Specsavers Hearing Care
The client
Specsavers is one of the UK’s best-known optical and audiology service providers, operating as a joint venture partnership with hundreds of stores across the country owned and run by the opticians and audiologists delivering essential eye and hearing care to millions of customers.
With a commitment to professional and clinical excellence, Specsavers invest heavily in staff training and development to maintain compliance with healthcare regulations while continuously improving service delivery. Their integrated approach to care means every process must work seamlessly together, requiring sophisticated audit capabilities to ensure their strict standards are maintained across all their operations.
The project
Specsavers needed specialist internal auditor training to maintain compliance with IQIPS 9, the audiology standard they hold through UKAS accreditation.
The standard requires both horizontal and vertical auditing, examining individual processes while understanding how they integrate across the entire business.
This wasn’t straightforward training they could pick up anywhere.
They needed someone who could grasp the complexity of their healthcare operations and deliver tailored training that would genuinely improve their audit capabilities.
Our solution
Rather than offering a generic internal auditor course, we took a completely bespoke approach. Our assessor, Dan Pemberton, spent time observing how Specsavers currently conducts its audits, understanding current processes and identifying exactly where the training needed to focus.
We then adapted our training materials and delivery to ensure every element would help them meet their IQIPS 9 compliance requirements.
The training covered the technical aspects of effective auditing along with the broader business understanding needed for their horizontal and vertical audit approach. Dan said:
“Our approach to this project was completely customised. It was all about taking the time to really understand the client’s needs before working out what we could deliver for them. We made sure their team could see how individual processes connected to the partnership’s bigger picture and purpose, essential for operations where everything impacts patient care.”
The impact
The results were immediate and visible. Colleagues who completed the training showed a dramatically improved understanding of both audit techniques and how their processes fit into wider business operations. Their internal audit capabilities transformed, giving them confidence in their IQIPS 9 compliance and improving their overall business processes.
The training was so successful that we’ve become Specsavers’ retained training provider, working with them since 2022 and delivering 36 courses to more than 200 delegates. Most importantly, the roll out of this training means they now have a team of skilled internal auditors who can maintain their high standards of compliance while continuously improving their operations through effective audit practices.
Testimonial
“The training is outstanding and has been well received by our colleagues. The difference it has made to our business processes and the understanding it has given is plain to see.
“Dan really took the time to really understand our operations before designing the training. The personalised approach in designing the training specifically to meet our needs made all the difference. It was effectively tailored to our healthcare environment and compliance requirements.
“Three years on, ISO QSL is still our go-to training provider and we’re looking forward to developing the relationship further.”
Chris Lakin
Head of Clinical & Quality Standards – Audiology, Specsavers Healthcare Ltd