Dentist Pathway

For dentist clients

The Programme is designed to enable refugees, who have the right to remain in the UK, and who possess overseas dental qualifications linked with experience, to requalify and be able to practise in the UK.

Restart Refugee Support the trading name of the Barry Family Foundation, a UK charity and Restart Dental Refugee Support Limited, its wholly owned subsidiary, are lending funds to refugees: This programme is designed to maximise the success of its clients who wish to enter the UK profession.

Clients of the programme have to follow the following Pathway to qualify for support, some variation may be considered by the Dental Panel, in special circumstances:

1. All candidates FOR THE PATHWAY must demonstrate sufficient fluency in English, and for requalification as a Dentist, this involves IELTS qualification, (OET qualification, may be acceptable in the future). Only when English adequacy has been demonstrated will candidates be able to move to the next step.
2. Before assessment by the Dental Panel, a full CV will be required.
3. All candidates will then be assessed by our Dental Panel, to confirm that the candidates training and skills will be sufficient to enter the Pathway. 
4. Panel review may involve practical tests to include the use of a manikin.
5. If approved for the Pathway, the applicant, before becoming a client of Restart must:

A.     Agree to enter into our standard Loan Agreement, which will assist in the financing of LDS1, 2 and 3, and at our discretion ORE 1 and 2. For the avoidance of doubt, the client is expected to have worked as a dental nurse before any finance will be provided for LDS3 or ORE 2, Restart will also look to making loan funding available towards the cost of a manikin and supplies, but will not support courses.

B.     If the candidate fails any exam whilst receiving Restart support, then we will look to the candidate to self-fund on a resit.

C.    The requirement of working as a dental nurse is to ensure the client is fully immersed in clinical environment and procedures in the UK. It is generally expected that qualified dental nursing work will be for at least a year but must be for not less than either 6 months’ work in this capacity or work for that period for a temporary staffing agency work. In either case for not less than 16 hours per week.

D.     When the client believes they are ready to take LDS3/ORE2, AT A TIME NO EARLIER THAN THE COMPLETION OF C ABOVE. Restart in its absolute discretion will decide whether it will assist funding at that time.

6. At the current time The Pathway Restart membership is guaranteed places for exams for the Royal College of Surgeons (LDS exams) and Restart submits an approved list to the RCS in advance of the formal opening of applications for exams. Since the end of 2024, The GDC will offer priority to refugees who register with them. We have an arrangement with the GDC which facilitates payment for exams which our members book directly with GDC.

7. The Client formally agrees to the above Pathway and agrees to the ReStart Privacy Policy which is found here https://www.restartrefugeesupport.org/privacy and agrees to ReStart circulating the applicants contact details to all other dentists on the ReStart Dental Pathway WhatsApp group.

8. Please complete the following form to find out if you are eligible: