Job summary
The Manchester and Trafford Wheelchair Service are looking for an experienced Clinical Scientist/ Clinical Engineer to join a multidisciplinary team of Physiotherapists, Occupational therapists, Rehabilitation Engineers, technicians, and therapy assistants. We deliver care to those requiring posture and mobility equipment across Manchester and Trafford.
The service currently provides input to approximately 10,000 patients of all ages with a permanent mobility requirement, providing a wide range of wheelchairs from that of an active user to those with severe postural needs. Day to day service delivery is by clinic attendance or community visits which will require, at times, lone working.
The wheelchair team aim to assess and prescribe appropriate equipment in a timely manner and to work closely with our multiagency partners including, social services, education authority and wider NHS teams.
Manchester and Trafford wheelchair service offers complex special-seating assessments and provision of equipment to a high number of patients across all ages . This enables us to support those with complex and asymmetrical body shapes to mobilise. This is most effective in conjunction with effective 24-hour postural management programmes.
The wheelchair service thrive on providing high quality care and require a team player who will rise to the challenge of working in a dynamic and evolving service and above all have a passion for supporting patients with complex needs.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will lead and develop the engineering team within the Wheelchair Service to ensure an efficient, high-quality service. The post holder will take a lead role in the client-focused assessment, prescription and provision of mobility equipment. They will be required to design, develop and manufacture equipment or modify and adapt existing equipment to an agreed solution. To lead on changes to service delivery and processes to ensure recommendations within Medical Devices Regulations, ISO Standards and MHRA alerts are adhered to and will lead on the monitoring of approved repairer contracts.
The primary function of the role is to provide leadership, management and communication to and for the team ensuring the delivery of specialist technical expertise and assessment for the Wheelchair Service using engineering principles and technology to provide solutions to problems arising from complex assessments.
The post holder will provide a quality control for the engineering team to ensure service users receive an effective and efficient service. The post holder will ensure delivery of the quality strategy within the designated area incorporating establishment of systems and processes.
About us
MFT is one of the largest NHS Trust In England with a turnover of over £3bn & is on a different scale than most other NHS Trusts. We're creating an exceptional integrated health & social care system for the 1 million patients who rely on our services every year.
Bringing together 10 hospitals & community services from across Manchester, Trafford & beyond, we champion collaborative working & transformation, encouraging our 30,000 workforce to pursue their most ambitious goals. We set standards that other Trusts seek to emulate so you'll benefit from a scale of opportunity that is nothing short of extraordinary.
We've also created a digitally enabled organisation to improve clinical quality, patient & staff experience, operational effectiveness & driving research, and innovation through the introduction of Hive; our Electronic Patient Record system which launched in September 2022.
We're proud to be a major academic Research Centre & Education provider, providing you with a robust infrastructure to encourage and facilitate high-quality research programmes. What's more, we're excited to be embarking on our Green Plan which sets out how MFT continues to play its part in making healthcare more sustainable.
At MFT, we create and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, provide equal opportunities for career development that are fair, open, and transparent, protecting your health and wellbeing and shaping the future of our organisation together.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guide that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.
Diversity Matters
MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating, and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at resourcing@mft.nhs.uk.
Were looking forward to hearing from you!
Job description
Job responsibilities
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guide that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.
Diversity Matters
MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating, and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at resourcing@mft.nhs.uk.
Were looking forward to hearing from you!
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Clinical Scientist, or Engineering (BSc) degree and relevant clinical experience.
- Current Registration with relevant professional body
- Relevant Masters degree, post graduate courses or evidence of equivalent experience.
- First line management qualification
- Active involvement in professional networks and special interest groups
Desirable
- Specialist courses in wheelchairs, posture and mobility
- Rehabilitation Engineering qualification or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Experience as a clinical engineer working with complex client groups with postural needs such as neurology, paediatric, learning disabilities
- Leadership experience
- Multi-Disciplinary Team working
- Dealing and delivering difficult conversations
- Audit and evaluation of professional practice
- Experience of quality control procedures and standards within manufacturing and repair industries.
- Experience of planning and leading service improvements
- Experience of prioritising caseloads and planning workloads for a team
Desirable
- Clinical experience in acute and community settings
- Working with children and vulnerable adults
Skills
Essential
- Ability to work under pressure and manage a diverse workload.
- Confidence to challenge poor practice and ability to address difficult issues.
- Ability to work on own initiative, unsupervised and independently whilst working as part of a wider multi-disciplinary team
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Risk assessment skills.
- Ability to engage with key stakeholders/ MDTs
- Good IT skills e.g. Microsoft packages, Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Ability to work under pressure and manage a diverse workload.
- Research and audit
- Ability to transport self across site and to a variety of community settings.
Desirable
- Ability to deal with distressing situations
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of clinical governance and implications in practice
- Demonstrate specialist knowledge and application of mechanical engineering techniques.
- Evidence of influencing, motivating and negotiating with others to achieve change in relation to service provision.
- Awareness of current national and local agenda in NHS and Social Care
- Evidence of being able to communicate complex, sensitive information and advice on healthcare to service users, carers and colleagues.
Desirable
- Knowledge of & application of standardised assessments.
Values
Essential
- Responsive to service users.
- Transparency and honesty.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Clinical Scientist, or Engineering (BSc) degree and relevant clinical experience.
- Current Registration with relevant professional body
- Relevant Masters degree, post graduate courses or evidence of equivalent experience.
- First line management qualification
- Active involvement in professional networks and special interest groups
Desirable
- Specialist courses in wheelchairs, posture and mobility
- Rehabilitation Engineering qualification or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Experience as a clinical engineer working with complex client groups with postural needs such as neurology, paediatric, learning disabilities
- Leadership experience
- Multi-Disciplinary Team working
- Dealing and delivering difficult conversations
- Audit and evaluation of professional practice
- Experience of quality control procedures and standards within manufacturing and repair industries.
- Experience of planning and leading service improvements
- Experience of prioritising caseloads and planning workloads for a team
Desirable
- Clinical experience in acute and community settings
- Working with children and vulnerable adults
Skills
Essential
- Ability to work under pressure and manage a diverse workload.
- Confidence to challenge poor practice and ability to address difficult issues.
- Ability to work on own initiative, unsupervised and independently whilst working as part of a wider multi-disciplinary team
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Risk assessment skills.
- Ability to engage with key stakeholders/ MDTs
- Good IT skills e.g. Microsoft packages, Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Ability to work under pressure and manage a diverse workload.
- Research and audit
- Ability to transport self across site and to a variety of community settings.
Desirable
- Ability to deal with distressing situations
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of clinical governance and implications in practice
- Demonstrate specialist knowledge and application of mechanical engineering techniques.
- Evidence of influencing, motivating and negotiating with others to achieve change in relation to service provision.
- Awareness of current national and local agenda in NHS and Social Care
- Evidence of being able to communicate complex, sensitive information and advice on healthcare to service users, carers and colleagues.
Desirable
- Knowledge of & application of standardised assessments.
Values
Essential
- Responsive to service users.
- Transparency and honesty.
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
