Genetic Counsellor

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Wessex Clinical Genetics Service is delighted to be recruiting a Band 7 permanent (0.8 WTE) Genetic Counsellor. NHS genetic services are undergoing radical changes as we move to a national genomic medicine service and transform care for people with rare diseases and cancer. This is an exciting opportunity to join an established and dynamic genetic counselling team as it enters this new era of genomic medicine.

About the team

Wessex Clinical Genetics Service is a regional specialist service providing a high-quality genetic counselling service (Rare Disease, Cardiac, Cancer and Prenatal) and consultancy for a population of three million in the Wessex Region (Hampshire, Dorset, South Wiltshire and Isle of Wight). We are part of the Central and South NHS Genomic Medicine Service Alliance.

We are an innovative centre and have close links to the University of Southampton. We are a host centre for the Scientific Training Programme (STP) in Genomic counselling and are delivering the MSc in Genomic Medicine. We regularly host MSc students and STP trainees as part of an ongoing commitment to teaching and supporting the growth of the profession.

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care.

All non-clinical roles may involve a mixture of on site and remote working, Specific details and flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 20% lower than London and 14 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

What you’ll do

With guidance from the Principal Genetic Counsellors and medical team, you will help individuals and families deal with a genetic disorder. This is to be achieved by supporting the clients and their families to:

- Comprehend the medical facts, including the diagnosis, probable course of the disorder, and the available management
- Appreciate the way in which heredity contributes to the disorder, and the risk of recurrence in relatives
- Understand the alternatives for dealing with the risk of recurrence
- Help the clients choose the course of action which seems to them most appropriate
- Make the best possible adjustment to the disorder in an affected family member and/or the risk of recurrence of that disorder.
- Have timely access to medical and genetics expertise and screening

This is a challenging, autonomous role and you will be responsible for your own caseload providing patient focused genetic counselling to families for a broad range of rare disease and cancer predisposition conditions and offer both prenatal and predictive testing. You will also be expected to participate in research, audit, teaching and education. As a team we are committed to continued professional development and education and will support opportunities to do this.