Jane Partridge

How long have you been a Dispensing Optician?

I’ve been a dispensing optician for over 30 years.

What made you decide to be a Dispensing Optician?

My grandfather was an optician watchmaker. My father took over the jewellers and my aunt became an optometrist. So I was just following the family lead.

What's the best part of being a Dispensing Optician?

I love the challenge of meeting people’s needs and customer interaction I started my career with Ted Watts Opticians who was a dispensing optician working within the hospital eye service I’ve worked for multiples and also owned my owned my own Specsavers franchises

I trained with Boots to become a CLO about 20 years ago and I now work as a self-employed practitioner.

You are a volunteer for Vision Care for Homeless People tell us more about that.

I volunteer for Vision Care because I enjoy the atmosphere it’s rather like working in the hospital service 30 years ago you have to think on your feet and make your own decisions.  The clients are chaotic so it makes your decisions all the more important.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about training to be a dispensing optician?

I think the profession is developing in all sorts of directions and opportunities are opening up for dispensing opticians. It is a very exciting time to join the profession which has allowed me to develop personally and professionally and is flexible to enable family life.