Genetic Counsellor

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. Communication with patients and families.

Key Tasks Elicit patients concerns and expectations.

Elicit and accurately document patients detailed family history.

Work with the patient and family to define their own agenda.

Interpret medical, family and psychological history.

Communicate genetic information to patients and their relatives.

Receive and provide highly complex and possibly conflicting information.

Identify and respond to emerging issues for the patient or family.

Communicate and apply new scientific information for the benefit of the family over an open-ended time frame.

Ensure patients and families have all the information available to provide informed consent for genetic tests and/or photography.

Interpret and communicate normal and abnormal genetic test results to patients and health care professionals.

Organise and participate fully in co-counselling sessions with medical and genetic counselling colleagues.

Expertly communicate highly sensitive and potentially psychological damaging information, which may cause high levels of distress e.g: Giving a couple an abnormal prenatal result.

Communicate with patients who are bereaved and provide support e.g. around termination of pregnancy.

Use non-directive and other counselling skills to counsel patients about various testing options to facilitate decision making.

Identify and manage conflict within families created by sensitive genetic information.

Manage conflict when patients demands are incompatible with professional responsibilities and resources.

Work with patients who have great difficulty accepting a clinical diagnosis or a genetic test result.

Use appropriate advanced counselling skills to communicate sensitively in the presence of language, cultural and/or medical issues e.g.

- In the presence of a complex ethical, cultural or psychiatric issue- When there is a need for an interpreter or when patients have learning difficulties or psychiatric illness.

Communicate up to date appropriate information on risk reducing factors or risk influencing factors.

Prepare letters to patients summarising discussions and giving results.

Develop and utilise patient information leaflets.

2. Communication with other professionals and support agencies to facilitate comprehensive care, management and support.

Key Tasks

Liaise with laboratory colleagues to order and communicate about genetic tests and to discuss complex test results that are difficult to interpret.

Liaise regionally nationally and internationally with other relevant departments; i.e histology, surgery, screening, fetal medicine, midwifery, psychiatry, cardiology to obtain and provide information with appropriate patient consent.

Liaise with colleagues in other genetic centres to obtain and provide information with appropriate patient consent.

Prepare letters to referring clinicians as agreed with medical colleagues.

Liaise and defer to medical colleagues about issues that have diagnostic or clinical complexity.

Discuss cases with ethical complexity with colleagues where appropriate.

3. Provision of a comprehensive patient/client care package

Key Tasks

Provide independent genetic counselling.

Confirm diagnostic information.

Calculate risks of patients and families being affected by various genetic disorders, the risk of recurrence and the carrier risks.

Assess patients to determine where there is a need for referral to specialist therapeutic counselling, psychiatric assessment or screening and make appropriate referrals.

Phlebotomy.

Order genetic and biochemical tests as clinically appropriate after discussion with medical and laboratory colleagues.

Provide information to, and advise on, how identified at-risk relatives can obtain genetic counselling and/or screening.

Arrange for families to have blood samples taken outside of the Trust and be transported to the appropriate laboratory.

4. Educational Activities

Key Tasks

Participate in the teaching of genetics to medical personnel, other healthcare professionals and members of the public.

Prepare and present scientific articles in clinical and departmental journal clubs.

5. Policy and service development

Key Tasks

Propose improvements, innovations and changes to working practices within own area of work.

6. Information resources

Key Tasks

Ensure that all clinical documents are up-to-date, accurate, legible and appropriately filed in accordance with Trust note keeping standards.

Use word-processing to accurately send standard and non-standard letters and other communications as appropriate.

Take minutes of meetings infrequently.

Accurately record data on patient information systems and use the departmental databases.

Occasionally create databases or spreadsheets using computerised systems as required.

7. Research and development and audit

Key Tasks

Attend all departmental audit meetings.

Participate in audit activity and under supervision occasionally design and lead an audit project.

Implement recommendations of audit projects as part of the Trusts requirements for clinical governance and effectiveness.

Support all research projects being undertaken within the department which have appropriate ethical and Trust approval.

Access and interpret literature reviews relating to clinical practice.

8. General patient care - maintaining a good working environment in which patients receive a high standard of care.

Key Tasks

See patients and their families in clinics at the Northern General Hospital or peripheral clinics elsewhere in the region, GP Surgeries or in their own homes as appropriate.

Ensure the dignity and confidentiality of individuals and families are maintained at all times.

Ensure that the views of patients, or those speaking on their behalf, are well received; and complaints both formal and informal, are received courteously and responded to according to Trust guidelines.

Ensure that high standards of care are maintained and that effective procedures exist to assess and review the quality of services offered regularly.

Maintain the safety and well-being of patients and staff in accordance with the Health and Safety Policy and ensure that all accidents/incidents are reported and documented.

9. Staff Supervision and Training

Key Tasks

Have limited responsibility for the supervision of Genetic Counsellor Trainee

Contribute to the supervision of students on placement as part of the MSc in Genetic Counselling course and medical students. 10. Staff Development

Key Tasks

Together with appraiser, take personal responsibility for own continuing professional development.

Update personal development plan regularly.

Maintain professional registration.

Attend counselling supervision.

Inclusive Recruitment & Selection

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and accurate data capture is an important part of that to ensure we are supportive and representative. Our aim is to ensure that all applicants can see themselves in the available categories on our application form, but we recognise that some of our data capture fields are not inclusive. We have flagged this with our system provider to ask for change.

We offer encouragement and active support to applicants with additional needs, including those from ethnic minorities, with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ+ community. If you wish to adjust any aspect of the recruitment process or wish to find out more about our recruitment & selection processes, please get in touch with our Recruitment Manager: Catherine.Gilbert7@nhs.net

We are continually reviewing our recruitment & selection process to support the long-term aim of Sheffield Childrens being a champion of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. If you have any ideas for improvement, please get in touch with Catherine Gilbert at Catherine.Gilbert7@nhs.net

Trust Values

The Trust is committed to providing great quality patient care and keep children, young people and families at the heart of what we do by following our CARE values:

• Compassion leading by kindness and showing empathy, understanding and respect
• Accountability striving to do the right thing and owning responsibility
• Respect value differences, tackling inequality and fostering a culture of inclusion
• Excellence delivering a high-quality standard of care

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Current GCRB or HCPC registration as a Genomic Counsellor

Experience

Essential

• Significant relevant experience in Clinical Genetics

Desirable

• Experience in Cancer, General and Prenatal Genetics

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• A good working knowledge of human genetics
• A good working knowledge of Cancer genetics
• Ability to work autonomously and manage a defined caseload
• Proven counselling skills and a willingness to work within clinical and counselling supervision
• Ability to manage individual needs within a family context

Desirable

• Confidence and ability to act as a resource to others

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Northern General OPD2

Herries Road

Sheffield

S5 7AU

Employer's website

https://www.sheffieldchildrens.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)