NHS AfC: Band 7

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) is the largest community healthcare provider in Sussex.

• Over 8,400 full time, part time and bank staff members
• Medical, nursing and therapeutic care provided to over 10,000 children and adults a day
• July 2018 Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating of 'Good' with 'Outstanding' features
• Flexible working patterns offered across all services
• Thriving BAME, Disability and Wellbeing, LGBT+ and Religion and Belief staff networks
• Accredited Level 3 Disability Confident Leader

SCFT is an inclusive employer that promotes equality and challenges discrimination, and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds. Applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates, disabled candidates and LGBT+ candidates are particularly encouraged, to ensure the Trust's workforce reflects the diverse communities it serves.

Job overview

An exciting development opportunity has arisen with the NHSE funded Chailey Communication Aid Service (CCAS) for a Clinical Scientist to join the multi-disciplinary team. You will be working with a team of Clinical Scientists, Speech & Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and assistants who assess, provide and maintain communication aids and access technology for adults and children in Sussex and Surrey who meet the NHS England referral criteria. Your role will be to attend (and lead as appropriate) appointments in all areas of the referral pathway. You will lead elements of the service's continual development including in areas of equipment management and the quality management system.

Main duties of the job

You will ensure provision of high quality, client focused, specialist clinical assessment and prescription of assistive technology to children, young people or adults referred to the clinics and services at CCAS. You will be required to identify suitable commercially available equipment or design, develop and manufacture equipment, or modify and adapt existing equipment to an agreed solution.

You will provide additional specialist input in a range of clinics and provide a technical advisory role to the junior members of staff within the department and as appropriate outside agencies

Working for our organisation

The Communication Aid Service are in the midst of an exciting project of investment into new technologies used to manufacture and modify equipment. This project offers innovation opportunities for the whole department alongside team and service development. We also have a strong training and continuing professional development programme to grow and develop our own experienced team. We are looking for an enthusiastic individual who is keen to join us and work with the team to provide a high quality service to our clients.

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) is the largest community healthcare provider in Sussex.

• Over 8,400 full time, part time and bank staff members
• Medical, nursing and therapeutic care provided to over 10,000 children and adults a day
• July 2018 Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating of 'Good' with 'Outstanding' features
• Flexible working patterns offered across all services
• Thriving BAME, Disability and Wellbeing, LGBT+ and Religion and Belief staff networks
• Accredited Level 3 Disability Confident Leader

SCFT is an inclusive employer that promotes equality and challenges discrimination, and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds. Applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates, disabled candidates and LGBT+ candidates are particularly encouraged, to ensure the Trust's workforce reflects the diverse communities it serves.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder is to provide highly specialised clinical engineering services related to assistive technology to enable CCAS to assess and support clients with the most complex physical, communication and learning needs.

The post holder will be expected to undertake supervision of personnel within their service. The post holder will support line management with the day to day running of clinics/appointments and services in line with your grade and position.

The post holder is to act as a resource offering highly specialist clinical and/or technical advice and input on all issues related to postural management and other AT for professionals and clients across CCAS.

Chailey Communication Aid Service

This post is situated within a specialist communication aid service. The client group currently served have severe and complex communication difficulties and often associated complex physical disabilities. They require specific communication aids and technology to enable to them to access it which may need adaptations or bespoke design.

The post holder is required to attend (and lead as appropriate) specialist appointments on and off site as a clinical scientist and as part of a multidisciplinary team to assess the client and establish their communication and access requirements. The post holder is to ensure provision of high quality, client focused, specialist clinical assessment and prescription of Electronic Assistive Technology (to those accepted into Chailey Communication Aid Service). The post holder will be required to identify appropriate equipment and where necessary design, develop and manufacture equipment or modify and adapt existing equipment to an agreed solution. They require excellent communication skills to liaise with clients, their families and carers, other professionals and suppliers. The post holder will be expected to provide additional specialist input in a range of clinics when needed. They are also expected to provide a technical advisory role to the junior members of staff within the service, CCS and as appropriate outside agencies.

Please see Job Description attached for further information.

Person specification

Qualifications and/or professional registration
Essential criteria

• First degree in a relevant engineering subject.
• Registered with HCPC.

Desirable criteria

• Membership of a professional body e.g. Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) or Institute of Mechanical Engineering (IMechE)

Experience
Essential criteria

• Knowledge of electronic assistive Technology equipment.
• Experience of working in a healthcare setting.
• Experience of working with people with disabilities.
• Ability to use hand tools.

Other requirements
Essential criteria

• Ability to use IT software such as Microsoft Office.
• A current, valid driving licence
• Ability to travel to meet the requirements of the role.

This post may close earlier than the published closing date if sufficient applications are received.

Correspondence relating to this vacancy will be conducted electronically. If you have not heard from us within two weeks please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. Please ensure that you check your emails, including your junk folder, on a regular basis. References will be requested electronically as well; please ensure you provide correct contact details for referees.

Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• Clinical Scientist CCAS JD PS ( PDF , 819.0 KB )
• Clinical Scientist - Communication Aid JD PS ( PDF , 819.2 KB )
• Staff Benefits Brochure ( PDF , 484.5 KB )
• Easy Read Application Form ( PDF , 1.1 MB )