Regional Placement Facilitators (RPF)

HEIW is offering an exciting opportunity for experienced optometrists in Wales to step into a leadership role, providing education, training, and support to practices across the region. This role involves working closely with local optometry teams to help develop and deliver training programs, ensuring high standards of care and professional development across Wales. Although the job description looks daunting, if you're passionate about optometry, willing to learn, and ready for a new challenge, we encourage you to consider this role. It's 3 days a week with flexible hours, and it's also suitable for a job share. If you are interested, then please contact us at HEIW.Optometryatp@wales.nhs.uk for further details. We'd love to hear from you!

More than one position/post available, FTE to be decided upon appointment i.e. two posts at 22.5 hours per week or three posts at 15 hours per week.

To implement regional plans for post graduate optometry student placements in community optometry services across regions of Wales.

Working with HEIW, Welsh Universities, Health Boards, and wider stakeholders, this work will support high quality placement learningwithin designated geographical regions and ensure all governance arrangements are in place to enable maximum utilisation of placementcapacity.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will identify and support the development of new Advanced Training Practices (ATPs), increasing capacity to effectively support post graduate optometry and dispensing students.

They will support the development of both new and experienced practice supervisors and practice assessors, and those in wider practice education support roles.

The post holder will have autonomy within the role and will be making judgements on multi-stranded issues for which no precedent may exist.

They will co-ordinate audit and evaluate placement learning, whilst assisting Placement Leads to develop systems to resolve emerging issues.They will be required to provide regular progress reports conveying specialist clinical information to the Advanced Training Practice (ATP) lead.

The post holder will act as a role model in the training and development for postgraduate optometry educations and they will promote a learningenvironment that supports innovation and encourages excellence.

They will ensure the standardisation and quality assurance of education, training and mentoring to optometrists, dispensing opticians, ophthalmic medical practitioners.

The post holder will deputise for Education Leads in relevant meetings as required.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) is the strategic workforce body for NHS Wales with statutory functions that include education and training, workforce planning, workforce development and transformation, leadership and succession planning, and careers. Our purpose is to develop a workforce that delivers excellent care to patients/service users and excellent population health. We are a Special Health Authority working closely with our partners; Social Care Wales, education providers, professional and regulatory bodies and Welsh Government.

HEIW's is committed to developing an internal culture of choice. Our Values reflect our thoughts, feelings and beliefs in how we will, and will not, behave and treat others:

- Respect for All in every contact we have with others,

- Ideas that Improve: Harnessing creativity and continuously innovating, evaluating and improving,

- Together as a Team: Working with colleagues across NHS Wales and with partner organisations.

HEIW received the HPMA Award for Employee Engagement in 2019.

What you can expect:

- a corporate induction and 90 day Welcome itinerary,

- compassionate leadership,

- a meaningful values based performance appraisal process,

- the opportunity to impact upon health and social care services and the lives and wellbeing of the people of Wales.

Many of our colleagues and stakeholders have commented on the buzz and atmosphere we create by working together as "One HEIW Team". Do you want to join that team?