The College of Optometrists

1. Prior to commencement of the pre-registration training the supervisor and practice must be approved by the College on submission of form PR1.
2. Each trainee must have a supervisor approved by the College.
3. A supervisor may only supervise one trainee, except as in para 1.9 below
4. To be approved, a Supervisor must be a member of the College and have been registered with the General Optical Council for at least 3 years immediately before the beginning of the placement.
5. Each trainee is to have sole access to a consulting room for the testing of sight for a minimum of 20 hours per week.
6. The Supervisor must be directly available (i.e. on the premises) to his or her trainee for 50 percent of the trainee's working week.
7. Whenever the trainee is undertaking the testing of sight the supervisor, or a registered optometrist, must provide continuous personal supervision. The GOC takes the view that this requires the presence of the person exercising supervision on the premises. The fitting of contact lenses must also be under the continuous personal supervision of a registered optometrist or registered contact lens optician.
8. The supervisor must ensure that any other registered optometrist or contact lens optician who is to supervise the trainee is aware of his/her responsibilities and has agreed to undertake the supervision requirement.

      9.   Supervisors may take on a second trainee within the following parameters:

• that the first trainee has undertaken the third quarterly  Work- based Assessment;
• that there are sufficient facilities within the practice for both trainees to have the sole use of  a consulting room for the testing of sight for a minimum of 20 hours a week
• that the clinical and educational experience of the second trainee would not be diminished in any way

1. Two or more pre-registration trainees may be employed in a single practice. The General Requirements listed in Section 1 apply subject to the following:
2. Each trainee must have a separately approved supervisor. At least one supervisor must have been registered with the General Optical Council for at least 3 years immediately before the beginning of the placement and be a member of the College. That supervisor will be known as the Principal Supervisor.
3. The other supervisors in the practice must have been registered with the General Optical Council for at least one year immediately before the beginning of the placement and be members of the College.
4. Each supervisor must be on the premises for 50% of the time of his/her trainee's working week. At all other times the supervisor must ensure that his trainee is supervised by a registered optometrist when testing sight as specified in the General Requirements.
5. The Principal Supervisor has a responsibility for all trainees in the practice.

1. Registration of joint supervision is required when the trainee is employed by more than one employer, in which case an approved supervisor is required for each employer.
2. Both supervisors must comply with the registration requirement as listed in Para 1.4 and the requirements of Paras 1.7 and 1.8.
3. The total time the trainee has sole use of a consulting room for the testing of sight must be a minimum of 20 hours per week.
4. Each supervisor must be on the premises and available to the trainee for 50% of the trainees time spent with that employer.
5. Both supervisors will have to complete one PR1 form each.