GOC launches ESR expert advisory groups

The General Optical Council (GOC) has today announced the establishment of two new Expert Advisory Groups (EAGs), advising on the education and training of optometrists and dispensing opticians respectively, to help shape the new Learning Outcomes for students and Education Standards for providers as part of the Education Strategic Review (ESR).

Philippa Mann, GOC Head of Education, said:

"Our two new expert advisory groups will play a vital role in the next phase of our Education Strategic Review. Their insights and expertise will help us in the further development of the education standards and learning outcomes to ensure that the changes made to optical education are focused on meeting patient needs and maintaining public safety.

"We want to make the groups as transparent as possible, so we have committed to consulting on their work as we go on through our Open Canvas approach. This will enable all stakeholders to share their views in much the same way as the groups’ members. We hope that this will demystify the development process and enable the groups to obtain even more wide-reaching feedback and improve the quality of the end products. Our collective goal is to ensure that, in an ever-changing sector, optical education evolves to prepare practitioners for the future."

The purpose of the EAGs is to advise and assist with the further development of the Education Standards and Learning Outcomes, including providing expertise in the development of a standards evaluation (quality assurance) framework and a common assessment framework.

Both EAGs consist of a variety of stakeholders, including GOC Council and Committee members, GOC Education Visitor Panel members, employers, registrants and other optical professionals, CET providers, academic staff from education providers, representatives from professional bodies, NHS commissioners, students and patients.

The overall purpose of the ESR is to review and make recommendations on how the system of optical education and training should evolve so that registrants are equipped to carry out the roles they will be expected to perform in the future in order to meet the changing needs of patients.

The EAGs will continue to meet on a monthly basis until March 2020. Following the completion of their work, the revised Learning Outcomes and Education Standards will be presented to Council in May 2020.

See the full list of EAG members.

To access and provide feedback to the Open Canvas, visit the GOC Consultation Hub.

If you would like to join the dedicated ESR mailing list, please contact education@optical.org.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Read the ESR consultation analysis and response report are available

About the General Optical Council

The GOC is the regulator for the optical professions in the UK. Its purpose is to protect the public by promoting high standards of education, conduct and performance amongst opticians. The Council currently registers around 30,000 optometrists, dispensing opticians, student opticians and optical businesses.