Learning & Development

As members of the orthoptic workforce, you have a responsibility at all stages of your career to keep your knowledge and skills up to date. There are various BIOS resources available to support you to keep up to date and support you to progress and develop in your career.

CPD

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is the way in which you continue to learn and develop throughout your career. CPD is essential for all healthcare professionals including members of the support workforce. Completing regular CPD will add to your skills, knowledge, professional identity and ways of thinking allowing you to stay up to date and practise safely and effectively, both now and in the future.

Members can keep a record of your CPD on our online log here.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are work-based training programmes which are designed to help employers train people for specific job roles. They offer an education qualification, a salary, and invaluable practical experience and employment skills. The relevant apprenticeships for the support workforce range from level 2 – 6, depending on your education and experience. Not only can they provide a career pathway to becoming a registered orthoptist, they also provide a standardised level of skills and education across the support workforce and should be considered not only for career progression but for workforce upskilling.

Roles and responsibilities

As you develop in your career, your roles and responsibilities will depend upon the level of practice you are working at, whether as an Orthoptic Clinical Assistant (OCA), Senior Orthoptic Clinical Assistant (SOCA), or Lead Orthoptic Clinical Assistant (LOCA).