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What is the Level 3 Certificate in EOS?

What does the course cover?

Supervision

Learning materials

Practical work

Examinations

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

Guidance on completing the record of achievement

Video tutorials and support

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What is the Level 3 Certificate in EOS?

Cert 3 EOS, which will be delivered entirely online, is a Specsavers top-up course available to those who are already Cert 3 qualified and wish to support their store with the delivery of enhanced services. The course will provide grounding for support staff in areas such as minor eye conditions, DVLA testing and referral processes for cataract, diabetes and glaucoma schemes.

 

The course must be completed within a 12-month period and consists of online reading material, exercises, case studies and revision questions.  Each module will be examined by a multiple choice exam and students must complete all modules and practical work before attempting the exams.

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What does the course cover?

The course consists of 3 modules:

Module 1: Specsavers Enhanced Services

Chapter 1 Enhanced Optical services

Chapter 2 MECS Services and Non-GOS Eyecare

Chapter 3 Skills for EOS:  Effective Triage

Chapter 4 Skills for EOS:  Instillation of Drops

Chapter 5 Equipment Used in EOS

Module 2: Cataract, Glaucoma and Diabetic Screening Services

Chapter 6 Cataract Patient Services

Chapter 7 Glaucoma Patient Services

Chapter 8 Diabetic Eye Screening Services

Module 3: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Chapter 9 DVLA Process and Regulations

Chapter 10 DVLA Testing

Chapter 11 Completing Reply Forms

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Supervision

The student is required to assign a supervisor when they first access the exam site to submit their learning agreement. It is recommended that supervisors for Cert 3 EOS be a fully qualified Optometrist (EOS accredited if in England).

 

Learning materials must be completed in the student's own time, however many terms and concepts will be new and so students will require support with the following:

• Understanding some of the course material
• Planning and completing exercises and case studies
• Guidance on finding sources of information (though the student is expected to show some initiative)
• Feedback on progress
• Making arrangements for practical work and protected time for examinations

 

In addition, via the My Team/Manage Users section on iLearn the supervisor must:

• Approve the Cert 3 EOS course booking

and via the Supervisor Dashboard:

• Verify the submission of the Learning Agreement
• Verify the invigilation of the exams
• At the end of the course, confirm the required standard has been met and that the student has completed all the required work by verifying the submission of the Record of Achievement
• Approve the completion of the course

 

Your supervisor should plan to spend a minimum of one hour per week with you in direct discussion of course materials.

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Learning material

Upon enrolment and approval onto the course the student will have access to the following on their iLearn account.

• Course website containing:

• Course guides and video tutorials
• Downloadable PDF chapters 1-11, including exercises and appendices
• Support material and appendices

• Learning agreement
• Record of achievement
• Case studies
• Revision questions for each module
• Multiple choice examinations

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Practical Work

A number of practical exercises are undertaken in the workplace as part of the course. The practical content is a core element of the course and the exercises and case studies must be completed and Record of Achievement completed and submitted by the student and verified by the supervisor.

 

The Record of Achievement is available via the Cert 3 EOS course on iLearn. Supervisors are required to endorse the student’s work by verifying the Record of Achievement via the Supervisor Dashboard to certify that the student has completed the exercises satisfactorily.

 

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Examinations

Each of the 3 modules will be assessed via formal assessment.  Each module will have a multiple choice examination and all 3 modules must be completed in one sitting at the end of the course.

A pass in all 3 modules must be obtained to achieve the Certificate in Enhanced Services and Clinical Excellence. The pass mark is 60%.

All learning objectives laid out at the beginning of each module will be assessed and this may include objectives achieved through the completion of exercises or case studies, rather than actual module content.

As the course is fully flexible students can log on and sit their exams at any time from 4 weeks after starting the course to 12 months.  The course and exams must be completed in a 12 month period.

Exams must be invigilated by a GOC registered (or equivalent) professional and must be completed in store under exam conditions.  The supervisor (whether they invigilated the exam sitting or not) must verify the invigilation via the Supervisor Dashboard.

Students will be notified of their results as soon as they submit each module.  If a pass is not obtained the student can resit 3 days or more after the first attempt.  3 attempts at each module will be permitted, after which the student has to start the course again.

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Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

See below for information about the learning outcomes and assessment criteria for each module.

 

Module 1: Specsavers Enhanced Eyecare - Chapters 1-5

 

This module assesses the learner’s knowledge and understanding on enhanced eyecare and the skills required to provide clinical excellence.

 

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria:

 

1. Understand what is considered enhanced optical services.
2. Know the Principles of EOS.
3. Know what services are available in your area.
4. Understand what a MECS eye examination is comprised of and when it would be carried out.
5. Understand how to effectively triage a patient presenting with an eye condition.
6. Ensure compliance with GOC Standards of Practice.
7. Demonstrate knowledge of common eye conditions.
8. Understand the MECS patient journey and what it consists of.
9. Understand the criteria for inclusion in EOS schemes.
10. Understand the Opticians Act 1989 and what it governs.
11. Be able to carry out the following skills:  Completing a triage form, instilling eye drops, non-contact tonometry, visual fields testing and fundus photography.
12. Know what equipment is used in EOS and understand how it works.

 

Module 2: Cataract, Glaucoma and Diabetic Screening Services - Chapters 6-8

 

This module assesses the learner’s knowledge and understanding of cataract services, glaucoma services and diabetic eye screening services.

 

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria:

 

1. Understand the causes, symptoms and treatment of cataracts.
2. Understand the signs, symptoms and treatment of glaucoma.
3. Understand the risk factors, symptoms and treatment of diabetic retinopathy.
4. Understand the stages of the pre-operative cataract services.
5. Understand what is involved in post-operative cataract services.
6. Understand the referral process for domiciliary patients.
7. Know what is involved in the patient journey for cataract services.
8. Understand the categories of glaucoma patient services.
9. Know what is involved in the patient journey for glaucoma services.
10. Understand what is involved in diabetic retinal screening services.
11. Know what is involved in the patient journey for diabetic screening services.

 

Module 3: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) - Chapters 9-11

 

This module will assess the learner’s knowledge and understanding on the DVLA processes, regulation and required testing.

 

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria:

 

1. Understand the appropriate fields test method for DVLA assessment and how to assess whether or not the results are reliable enough to meet the DVLA requirements.
2. Understand the rules and guidance surrounding DVLA assessment and who may and may not legally perform each task within it.
3. Understand how to perform appropriate tasks to the specification set out by the DVLA, when delegated by a supervising DVLA-approved optometrist.
4. Understand how to manage patients' concerns and questions sensitively without divulging information inappropriately.
5. Understand the requirements of documentation for a DVLA assessment and communicate with the supervising optometrist if there are any errors in the record which need to be corrected.

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Guidance on Completing the Record of Achievement

The Record of Achievement is a document which allows the student to track their activity through the course and the supervisor to endorse the practical work carried out by the student in store.  This document can be found under the Cert 3 EOS course on iLearn. This must be completed and submitted electronically by the student and verified by the supervisor at the end of the course.

 

The document asks the student to declare that the work was carried out to a sufficient standard and the supervisor is happy to deem the student competent in the listed areas.

 

It is vital that the supervisor only verifies the submission of this form having observed and discussed each area with the student.  The student must NOT submit the form if the supervisor feels the student requires more time or practice in certain areas of the practical work. Instead the supervisor must wait until the student has sufficient time to improve on their skills and repeat the observation after the appropriate amount of time.

 

The student will not qualify or receive their certificate until the Record of Achievement has been submitted, and verified by the supervisor, regardless of examination results.

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