Welcome to GOC Standard 10: Working Collaboratively with Colleagues in Optical Practice

Delivering Safe and Efficient Care with a Team-Based Approach

Welcome to this focused course on GOC Standard 10. Working collaboratively is central to safe, efficient and patient-centred optical practice. This course will equip you with practical tools, templates and behaviours to make teamwork observable, repeatable and resilient - from reception and pre-test to clinician, dispensing and external referrals. You'll learn how structured communication, clear roles, agreed escalation rules and inclusive adjustments reduce risk, shorten patient journeys and improve patient confidence.

What You will learn

• The essentials of GOC Standard 10 and how collaboration protects patients and reduces error.
• Practical communication frameworks: SBAR for rapid handover and SOAPE for clinical notes.
• How to design and use escalation rules (red flags) and visible ownership (task boards, task owners).
• The minimum dataset for safe cross-boundary referrals, including documenting recipient name/time.
• Role clarity and a task/competence matrix to map supervision and responsibilities.
• Inclusive adjustments (communication passports, interpreters, sensory-friendly approaches) and how to share them across the team.
• Practical team enablers: end-of-day huddles, mini‑audits, cross‑shadowing and debriefs that build psychological safety.
• Everyday wording and documentation phrasing to close the loop (examples for IOP, imaging, referrals).

How this course will help you

By completing this course you will be able to:

• Reduce clinical risk by using structured handovers and clear escalation triggers.
• Improve efficiency and patient flow while keeping supervision boundaries clear.
• Increase consistency of patient messaging across reception, testing and dispensing.
• Create resilient working practices that survive staff change and locum cover.
• Demonstrate compliance with GOC Standard 10 through measurable improvements (audits, reduced referral bounce‑backs).

Use the SBAR and referral templates in this course as your default structure for handovers and cross‑professional communication - they're the easiest way to show observable, repeatable teamwork.

Practical skills and tools you will practise

• SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) - fast, consistent handover.
• SOAPE notes - subject, objective, assessment, plan, education/errors checked for reliable records.
• PACE escalation model - graded raising of concerns from probe to emergency.
• Referral checklist (minimum dataset): clinical question, onset/time, key findings with methods, attachments, access needs, recipient name/time and follow-up plan.
• Use of visible task boards, labelled images, templates and task ownership with deadlines.
• Running short huddles, mini‑audits and cross‑shadowing sessions to embed change.

Who this course is for

• Optometrists and clinical leads seeking to formalise teamwork and referral quality.
• Dispensing opticians, optical assistants/technicians and reception/admin staff who contribute to patient journeys.
• Practice managers and educators implementing SOPs, audits and staff training.
• Locums and students who must follow local escalation and documentation standards.

Course format and expectations

• Short learning modules with practical examples, downloadable templates and sample SBAR/SOAPE entries.
• Realistic scenarios and model answers to practise exam-style questions and workplace communication.
• Reflection prompts and suggestions for mini‑audits to demonstrate continuous improvement.
• Practical outcomes you can implement immediately: referral checklist, red‑flag prompts for reception, and a task/competence matrix template.

Getting the most from this course

• Practice writing one SBAR and one referral dataset from a recent patient - include recipient name/time in your record.
• Pilot a 5‑minute end‑of‑day huddle for 1 week and audit urgent task closure.
• Introduce or update a task/competence matrix and display role labels at testing benches.
• Run a short cross‑shadowing session so staff understand each other's workflows and language.
• Keep inclusive adjustments visible (communication passports, interpreter arrangements) and audit their use.

We're pleased you've joined us. This course will help you turn collaborative intent into consistent practice - improving patient safety, staff confidence and the quality of referrals across settings.