Welcome to GOC Standard 11: Bullying and Harassment in Optical Practice

Welcome to this essential course on GOC Standard 11, focused on preventing and managing bullying and harassment within optical practice. Whether you are a registrant, line manager, practice owner, or member of the wider team, this course will equip you with practical knowledge, clear decision-tools and realistic responses that protect colleagues and patients while meeting legal and professional obligations.

Bullying and harassment are not just workplace harms - they are clinical safety risks. When staff feel threatened or silenced, attention narrows, errors increase, and patient care can suffer. This course is designed to help you create a safe, respectful environment where people can speak up, correct behaviour respectfully, and escalate concerns without fear.

What You Will Learn

• Definitions and decision tests:
• Clear, operational definitions of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and victimisation.
• Simple tests to distinguish constructive feedback from harmful behaviour.
• Legal and professional framework:
• Practical implications of the Equality Act 2010, Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and GOC Standards.
• What vicarious liability means for practices and reasonable steps employers should take.
• Immediate practical actions:
• What to do if you experience, witness or are accused of bullying/harassment - step-by-step responses for individuals and managers.
• Manager triage checklist for the first 24 - 48 hours (risk, protection, evidence preservation, communication and support).
• Documentation and evidence:
• Exactly what to record, how to preserve digital artefacts and how to keep confidential HR records.
• Scenario-based responses:
• Short, practical solutions for common optical practice scenarios (public correction, banter that excludes, sexualised messages, boundary violations).
• Prevention, training and leadership:
• Policy essentials, training cadence, bystander skills, and leadership behaviours that normalise respectful challenge.
• Measurement and governance:
• Metrics and triangulation: process, people and patient signals; quarterly review and visible action plans to drive continuous improvement.
• Practical phrases and templates:
• Ready-to-use wording for bystanders, private feedback, documentation prompts and supervisory reflection.

This course will help you turn respectful communication from an aspiration into everyday practice - protecting patients, staff wellbeing and public trust in optical care.

How This Course Will Help You

By completing this course you will be able to:

• Recognise behaviours that constitute bullying or harassment and act early to reduce harm.
• Apply straightforward, lawful processes that protect people, preserve evidence and limit organisational risk.
• Use practical phrases and bystander techniques to interrupt harmful interactions and support affected colleagues.
• Equip managers to triage quickly, document appropriately and signpost support while maintaining patient safety.
• Implement measurement and governance approaches that identify trends, close feedback loops and demonstrate continuous improvement.

Who Should Take This Course

• GOC registrants in all roles (clinical and non-clinical)
• Practice owners, clinical leads and line managers
• HR and practice administrators responsible for policy implementation
• Anyone who wants practical skills to prevent or respond to bullying and harassment in an optical setting

How the Course Is Structured

• Short modules covering definitions, legal duties, immediate actions, documentation, scenarios and prevention.
• Practical checklists, decision-tests and downloadable templates for records and feedback scripts.
• Scenario-based exercises reflecting front-desk pressure, clinic time constraints and team dynamics common in optical practice.
• Reflection prompts and actions for supervision to embed behaviour change.

Final Practical Summary

1. Treat respectful behaviour as a clinical risk control - it protects patients and staff.
2. Learn and use the simple feedback rules: specific, private, timely, behaviour-focused.
3. Record contemporaneously and preserve evidence when incidents occur.
4. Train managers and staff in bystander interventions and safe reporting routes.
5. Monitor process, people and patient signals; review data quarterly and publish visible actions.

We're glad you've chosen to join us. This course aims to give you the confidence and tools to act early, manage fairly, and build a workplace where everyone can speak up and be heard.