JUMP TO CONTENT

Home Visits: The importance of bringing people together

Sam Reed our consultant managing the role
Written by Sam Reed
Posting date: 08 Jul 2024

'You'll be surprised what you can learn about what interests you.' 

I’ve been with Specsavers for about 20 years now, after starting off working Saturdays while I was at university. I graduated with an optical management degree which allowed me to knuckle down and focus on the mechanics of what happens behind the scenes. I then started looking at doing something a bit more complex and clinical, going from being a contact lens optician to eventually a managerial role. This is when I started to get into leading a team and providing as much eye and hear care as I could. Now, I’m one of the directors for Specsavers home visits.

The history of domiciliary

It came to a point where Specsavers wanted to make sure we were able to see the customers that couldn’t get into store anymore. So, 10 years ago, I got into domiciliary and home visits, which was brand new at the time. Specsavers home visits are opposite to working in store as we travel to peoples’ homes, and the patients we see are different by nature. These are people unable to get into store, possibly less mobile or not in the same mental space they used to be. Alongside my domiciliary role, I also wanted to become a director so I could lead my team even further and make sure I could really look after our most vulnerable customers.

Taking care directly to the people

The patients we see now might not have seen a face in weeks or months, and you can be the one providing eye and hear care in their homes to ensure they have the highest quality of life possible. Taking on this role was a great step for me to be able to still be in optics, but also provide some type of value to the community. It really puts everything into perspective and I’m grateful I have the chance to give back someone’s smile. It can really be a lifeline for these people.

Showing care through D&I

As well as my domiciliary and home visit work, I’m part of the Committee of the Embrace Network, which is one of Specsavers’ diversity and inclusion networks. Embrace focuses on people who are connected to an ethnic background or are an ally to ethnic backgrounds, it gives us the platform where we can ask the right questions to provide the right solutions. You want to make sure, as an employer, that you’re offering a space where people can feel comfortable to be their true selves. It’s important for both our staff, and the patients we see and homes we enter, as everyone has some type of tradition, culture or religion.

The importance of bringing people together

I, myself, am mixed race – half Irish, half Jamaican – so it’s really important to me to prioritise D&I. Even though I now feel like I’m part of both the Black and Irish communities, I believe I understand what some people experience when they don’t feel they’re part of a community or don’t feel represented. Thankfully, in Specsavers there is representation and you do feel comfortable here. We have our diversity and inclusion networks for a reason, so if you don’t feel safe, if you don’t feel represented, there are people on the committee who act as a mentor to help you. And this isn’t just with the Embrace network, this is across all of the other D&I networks we have set up too.

Continuing to grow

There’s always room for improvement but we’ve come a long way and I’m confident that there’s plenty of opportunities with Specsavers. I’m comfortable where I am. I feel like I’ve gone from strength to strength and now there’s even more to achieve, so it’s onwards and upwards

Sam Reed our consultant managing the role
Written by Sam Reed
List #1

#FeelsLikeSpecsavers

From school leaver to Home Visits Director: Danielle's story

Teaser

Audiology

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

05/22/2025

Summary

From school leaver to Home Visits Director: A career built on care, growth, and support  When Danielle left school in 2005, she wasn’t entirely sure what her future would look like - but she k

Teaser

Read more
"I'm passionate that leadership is for everyone!"

Teaser

Support Office

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

05/08/2025

Summary

"I'm passionate that leadership is for everyone!"  In light of Learning at Work Week, Zoe Stebbings, Leadership Development Programme Manager for UK/ROI Retail, tells us about her career journey to

Teaser

Read more
"It's like watching light bulbs come on!"

Teaser

Support Office

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

05/08/2025

Summary

"It's like watching light bulbs come on!"  During Learning at Work Week 2025, Jenny Clifford, Global Learning Experience Design Lead, tells us why she loves learning and how Specsavers supports her

Teaser

Read more
"I wanted something bigger": Anna-Marie's story

Teaser

Dispensing

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

05/02/2025

Summary

Born and raised in England, Anna-Marie moved to Northern Ireland at 18, unsure of her career path. She dabbled in painting and art, but it wasn’t until she took a receptionist role at an independent o

Teaser

Read more
Make a difference as a Dispensing Optician at Specsavers

Teaser

Dispensing

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

04/14/2025

Summary

Rachel Clarke was seven years old when she decided she wanted to be an optician. Why? Because her ultimate hero, her dad, who knew the answers to every question she ever asked, didn’t know how her

Teaser

Read more
Personal and professional growth: Amy's story

Teaser

Dispensing

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

04/14/2025

Summary

Amy Griffiths, a dedicated Dispensing Optician at the Swansea Specsavers store, has a life that revolves around her passion for optics and her energetic collie, Aurora. "My life kind of really centres

Teaser

Read more
From Optics to Audiology: Kristi’s journey

Teaser

Audiology

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

04/09/2025

Summary

Kristi journey from optics to audiology is a reflection of her determination and passion for helping others. Initially working in the Redditch branch of Specsavers, Kristi was intrigued by a career

Teaser

Read more
Mike Davidson

by

Mike Davidson

Mike Davidson

by

Mike Davidson

Relocating from Nigeria to the UK: Chidinma's story

Teaser

International Careers

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

04/08/2025

Summary

A new beginning Chidinma Ulu is an Optometrist who relocated to Bristol from Nigeria back in 2021. She’s excited to share her journey, from her education in Nigeria to becoming a fully qualified Optom

Teaser

Read more
From nervous beginner to confident leader: Katie's story

Teaser

Apprenticeships

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

04/03/2025

Summary

Katie Marshall, Supervisor in our Wellington store, started out as an Optical Assistant Apprentice. From going through some particularly tough times due to health challenges to flourishing in her care

Teaser

Read more
My Journey from South Africa to the UK: An Audiologist's Perspective

Teaser

Audiology

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

03/21/2025

Summary

Hi, I'm Deveny, and I'm currently working as a Hearing Aid Dispenser and Clinical Lead at Specsavers Bishopsgate in London. Before moving to the UK, I worked in South Africa across three different lo

Teaser

Read more
Mike Davidson

by

Mike Davidson

Mike Davidson

by

Mike Davidson

View more jobs
List #1

Selected jobs for you

Spectacle Technician Apprentice 1

Salary

£7.75 an hour

Location

Alnwick, North East, United Kingdom

Contract Duration

Permanent

Area of Interest

Spectacle Maker Apprenticeship

Locations

Alnwick

Description

Are you a caring individual looking to start your career in an Optics environment? You’ve come to the right place.    As well as being passionate and motivated in everything you do, it’s important tha

Reference

sf-82263-1

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

Elisha Aunger

Author

Elisha Aunger
View job
Trainee Lab Technician

Salary

£10.20 - £12.41 an hour

Location

Bridlington, North East, United Kingdom

Contract Duration

Permanent

Area of Interest

Lab roles

Locations

Bridlington

Description

So, you’re a proactive people person and a great team player looking to start a career in Optics? If you are looking for a role that will allow you to use practical skills in a team environment, then

Reference

sf-82264-1

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

Elisha Aunger

Author

Elisha Aunger
View job
Customer Service Specialist

Salary

Up to £24,700 Dependent on Experience + bonus and benefits

Location

Nottingham, East Midlands, United Kingdom

Contract Duration

Permanent

Area of Interest

Retail Trading

Locations

Nottingham

Description

Join the Specsavers Corporate Eyecare Team! Are you ready to make a real difference in people's lives through better sight and hearing? At Specsavers, we're all about delivering outstanding value, bei

Reference

sf-81564-1

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

View job
View more jobs