Employer University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site St Michaels Hospital (main department) Office base Abbots House Town Bristol Salary £47,810 - £54,710 pa Salary period Yearly Closing 09/11/2025 23:59
Genetic Counsellor
Band 7
As an organisation we recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.
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Job overview
The Clinical Genetics Service at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is delighted to invite applications for a Permanent, full-time (1.0 WTE) Band 7 Genetic Counsellor to join our friendly and dedicated team in Bristol.
The successful applicant will initially be employed by UHBW. However, the service is currently in the process of integrating with the Peninsula Clinical Genetics Service to form the new South West Clinical Genetics Service. As part of this transition, it is expected that a TUPE transfer will take place on 1 April 2026, at which point all members of the Bristol Clinical Genetics Service, including this post, will transfer to Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
The Bristol Clinical Genetics Service covers a broad region with peripheral units in Gloucester and Bath and a central base in Bristol. We are a welcoming and supportive team, looking for an enthusiastic, innovative and hardworking individual to join us during this exciting time of Genomic Service evolution and delivery. Applicants should have obtained professional registration with the AHCS, or be HCPC Clinical Scientist: Genomic Counsellor registered. We will also consider applications from individuals expecting to achieve registration in the next 12 months, prior to registration individuals would be appointed at a band 6 under an annexe 21 arrangement and would progress to band 7 on successful attainment of registration.
Main duties of the job
Provide a high quality genetic counselling service at a regional specialist level using national and local guidelines, helping individuals and families with genetic disorders 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 specified relatives.
* Understand the alternatives for dealing with the risk of recurrence.
* Help the patients choose the course of action which seems to them most appropriate.
* To act as an educational resource to the wider health care system in relation to clinical genetics, genetic counselling and mainstreaming of genomic medicine.
* To work as an autonomous practitioner, providing genetic counselling for patients referred to discuss a broad range of hereditary conditions. The caseload will be mixed and may encompass cancer, cardiac, neurogenetic, renal, prenatal and general genetics cases and will include participation in on-duty genetic counselling rota to manage urgent referrals and enquiries.
* Patients may be seen in hospital clinics, on the ward, in GP surgeries, and rarely on home-visits. Genetic counselling via telephone or virtual appointments will also be offered as appropriate.
* Clinic delivery will include both central and peripheral clinics.
Working for our organisation
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward-thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For a more detailed job description, main responsibilities, and person specification, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.
Person specification
Skills and Abilities
* Ability to work autonomously and manage independent clinical caseload
* Excellent organisational and time management skills
* Ability to work within a multi-disciplinary team
* Must be mobile for travel
* Ability to use patient administration databases- Such as Trakgene, EPIC, PhenoTips
* Ability to educate other health professionals
Qualifications and Training
* MSc Genetic Counselling or STP Clinical Scientist (Genomic Counsellor) training or Professional qualification (e.g RGN or RCM) with valid eligibility to register GCRB certificate
* Genetic Counsellor Registration Board Registration or Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) Clinical Scientist (Genomic Counselling) registration
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
* Emotional resilience to cope with the emotional issues encountered regularly as part of the genetic counselling process
* Can demonstrate a understanding and evidence of the UHBW Trust Values
* Respectful
* Supportive
Knowledge and Experience
* Professional genetic and genomic counselling experience
* A knowledge of genetics obtained through graduate/post-graduate training
* Experience of communicating sensitive information to patients
* Experience of working in the NHS and knowledge of the way the NHS works and is developing
* Must work within AGNC code of ethics
* Computer literacy, knowledge of MS word, Excel, Powerpoint and electronic patient databases
* Understanding of clinical and research governance
* Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
* Experience of working in a Regional Clinical Genetics Department
* Evidence of participation in research and Audit projects
* Ability to use patient administration database- Trakgene
* Experience of educating healthcare professionals
We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.
As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
By applying for this post, you are agreeing to University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
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IMPORTANT:
Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.
Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore, please apply for this post as soon as you can, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification
Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.
As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.
When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Name Sarah Buston Job title Lead Genetic Counsellor Email address sarah.buston@uhbw.nhs.uk Telephone number 0117 3425107
Additional information Nicola Jackson, Principal Genetic Counsellor
Nicola.Jackson@uhbw.nhs.uk
0117 3425107
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