | Ending appointments safely | Reporting and escalation
Reflection and Continuous Improvement
Personal reflection and supervision | Measurement and audits | Training, scripts and governance | Leadership and sustaining gains
MCQ
Knowledge checks on boundary rationale | Application of GOC Standard 15 | Scenarios testing responses | Record-keeping and escalation choices
Reading List
GOC standards | College and ICO guidance | NICE safeguarding and capacity | Domiciliary, records and conflicts guidance
Practice completion
Participants will complete reflections, pass a multiple-choice exam and receive a CPD certificate. The course emphasises documenting decisions and applying the tools in practice.
You can copy and adapt this example PDP entry for your own needs and circumstances.
| PDP Learning or Maintenance need |
| Maintain appropriate professional boundaries in optical practice in line with GOC Standard 15. |
| How does this relate to my field of practice? |
| Directly relevant to clinical safety, patient trust and professional conduct in clinic, online and domiciliary care. |
| Which development outcome(s) does it link to? |
| Standard 15 |
| What benefit will this have to my work? |
| Reduced risk of complaints, clearer documentation, safer digital practice and better handling of emotional, sexual and commercial pressures. |
| How will I meet this learning or maintenance need? |
| Complete this course, practice scripts and record decisions; discuss cases with supervisors and apply policy updates locally. |
| When will I complete the activity? |