Leanne Glanville is a dispensing optician (DO) who volunteers for charity Vision Care for Homeless People
Q. What’s your role?
A. I’ve been a qualified dispensing optician (DO) since 2016. I currently work as a locum once a week and volunteer with Vision Care for Homeless People (VHCP) once a month. Locums are temporary workers, rather than permanent, often self-employed.
During my 17 years in optics I have worked in most departments in high street practice.
I started wearing glasses when I was eight and had always dreamed of working in a practice one day.
The team I was working with were very supportive when I voiced my interest in the ophthalmic dispensing course at Bradford College. It was hard to combine working with studying but I’m very proud to be a DO.
Q. Why did you want to volunteer?
I had wanted to volunteer for a few years but didn’t know where to start. I felt it would work around occasional locum shifts and looking after my young children.
I really wanted to use my skills and knowledge to do something that would help others. I was told an old colleague of mine volunteered for VCHP at St George’s Crypt in Leeds. They provide emergency accommodation for people who are homeless or sleeping rough.
Applying to volunteer was really straightforward using the form on the website and it wasn’t long before I was working in a clinic.
Q. What do you start with every day?
I work as a locum, doing regular shifts at the branch where I worked permanently for over 10 years. The benefit of this is that I know the store layout and get to work with the team that encouraged me to study. I know this isn’t the norm for most locums – usually they spend the first part of their work day familiarising themselves with a new practice.
When I arrive for my shift one of the first things I do is check the diary. This will give me an idea of any children’s appointments, problem-solving appointments or re-checks that have been scheduled. Each day can be different but it’s always enjoyable.
Re-checks are when people need to come back to have another eye test. One example of this is if a patient is struggling with their vision in new spectacles. We would check everything with the spectacles first and then book back in with an optometrist to check the prescription again.
Volunteering shifts are quite different. The first thing we do is start setting up the equipment and putting frames out on display. We then liaise with the team who run the centre.
They let us know if glasses have arrived, been collected and if they’ve already gathered a list of patients for our clinic that day. It really feels like we are working with the team at the crypt rather than going in to do a separate clinic.
Q. How do you wrap up your day and prepare for the next one?
At the end of a locum shift I like to make sure all my notes are on the system and all my paperwork is where it needs to be, I ensure there’s nothing left for other members of the team to finish off for me.
It’s the same when I’m volunteering, ensure everything is completed, pack all our equipment away and pass on any messages to the rest of the team.
Q. What are the main challenges?
One of the main challenges that I come across in practice is keeping up to date with available products, especially as a locum as this changes across practices.
Whilst volunteering the main challenge is getting the clinic fully booked. It doesn’t happen often but there can be the odd day that’s quieter. We always ensure everyone knows we are there if they need any eyecare.
Q. What do you love about what you do?
The most rewarding part of my role in either setting is providing patients with the spectacle correction they need. The main difference is that the VCHP clinic ensures every patient has a spectacle correction free of charge, even if they are not eligible for NHS glasses.
Volunteering with VCHP has been so rewarding. In the first three years alone the clinic gave glasses to over 300 homeless and vulnerable people. We carry out around 150 eye tests a year in Leeds. VHCP has performed 20,000 eye tests in the past 20 years across all its clinics.
Being able to see is something most of us take for granted but it’s often difficult for homeless people to get eye tests and spectacles. Yet eye tests are vital for your health as well as your sight.
We have seen people with serious, untreated glaucoma at risk of going blind, a man who had already gone blind in one eye from a treatable condition, and one person who had not been able to see out of either eye for 10 years.
I would like to volunteer more frequently in the future. I understand that having the free time to volunteer can be a barrier for some people but I really would recommend it.
Knowing that we are providing accessible free eye care in a safe, welcoming environment is why I will continue to volunteer for VCHP.
Q. What would you say to someone thinking about volunteering?
It’s always useful to visit a charity’s website and learn about who they are and what they are doing. If you find it interesting and want to get involved, then it’s just a case of getting in touch. If you have the time to give, you really won’t regret volunteering.
- VCHP provides free eye tests and glasses to people affected by homelessness. They have clinics across the country. There are a variety of roles, including administrators and assistants, as well as qualified dispensing opticians and optometrists. Find out more about volunteering at a clinic near you.