Apprentice Optical Assistant with On Call Opticians

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Oldbury (B69 4DY)

Closes in 16 days (Friday 12 December 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 25 November 2025

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Contents

Summary

Start your career in optometry! If you have an interest in learning to provide a high standard of optical health care services to the community, as well as delivering outstanding customer care, then this could be the opportunity for you.

Wage

£14,526.20 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Salary may increase on successful completion of probation, to be discussed.

Training course
Optical assistant 2022 (level 3)
Hours
Monday to Fridays 9.00am to 5.00pm, with 1/2hr lunch break. A Saturday rota system will exist, and the hours will be 9.00am to 4.00pm.

37 hours a week

Start date

Monday 5 January 2026

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

This is a supporting role that combines customer service, retail, and clinical support duties within an opticians' practice, assiting the Optometrist and Dispensing Optician. 

Your role will involve guiding customers through their entire journey, from booking appointments to fitting eyewear.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

You will receive training in the following: 

  • Customer Service & Sales: Greeting customers, booking eye examinations, managing queries, and helping patients select appropriate frames, lenses, and other products (e.g., contact lenses, sunglasses) based on their prescription, style preferences, and budget.
  • Pre-Screening: Conducting preliminary eye health screenings and basic diagnostic tests (such as retinal imaging, visual field testing, and pressure checks) under supervision, and recording the results for the optometrist.
  • Dispensing & Adjustments: Interpreting prescriptions, taking accurate measurements, fitting and adjusting spectacles, and performing minor repairs (following training).
  • Administration & Operations: Managing clinical appointments, processing payments, maintaining patient records, controlling stock levels, and ensuring the practice environment is clean and organised.
  • Patient Education: Providing advice to customers on how to wear and care for their eyewear and contact lenses, and explaining product features and benefits in non-technical language.  
  • Appointment Management: Creating, amending, and confirming bookings in the digital diary.
  • Patient Records: Creating, updating, and organising electronic patient records, ensuring confidentiality and GDPR compliance.
  • Stock Control: Monitoring stock levels, placing orders for frames, lenses, and contact lenses, and managing invoices within the software.
  • Sales & Payments: Processing sales transactions, managing payments (cash, card, direct debit), and assisting with end-of-day cashing up and reporting. 
  • Completing NHS Forms.
  • Eligibility Checks: Confirming a patient's eligibility for NHS services, such as free sight tests or optical vouchers, and explaining any charges.
  • Form Preparation: Preparing relevant GOS forms, such as GOS1 (sight tests), GOS3 (optical vouchers), GOS4 (repair/replacement vouchers), and GOS6 (domiciliary sight tests).
  • Submission: Submitting NHS claims electronically via the eGOS system or manually processing paper forms for submission to PCSE (Primary Care Support England).
  • Accuracy & Validation: Ensuring all forms are completed accurately and signed by the patient or a responsible person, as incomplete or incorrect forms can delay payment.

Where you'll work

31 Birmingham Street
Oldbury
B69 4DY

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

BRIGHT BEES NURSERY LTD

Training course

Optical assistant 2022 (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Deliver customer service which aligns with company values, beliefs and purposes
  • Identify when and who to refer to when supervision is required such as ocular emergencies, screening, dispensing and collections of restricted categories
  • Work within the limits of policies, procedures, and regulated activity such as GDPR, NHS, GOC, Health and Safety at Work and safeguarding
  • Follow employer’s guidelines and expectations for presentation and team working
  • Identify and meet customer needs within the optical environment
  • Communicate with customers and the optical team to maximise understanding
  • Refer customers needing communication support such as language, hearing, visual or learning difficulties to appropriate services
  • Follow health and safety legislation in the optical environment including customer safety, hygiene, and infection control
  • Follow safe use instructions when using optical equipment such as adjustment tools, screening equipment and measuring equipment
  • Follow procedures and processes for first aid, accident and incident reporting or evacuations
  • Provide the benefits and limitations of the different services (e.g. sight tests, contact lenses) and extended services (e.g. minor eye condition services, low vision services) to the customers within the optical environment
  • Offer non-prescribed products such as contact lens solutions, common ophthalmic drops, ready readers, magnifiers, and other accessories to customers
  • Select appointments, recall information, appointment types and exemptions on the employer’s system, and maintain accurate records, e.g. customer details
  • Report and record ocular emergencies following correct employer procedures
  • Accurately prepare clinical records for use following employer procedures
  • Accurately complete customer pre-appointment procedures
  • Use product tolerances to validate product accuracy
  • Use lens measuring equipment to identify prescriptions and lens measurements
  • Identify lens types using engravings such as progressive lenses and safety spectacles and remark lenses where required
  • Interpret the spectacle prescription to identify a range of vision correction options suitable for the customer
  • Offer suitable lens products to the customer based on customer needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Offer specialised products to the customer based on their needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Offer suitable frames to the customer based on their needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Identify frame fitting suitability including facial, frame and spectacle lens measurements required to process spectacle orders for the customer
  • Process spectacle orders, payments and arrange collections, offering relevant promotions to the customer where appropriate
  • Identify and check visual acuity for near vision spectacle, explaining adaption as required
  • Fit spectacle frames through the use of questioning, measurements, and tools
  • Use tools correctly to adjust frame without causing damage
  • Provide advice and guidance on frame fitting, lens care and after sales service
  • Identify guarantees and warranties of optical products and adhere to the legal requirements for consumers
  • Manage customer concerns and or complaints in line with employer procedures
  • Use problem solving techniques to identify concern and or complaint causes
  • Communicate with customers to resolve concerns or complaints within the limits of their own authority
  • Follow remake procedures
  • Follow repair procedures
  • Recognise and resolve customer complaints e.g. poor fitting, incorrect measurements, or offer alternative options in line with business requirements
  • Participate in training and development activities to maintain own practice
  • Participate in appraisal, obtain feedback, and use self-reflection to plan further development opportunities and identify available career opportunities to support progression
  • Adapt approach for customers with ocular conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetes
  • Conduct screening using screening equipment and record accurate results
  • Inform the patient about the equipment, processes and procedures used for screening
  • Gain support or guidance from colleagues during screening when required
  • Inform the patient that the tests check for medical conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetes
  • Demonstrate contact lens handling and insertion and removal to a patient
  • Show the patient how to care for their lens
  • Provide advice and guidance on cleaning of lenses and solution types
  • Follow out of hours emergency procedures
  • Recognise a customer’s ability to make an informed decision
  • Tell the customer what the sight test includes and how it is carried out
  • Work independently to plan and manage workload
  • Assess and mitigate risk in patient’s home to ensure an appropriate eye test can be delivered
  • Mange own wellbeing and resources
  • Maintain team communications when working remotely
  • Deliver customer service which aligns with company values, beliefs and purposes
  • Identify when and who to refer to when supervision is required such as ocular emergencies, screening, dispensing and collections of restricted categories
  • Work within the limits of policies, procedures, and regulated activity such as GDPR, NHS, GOC, Health and Safety at Work and safeguarding
  • Follow employer’s guidelines and expectations for presentation and team working
  • Identify and meet customer needs within the optical environment
  • Communicate with customers and the optical team to maximise understanding
  • Refer customers needing communication support such as language, hearing, visual or learning difficulties to appropriate services
  • Follow health and safety legislation in the optical environment including customer safety, hygiene, and infection control
  • Follow safe use instructions when using optical equipment such as adjustment tools, screening equipment and measuring equipment
  • Follow procedures and processes for first aid, accident and incident reporting or evacuations
  • Provide the benefits and limitations of the different services (e.g. sight tests, contact lenses) and extended services (e.g. minor eye condition services, low vision services) to the customers within the optical environment
  • Offer non-prescribed products such as contact lens solutions, common ophthalmic drops, ready readers, magnifiers, and other accessories to customers
  • Select appointments, recall information, appointment types and exemptions on the employer’s system, and maintain accurate records, e.g. customer details
  • Report and record ocular emergencies following correct employer procedures
  • Accurately prepare clinical records for use following employer procedures
  • Accurately complete customer pre-appointment procedures
  • Use product tolerances to validate product accuracy
  • Use lens measuring equipment to identify prescriptions and lens measurements
  • Identify lens types using engravings such as progressive lenses and safety spectacles and remark lenses where required
  • Interpret the spectacle prescription to identify a range of vision correction options suitable for the customer
  • Offer suitable lens products to the customer based on customer needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Offer specialised products to the customer based on their needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Offer suitable frames to the customer based on their needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Identify frame fitting suitability including facial, frame and spectacle lens measurements required to process spectacle orders for the customer
  • Process spectacle orders, payments and arrange collections, offering relevant promotions to the customer where appropriate
  • Identify and check visual acuity for near vision spectacle, explaining adaption as required
  • Fit spectacle frames through the use of questioning, measurements, and tools
  • Use tools correctly to adjust frame without causing damage
  • Provide advice and guidance on frame fitting, lens care and after sales service
  • Identify guarantees and warranties of optical products and adhere to the legal requirements for consumers
  • Manage customer concerns and or complaints in line with employer procedures
  • Use problem solving techniques to identify concern and or complaint causes
  • Communicate with customers to resolve concerns or complaints within the limits of their own authority
  • Follow remake procedures
  • Follow repair procedures
  • Recognise and resolve customer complaints e.g. poor fitting, incorrect measurements, or offer alternative options in line with business requirements
  • Participate in training and development activities to maintain own practice
  • Participate in appraisal, obtain feedback, and use self-reflection to plan further development opportunities and identify available career opportunities to support progression
  • Adapt approach for customers with ocular conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetes

Training schedule

This training schedule has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4/C)
  • Maths (grade 4/C)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Number skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience

About this employer

Sandwell is a large, multicultural metropolitan borough situated in the heart of the Black Country, to the west of Birmingham, within the West Midlands conurbation and with a population of over 280,000. The Council is one of the largest employers in the Borough with employees in a variety of occupations, providing a comprehensive range of services. For more information about Sandwell Council’s apprenticeship programme and our recruitment process please visit our YouTube channel. Find out more information on Sandwell’s Values and Behaviours on the council’s webpage. For more information on careers in local government you can view a copy of the Local Government Career Guide.

After this apprenticeship

With further training and qualifications, such as a diploma approved by the General Optical Council (GOC), individuals can progress to become a qualified Dispensing Optician or an Optometrist, subject to performance. 

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

BRIGHT BEES NURSERY LTD

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000002434.

Apply now

Closes in 16 days (Friday 12 December 2025 at 11:59pm)

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