Safeguarding

Safeguarding

R 3.1 Dispensing opticians should have a policy for chaperoning certain groups of vulnerable adults and children.  See Model Chaperone Framework.

NB: Follow this link for ABDO’s member-only child safeguarding course.

R3.3.1 With the implementation of new legislation in Part V of the Police Act 1997, many organisations will now be able to access criminal record information, as part of their recruitment process, through a new service called Disclosure.

R3.3.2 A Standard check is processed by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). It searches an applicant’s criminal history to identify any convictions, both spent and unspent, cautions, warnings and reprimands. This level of check is only available for employers to obtain on behalf of their employees.

R3.3.3 Standard DBS checks show details of spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings held on police records. Enhanced DBS checks show the same information as standard checks, plus any additional information held by local police considered relevant to the role in question.  A number of professions advice an enhanced check and  these include optometrists (GOS performers) and dispensing opticians(where contractually required e.g. enhanced services) This disclosure will include:

  1. Spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer.
  2. Information from the Department of Health and Department of Education and Skills lists for childcare positions.