Enrolment
Due to COVID-19 we have made some changes to our enrolment process from 1 September 2020.
Registering for the Scheme in 2020-21
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic means we need to take a new approach to your enrolment on the Scheme in 2020-21. Unfortunately, we can’t yet begin your assessment process. We are working with the GOC to confirm the modifications we need to make so that your assessments can begin as soon as possible.
We do not want to disadvantage you in the meantime, so we have introduced a system that allows you to register for the Scheme in practice, work under supervision, and begin to gain the experience you need for the assessments. Click the button below to register and we will confirm your registration once your form has been processed.
As soon as the modified assessment process is ready to launch, you will be formally enrolled onto the Scheme. Your formal Scheme start date will be from the date of your formal enrolment, not your initial registration.
Eligibility criteria
To register as a trainee you must :
- have a degree in optometry of at least a lower second class honours standard from an institution whose course is approved by the GOC for direct entry to pre-registration training, or be currently enrolled on a GOC approved integrated Masters course
- have a valid Certificate of Clinical Competence (this is valid for two years from the date of the award of your degree, successful completion of the Optometry Progression Scheme or the last date of your enrolment as a pre-registration trainee). Normally a Certificate of Clinical Competence will be awarded to all trainees who graduate with a 2.2 grade or above
- be on the GOC Student Register, and remain on the register throughout your Scheme for Registration training.
Next steps
Within seven working days of your supervisor accepting you as a trainee and of receiving your confirmed degree result, we will send you an email that will confirm that we have approved your registration and that you may begin testing under supervision.
You may not begin practising under supervision until you have received email confirmation from us.
If you've not heard within 7 working days, please check the application status of your form via your online college membership account. This will explain if there is any reason why we are unable to complete your registration.
FAQs
How do I apply to register on the Scheme?
You can register now using the Scheme for Registration form.
Do I need to pay fees to register?
No. Enrolment fees are only payable once the assessment process begins. When completing the registration form, either select your employer as the fee payer, or if the fees will be paid by you, select cheque payment. You will be able to change your method of payment once formal enrolment takes place.
If you have registered, and your fees have already been paid, we will hold these until the enrolment fees for 2020/21 are confirmed, and will make any adjustments required.
Will I be able to count numbers completed during the registration period for their pre-registration numbers and use them as evidence for assessments?
Yes. You should log all patient experience in your logbook, including supervisor details. There are some changes this year to the numbers that you require – we will confirm these changes soon – as well as a new category to include appointments such as a remote telephone consultation or a MECS.
How do I record numbers completed during the registration period?
We will providing a new logbook for trainees to fit with the new requirements for patient numbers. For now, record everything that you are doing in the current logbook. You can transfer your patients over to the new logbook when it is ready. Download and use the logbook.
Do supervisor requirements and supervision rules apply from the point of registration on the Scheme?
Yes. Supervisors still need to adhere to all the current rules regarding College membership, Introduction to Supervision training, qualifying period and existing trainees.
We have proposed supervision changes to the GOC. These are intended to make supervision simpler and easier for both employers and supervisors, as well as to enhance the trainee experience. Once approved by the GOC, these changes will come into effect, and you will be informed.
Do supervisors need to arrange a hospital placement for trainees?
No. Once enrolled, trainees will complete the Hospital Eye Service component of the Scheme online with our new virtual resource.
Is there anything else I can do to prepare for Scheme assessments?
We strongly recommend that you engage with the Preparing for Pre-reg transition programme. We have developed this in collaboration with universities and employers to help you maintain your skills.
Privacy statement
We will use your information to process your registration on the Scheme for Registration and to contact you about assessments and the OSCE during your time on the Scheme.
We will share your name, practice address, contact phone number and email with College assessors. Your listed Pre-Registration supervisor/s will receive a copy of all your stage 1 and stage 2 work-based assessment reports, including results and feedback. We will share your final results at the end of the Scheme with the GOC, including if you are removed from the Scheme.
For the payment of the supervisor grants, we will share your name, your supervisor’s name, your practice address and the dates during which you are being supervised, with the NHS or the body processing the grants on their behalf.
For the purposes of marking your work-based assessments and your OSCEs, we will enter your name and results into our assessment software. This information will only be accessed by the College and the software company in order to process your results.
We will only share your work-based assessment and OSCE results with your employers if you tell us to.
We may need to share your name with examination venues for security purposes.
We will also contact you to let you know about College events related to the Scheme for Registration
In the event of an investigation which results in referral to the GOC under its fitness to practise proceedings, we will share the investigation documents and your assessment records and information with the GOC. We will not share your Scheme for Registration details with any other third parties
We will keep all data about your time on the Scheme for one year after you have qualified and then we will delete it. We will keep your final results in relation to your time on the Scheme for Registration in perpetuity.
Scheme for Registration Registration Form