AOP locum register guidelines for usage and FAQs
Guidelines for usage
To ensure that you and your prospective employers get the most from this register, please follow the guidance below when creating your entry and read our FAQs.
Name
Your name on your locum register entry will be the first name and surname we hold for you on the AOP membership database. If you wish to change your name, for example because you are recently married, you can do so in MyAOP/My details. Please note that if you undertake CET with the AOP or OT, the surname we hold for you must match that held by the GOC. By changing it in MyAOP/My details, you will be changing your entire membership record.
Contact details
The email address used to contact you via the online form will be your AOP contact email. This will only be visible to the member contacting you if you then choose to respond to them by email. If you wish to change your email, you can do so in MyAOP/My details but please note this will change the email for all your AOP communications.
Including a phone number is optional. If you do choose to include one, it will be visible to all active, logged-in members searching the locum register.
Writing style
- Wording should be aligned to our Website Terms and Conditions
- Use appropriate language, without discrimination or obscenities
- Write in the first person - for example "I’m an experienced optometrist” rather than “she is an experienced optometrist”
- Write in plain English
About you
This mandatory section allows you to talk about your work and tells potential employers what to expect from you. The first few lines of this section will appear in the locum register search results for potential employers to read. They can then click through to your page for the full copy.
When completing this section, put yourself in the position of someone looking for a locum and think about what you would want to know in that situation. We suggest adding information about your skills, experience and general availability.
This section has a minimum of 10 words and a maximum of 150 words. We reserve the right to correct spelling mistakes and grammatical errors without your approval.
Languages
You can include details of any languages you speak in your personal details. If you speak a language that is not widely spoken in the UK but useful for the area in which you practise, this could set you apart from other locums working in the same area.
A professional website
In your entry, you can include a link to your professional website to help employers find out more about you, your practice and services. Please don't include links to other directories which you use to advertise, aside from LinkedIn.
Testimonials
Testimonials can demonstrate your experience and success and help employers choose a locum.
When including a testimonial, make sure it appears in "quotation marks" followed by the employer’s initials or practice, but not their full name.
Testimonials must comply with the Endorsements and testimonials requirements from Section 3 (3.45-3.52) of the Advertising Standard Authorities' UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Promotional Marketing.
Photograph
Including a photograph in your entry can help it stand out and look more professional and friendly. Generally, people like to see a photo of the person they will be contacting.
Choose a clear, portrait style image of your head and shoulders against a plain background. Your photo should not include other people as this may confuse potential employers. We also advise excluding distractions such as pets, food or drink.
We will not accept any images which include logos.
If you do not add an image, it will be replaced with an avatar.
Postcode
Our search is based on geographical location.
To help employers find you, you’ll need to include a full postcode in your entry. We can't publish your entry without this information.
Your full postcode will not be shown to members viewing the register. We only use your postcode to make sure you appear in relevant searches, and the first part of your postcode will show when a member does not include a location in their search, otherwise it will just show your distance from their location.
Practitioner type
In order to appear in the register, you will need to add a practitioner type from: O, CL, TO, DO.
Optional fields
Optional fields on the register include your:
- Skills
- Day rate
We strongly suggest you add these in order to maximise your chance of being included in search results.
Contacting a member on the locum register
If you are an employer looking for a locum via the register, you will be able to contact them via an online form. The details you will need to submit as part of the form are:
- Your full name
- Your email address
- Your phone number
- A covering message which should include details of the locum cover you are contacting them for
If the locum has chosen to include a phone number, you can use this to contact them too.
A locum’s contact details should only be used for the purpose of an employer member getting in touch about locum cover. It cannot be used by members for any other purpose including by members with locum agencies, or for the purpose of harvesting data from the register. Any misuse of the register will be dealt with in accordance with our Website Terms and Conditions.
Frequently asked questions
How do I join the AOP locum register?
To list yourself on the AOP locum register you need to be an active member of the AOP. Click on MyAOP/locum-register, log in to your AOP account and click ‘Edit details’. Then tick ‘I wish to appear in the locum register’ and click ‘Save’ before you leave the page. It will be published immediately.
How do I edit or remove my entry in the register?
You can update your entry at any time by visiting MyAOP/locum-register, logging in to your AOP account and editing your profile.
You can remove your entry at any point by visiting MyAOP/locum-register, logging in to your AOP account and unticking ‘I wish to appear in the locum register’. Remember to click ‘Save’ before you leave the page.
Removal from the register is automatic based on your deselection of ‘I wish to appear in the locum register’. If your AOP membership lapses, you will be removed within five working days. After your membership lapses, you will receive an email notification about your removal from the AOP locum register, with instructions on how to renew your membership.
If you re-join the association after letting your membership lapse and still wish to appear in the locum register, you will need to re-select ‘I wish to appear in the locum register’. All your other details will be saved.
If you do not re-join the association within two years, the information you included in the locum register, including your photograph, will be deleted.
Who can see the AOP locum register?
The register is behind the member firewall and, as such, can only be seen by active, logged-in members of the AOP. If you choose to appear in the locum register, you agree that your entry will appear on the website and can be viewed by any active, logged-in AOP member. You can remove your entry at any time.
What personal details will be shown to members?
Members will see:
- Your first name and surname
- Your phone number (if you choose to list one)
- Your photograph (if you choose to include one)
- The first part of your postcode (in some searches)
Members will not see:
- Your email address (unless you choose to respond by email after a member contacts you via the online form)
- Your full postcode
How do I make my entry stand out?
Please follow our guidelines for usage (at the top of this page) to help make your entry stand out to employers.
What do I do if I receive unwanted or inappropriate messages via the online form?
Members are only permitted to use the locum register for the purposes of advertising or finding locum cover and are always expected to adhere to our terms and conditions of use. If you receive any unwanted communication via the online form, please contact us immediately on [email protected] or 020 7549 2007 and retain any messages you have received.
Feedback
You can let us know what you think about the AOP locum register, and what further improvements you would like in terms of content, design or functionality by emailing [email protected]