Job summary
An opportunity has arisen for a full time, permanent Band 4 Associate Healthcare Science Associate Practitioner (ACHSP) to join the team in the Oxford Genetics Laboratories (OGL), a part of the Central & South Genomic Laboratory Hub (GLH). The OGL operates across both the John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals and staff may be required to work at either or both sites. Please note that we are unable to offer skilled worker visa sponsorship for this role and candiadates will be expected to attend a face-to-face interview in Oxford.
AHCSPs undertake practical laboratory work to process samples for genetic and genomic testing under the supervision of experienced Genetic Technologists or Clinical Scientists and following Standard Operating Procedures. This includes associated administration and laboratory housekeeping tasks.
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate good communication and organisational skills, and the manual dexterity to perform laboratory processes, along with flexibility, efficiency and attention to detail in their work. Some experience of practical laboratory work is essential, though full training will be given.
The pattern of full time work is typically Monday to Friday and 9am-5pm, but the role may involve rotation between this and 8am-4pm and/or 10am-6pm patterns.
Main duties of the job
Associate Practitioners undertake technical and administrative duties that support the administrators, technologists and clinical scientists in Specimen reception and the main laboratories of the department. They take personal responsibility for their own work, which is protocol driven, on a daily basis subject to the supervision of higher graded Genetic Technologists or Clinical Scientists. They also participate in defined regular duties on a rotational basis, including monitoring of work areas for health and safety and cleanliness. The may be required to undertake duties within a defined section and/or across technical sections within the laboratory.
They process a wide range of pathological specimens for a broad range of inherited conditions according to standard operating procedures, and are competent in the use of patient databases state of the art technologies and a limited number of software packages, some of which are complex, to assess the quality of processes performed.
They are expected to communicate technical, scientific and confidential information to colleagues within their department in electronic, written and verbal forms.
Associate Genetic Technologists participate in the teaching and training load of the department staff within the limits of their experience.
About us
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training, and research. Find out more here www.ouh.nhs.uk
The Trust comprises of four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Duties & responsibilitiesClinical Service
1. Deliver the technical service of a section/subsection or designated area of work to nationally accepted standards (UKAS or equivalent) with appropriate supervision to include the following:a. Follow standard operating procedures for the receipt, booking in,processing and analysis of samples
b. Review appropriate risk and COSHH assessments in areas relevant toown practise and abide by laboratory health and safety policiesc. Undertake basic troubleshooting for failed analysesd. Validate quality of technical analysis, repeat and perform subsequentinvestigations following discussions with more senior technologists orclinical scientists according to defined criteriae. Arrange dispatch of different types of samples. Deal with queries relatingto the receipt and dispatch of samples, including products of conception(received for post-mortem examination), and other tissues.2. Establish, maintain, sub-culture and harvest cell cultures, or undertake DNA extraction, from a variety of biological specimens received which may be high risk (eg HIV, Hep C) and/ or derived from recognisable human or fetal parts, by all methods currently employed in the laboratory and to work safely under exposure to toxic substances which are hazardous to health.3. Identify unusual or failed results and bring them to the attention of senior technologist or scientists for further discussion4. Liaise with senior technical or scientific colleagues over availability of equipment, sample prioritisation, or requirement for supplementary cell cultures or chromosome preparations, when planning work schedules in designated areas of work, in accordance with laboratory protocols and under the supervision of the Section Head and/or Laboratory Director.5. Supply a high level of technical expertise in the investigative procedures involved and take a daily responsibility for his/her own work, subject to the supervision and direction of section head or other senior staff. Be adaptable to changing diagnostic workload pressures, by making independent day-to-day decisions about own workload. The post holder must communicate all problems with, and when necessary obtain help/advice from, appropriate senior staff
6. Attend, and actively participate in, team and laboratory meetings with opportunity to propose improvements in efficiency and changes to scientific and technical protocols and to contribute to the development and implementation of departmental policies within the limits of experience.
Laboratory Management7. Undertake appropriate duties to fulfil quality control programs, including recording of appropriate data according to operating procedures, validation and verification of new reagents and protocols.8. Safely handle and store chemicals of a volatile or hazardous nature including carcinogens and neurotoxic agents. Dispose of hazardous chemicals and biohazard waste.9. Take day to day responsibility for use of, daily maintenance, monitoring and care of instrumentation within the laboratory (to include safety, performance and temperature of equipment e.g. biological safety cabinets, incubators, fridges and freezers).Staff10. Participate in the teaching and training of new members of staff or lessexperienced employees in own work area by demonstrating own work activities and routine practice.
Research and Service Development11.Assist clinical scientists in research and development projects which meet the overall objectives of the department.
Personal Development12. Attend relevant in house training at an appropriate level for the development and maintenance of skills, knowledge and expertise required for the post (eg training on specific equipment/instrumentation, presentations on relevant topics)
Informatics/Bioinformatics13.Be proficient in the use of state of the art software packages for the analysis of
DNA samples14.Be proficient at entering and retrieving relevant information from Excelspreadsheets and databases, including the laboratory information management system (LIMS).
General15.Abide by all Operational Policies applicable to the Department16.Co-operate with management and safety representatives in matters connected with the Health and Safety at Work Act of Practice for safety in laboratories17.Take responsibility for the accuracy of his/her own work, and undertake an appropriate proportion of the total workload of the Department. The post holder will collaborate with all other staff, to be an effective team member, and achieve optimal use of resources18.Participate in internal quality control and internal and external quality assessment procedures19.Work within the section/subsection to ensure achievement of and adherence to the standards required of an accredited laboratory, in close liaison with the Quality manager and under the direction of the section head and laboratory director.20.Participate in the preparation of the department for accreditation.21.Implement laboratory record keeping processes and assist with retrieval and presentation of data as required22.Take responsibility with others for the maintenance of stocks of reagents and consumables to ensure the proper functioning of the laboratory and efficient use of resources. Ensure that all equipment is used appropriately and safely and that any faults are reported for immediate rectification23.Take responsibility with others for the daily maintenance of complexinstrumentation systems within the laboratory24.Participate in regular performance review and personal development planning25.Attend regular team, laboratory and departmental meetings and contribute to the development and implementation of departmental policies26.Maintain confidentiality of information about patients, staff and other health service business in accordance with Data Protection Act of 1984.27.Participate in out of hours duties, if required, in line with the Department Out of Hours Policy28.Work such hours as required for the effective and timely performance of his/her duties, as specified in the terms of the contract of employment29.Undertake any other duties commensurate with experience and job role as a result of changes to the service as agreed by the Consultant Head of Laboratory or Trust and reviewed as part of the annual staff appraisa
Job description
Job responsibilities
Duties & responsibilitiesClinical Service
1. Deliver the technical service of a section/subsection or designated area of work to nationally accepted standards (UKAS or equivalent) with appropriate supervision to include the following:a. Follow standard operating procedures for the receipt, booking in,processing and analysis of samples
b. Review appropriate risk and COSHH assessments in areas relevant toown practise and abide by laboratory health and safety policiesc. Undertake basic troubleshooting for failed analysesd. Validate quality of technical analysis, repeat and perform subsequentinvestigations following discussions with more senior technologists orclinical scientists according to defined criteriae. Arrange dispatch of different types of samples. Deal with queries relatingto the receipt and dispatch of samples, including products of conception(received for post-mortem examination), and other tissues.2. Establish, maintain, sub-culture and harvest cell cultures, or undertake DNA extraction, from a variety of biological specimens received which may be high risk (eg HIV, Hep C) and/ or derived from recognisable human or fetal parts, by all methods currently employed in the laboratory and to work safely under exposure to toxic substances which are hazardous to health.3. Identify unusual or failed results and bring them to the attention of senior technologist or scientists for further discussion4. Liaise with senior technical or scientific colleagues over availability of equipment, sample prioritisation, or requirement for supplementary cell cultures or chromosome preparations, when planning work schedules in designated areas of work, in accordance with laboratory protocols and under the supervision of the Section Head and/or Laboratory Director.5. Supply a high level of technical expertise in the investigative procedures involved and take a daily responsibility for his/her own work, subject to the supervision and direction of section head or other senior staff. Be adaptable to changing diagnostic workload pressures, by making independent day-to-day decisions about own workload. The post holder must communicate all problems with, and when necessary obtain help/advice from, appropriate senior staff
6. Attend, and actively participate in, team and laboratory meetings with opportunity to propose improvements in efficiency and changes to scientific and technical protocols and to contribute to the development and implementation of departmental policies within the limits of experience.
Laboratory Management7. Undertake appropriate duties to fulfil quality control programs, including recording of appropriate data according to operating procedures, validation and verification of new reagents and protocols.8. Safely handle and store chemicals of a volatile or hazardous nature including carcinogens and neurotoxic agents. Dispose of hazardous chemicals and biohazard waste.9. Take day to day responsibility for use of, daily maintenance, monitoring and care of instrumentation within the laboratory (to include safety, performance and temperature of equipment e.g. biological safety cabinets, incubators, fridges and freezers).Staff10. Participate in the teaching and training of new members of staff or lessexperienced employees in own work area by demonstrating own work activities and routine practice.
Research and Service Development11.Assist clinical scientists in research and development projects which meet the overall objectives of the department.
Personal Development12. Attend relevant in house training at an appropriate level for the development and maintenance of skills, knowledge and expertise required for the post (eg training on specific equipment/instrumentation, presentations on relevant topics)
Informatics/Bioinformatics13.Be proficient in the use of state of the art software packages for the analysis of
DNA samples14.Be proficient at entering and retrieving relevant information from Excelspreadsheets and databases, including the laboratory information management system (LIMS).
General15.Abide by all Operational Policies applicable to the Department16.Co-operate with management and safety representatives in matters connected with the Health and Safety at Work Act of Practice for safety in laboratories17.Take responsibility for the accuracy of his/her own work, and undertake an appropriate proportion of the total workload of the Department. The post holder will collaborate with all other staff, to be an effective team member, and achieve optimal use of resources18.Participate in internal quality control and internal and external quality assessment procedures19.Work within the section/subsection to ensure achievement of and adherence to the standards required of an accredited laboratory, in close liaison with the Quality manager and under the direction of the section head and laboratory director.20.Participate in the preparation of the department for accreditation.21.Implement laboratory record keeping processes and assist with retrieval and presentation of data as required22.Take responsibility with others for the maintenance of stocks of reagents and consumables to ensure the proper functioning of the laboratory and efficient use of resources. Ensure that all equipment is used appropriately and safely and that any faults are reported for immediate rectification23.Take responsibility with others for the daily maintenance of complexinstrumentation systems within the laboratory24.Participate in regular performance review and personal development planning25.Attend regular team, laboratory and departmental meetings and contribute to the development and implementation of departmental policies26.Maintain confidentiality of information about patients, staff and other health service business in accordance with Data Protection Act of 1984.27.Participate in out of hours duties, if required, in line with the Department Out of Hours Policy28.Work such hours as required for the effective and timely performance of his/her duties, as specified in the terms of the contract of employment29.Undertake any other duties commensurate with experience and job role as a result of changes to the service as agreed by the Consultant Head of Laboratory or Trust and reviewed as part of the annual staff appraisa
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- 3 science based A levels or equivalent e.g. BTEC, NVQ level 3 (QCF level 3). 2 A levels if additionally hold a degree
Desirable
- Foundation degree, HND or BSc in a relevant subject.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of relevant laboratory/practical work
- Computer literate, with experience of Microsoft office or equivalent, navigating databases and spreadsheets
Desirable
- Experience of using StarLIMS for sample and workflow management.
- Experience of working in a diagnostic genetics laboratory
- Specific experience of genetics techniques/techology in a workplace-based environment
Special knowledge
Essential
- Basic knowledge of human genetics, including role of DNA and chromosomes
Skills
Essential
- Good attention to detail
- Ability to keep accurate written and computerised records
- Able to follow written and verbal instructions
- Ability to work within a team
- Good time management and organisational skills
- Good manual dexterity / able to perform manual laboratory processing steps
Special attributes
Essential
- Demonstrates resilience, flexibility, and adaptability in approach to work
- Able to handle receipt and processing of a range of human/prenatal samples, incuding samples which may be infectious
- Interest in laboratory technology
- Recognises limits of responsibilities
- Willing to learn
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- 3 science based A levels or equivalent e.g. BTEC, NVQ level 3 (QCF level 3). 2 A levels if additionally hold a degree
Desirable
- Foundation degree, HND or BSc in a relevant subject.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of relevant laboratory/practical work
- Computer literate, with experience of Microsoft office or equivalent, navigating databases and spreadsheets
Desirable
- Experience of using StarLIMS for sample and workflow management.
- Experience of working in a diagnostic genetics laboratory
- Specific experience of genetics techniques/techology in a workplace-based environment
Special knowledge
Essential
- Basic knowledge of human genetics, including role of DNA and chromosomes
Skills
Essential
- Good attention to detail
- Ability to keep accurate written and computerised records
- Able to follow written and verbal instructions
- Ability to work within a team
- Good time management and organisational skills
- Good manual dexterity / able to perform manual laboratory processing steps
Special attributes
Essential
- Demonstrates resilience, flexibility, and adaptability in approach to work
- Able to handle receipt and processing of a range of human/prenatal samples, incuding samples which may be infectious
- Interest in laboratory technology
- Recognises limits of responsibilities
- Willing to learn
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
