Job summary
- Main area
- Clinical Scientist
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 22.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 150-MM1649-PC
- Employer
- Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Chailey Communication Aid Services
- Town
- Chailey
- Salary
- £46,148 - £52,809 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 05/05/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Clinical Scientist
Band 7
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Chailey Communication Aid Service (CCAS) for an experienced Clinical Scientist. We are looking for someone to join us with a passion for clinical work and a commitment to facilitate communicative independence for our highly specialist and complex caseload.
We work with children, young people and adults across all of Sussex (including Brighton and Hove) and Surrey, who have been referred to us due to complex communication and access challenges.
Main duties of the job
You will work effectively as a member of the CCAS team to ensure safe and efficient provision of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
You will undertake and where relevant lead highly specialised assessments of children, young people and adults with diverse or complex communication disabilities and use specialist analysis, clinical reasoning, listening skills to determine their requirements. Clinics and interventions will take place at Chailey Clinical services and across East and West Sussex, Surrey, Brighton and Hove as required.
You will need to take account of the medical, therapeutic, nursing and other requirements relevant to the equipment to be produced/provided and to have adequate clinical knowledge to understand the usage implications of the devices in question.
Our Clinical Scientist needs to be able to independently formulate and design, develop and manufacture novel equipment or adapt and modify existing equipment to help solve individual problems where standard equipment does not meet the client’s needs.
You will use sound engineering techniques and other specialised practices to develop the equipment required and to seek advice when in doubt. You will need to be responsible for the engineering and functional competence of the equipment produced and to seek advice when in doubt. It will be important to be able to advise all concerned and produce the necessary documentation on the technical aspects of the use of the equipment produced.
Working for our organisation
We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.
Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.
Why work for us?
• Positive 2023 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing
• Varied environments: community hospitals, patients’ homes, and bases across Sussex
• Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement
• Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
• Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
• Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust
• Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast
Our values—Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence—guide everything we do.
We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.
This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You will carry out all duties and responsibilities in accordance with requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act, relevant statutory requirements approved codes of conduct and local policies and procedures with particular regard to personal safety and that of colleagues in the workshop.
You will need to produce written information associated with the equipment produced e/g/ user instructions in line with the legislation associated with the manufacture of medical devices.
Another important element of the role is to teach and train other members of CCAS and Healthcare Science staff on aspects of design development and manufacture of assistive technology.
You will need to work independently to provide clinical engineering lead to multidisciplinary teams dealing with complex and highly specialist caseloads.
Main responsibilities:
- To undertake and where relevant lead highly specialised assessments of children, young people and adults with diverse or complex communication disabilities and use specialist analysis, clinical reasoning, listening skills to determine their requirements. Clinics and interventions will take place at Chailey Clinical services and across East and West Sussex, Surrey, Brighton and Hove as required.
- To participate in a programme of research and development and assist in identifying research projects and the development of related research grant applications.
- To contribute to and undertake a share in the management of designated CCAS processes.
- To contribute to and undertake a share in the management of designated CCAS quality systems.
- To provide leadership and clinical supervision to more junior members of the CCAS team.
- To monitor CCAS service provision and seek guidance and advice as necessary.
- To compile and process the documentation associated with the work undertaken in a timely manner and assist senior management with documentation associated with the general procedures of the service &/or department.
- To present the work undertaken at CCAS at multidisciplinary meetings and conferences, and to train others as required on academic courses, parent workshops etc.
- Investigate and monitor trials of new equipment.
- To undertake CPD in line with the requirements of HCPC and IPEM.
- To develop links user groups, local therapy teams and other stakeholders across the region in order to ensure that the service operates efficiently.
Person specification
Qualifications and professional registration
Essential criteria
- Registration or eligible for registration as a Clinical Scientist
- Completion of 3 year STP clinical training scheme, or equivalent (in order to register with the HCPC as a Clinical Scientist).
- First degree in an appropriate engineering subject
- MSc/MPhil level qualification in relevant area
- Professional membership of an Engineering Insitution (eg IPEM, IMechE, IET)
Experience
Essential criteria
- Completion of STP Rehabilitation Engineering specialism or equivalent in order to register with HCPC as a clinical scientist
- Experience of working with children and adults with complex disabilities
- Independent problem solving including using mechanical engineering techniques
- Practical experience of undertaking structured, formal research
Desirable criteria
- Teaching and training experience
- Provision of a range of specialist assistive technology (e.g postural management equipment, daily living equipment, EAT)
- Working within and developing quality systems i.e. ISO 9001, ISO 13485 and EN 46001
SKills and Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Ability to work as an effective team member
- Evidence of clinical engineering competence in areas related to Electronic Assistive Technology
- Developed communication (both written and verbal) & interpersonal skills
- Able to work flexibly and organise and prioritise work and those of other members of staff
- Confidence and competence in engineering skills & know when to seek assistance
- Able to communicate with clients who have physical, and/or learning disabilities and their carers with tact and sensitivity
- Knowledge of manufacturing using a range of techniques or materials (competent or prepared to undertake training to operate workshop machinery where required)
- To convey complex information to staff of other disciplines and users/cares in a manner in which it is understood.
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge & understanding of quality management systems
- Computer Aided Design (CAD) &/or Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM), 3d printing, scanning knowledge.
Other requirements
Essential criteria
- Ability to travel over large geographical areas
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Samantha Mickelwright
- Job title
- Clinical Scientist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01825 721506
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