Decontamination Technician - Colchester

Esneft; Colchester; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) is inviting applications for a Decontamination Technician within the Sterile Service Unit at Colchester Hospital. You will reprocess surgical instruments and operate decontamination equipment as part of a busy, frontline hospital team.

Training is provided, with opportunities for further development. The role requires strong communication, attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced NHS environment; GCSEs

Qualifications

• GCSE or equivalent in Maths & English (grade 2-4)
• NVQ3 (Technical Certificate Decontamination) or equivalent via training
• Ability to train staff in decontamination systems
• Knowledge and experience in decontamination of reusable medical devices

Responsibilities

• Operate decontamination equipment and push/pull trolleys
• Stock control and inventory management
• Handle heavy theatre sets and process reusable medical devices
• Work as part of a busy team with good communication

Skills

Teamwork

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Numeracy

Education

GCSE Maths & English

NVQ3 Decontamination

Tools

Decontamination equipment

Job description

We are one of the largest NHS organisation in England. Our scale provides exciting opportunities for development, innovation, research, education and training.

Talk to us about our range of flexible working opportunities, apprenticeships and staff benefits

Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is at the heart of all we do; and it forms part of ESNEFT’s core activities. The Trust operates and relies on everyone treating each other with dignity and respect, to receive equitable and fair treatment in the implementation of Policies, Procedures and in its Practices, to foster positive work relationships, and finally to act with integrity as a professional within ESNEFT as well as a representative of the NHS as a whole. The EDI Agenda reflects the Trust values such as Optimistic, Appreciative and Kind. In line with the NHS Long Term Plan, People Plan, People Promise and a Model Employer intrinsic in the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Agenda, we consistently strive to improve, to take the learning into Action for a better ESNEFT.

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge then we are keen to hear from you.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a decontamination technician to work within the Sterile Service Unit at Colchester Hospital.

You will join a busy friendly team, dealing with sterilization and decontamination services; you will be involved in the reprocessing surgical instruments. You will be working as part of a team in a busy, fast moving acute hospital. You must have a flexible approach to your work & possess good verbal and written communication skills.

You are not required to have previous experience as full training will be provided to undertake the technician role. There may also be opportunities for further additional training.

You will begin with a structured training programme to gain competencies in all areas.

Main duties of the job

Duties of this role will include: Operation of decontamination equipment, pushing and pulling trolley, stock control, lifting heavy theatre sets and processing reusable medical devices.

You will need: good communication and interpersonal skills, excellent attention to detail, excellent customer services attributes, good numeracy and literacy skills and good retentive memory.

Working for our organisation

We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients’ own homes.

We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff.

We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.

Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.

Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.

We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what’s widely regarded as the world’s best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description and person specification.

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

• Ability to train staff in decontamination systems
• Knowledge and experience in the decontamination of reusable medical devices

Qualifications

• GCSE or equivalent in Maths & English (grade 2-4)
• NVQ3 (Technical Certificate Decontamination) or equivalent level of knowledge and experience through decontamination training

Skills

• Ability to work as part of a team
• Ability to work accurately under pressure
• A working knowledge of keyboard, typing and computer skills

Please note that where response levels are exceptional we may close the post before the specified date, therefore early application is recommended.

Please make sure that you read the Job Description and Person Specification attached and that your statement in support reflects this as your application will be judged against these criteria.

If you require any information in an alternative format or have any access needs for the application process, please contact us.

Secondment - if you are interested in undertaking a role on a secondment basis, please ensure that you have discussed this with your current line manager prior to submitting your application. Please note if you are already an employee of ESNEFT fixed term roles will only be offered on a secondment basis.

When providing reference details please provide email addresses so references can be sought promptly to cover the last 3 years of employment.

Successful candidates may be charged for their DBS check. Please ensure you read the information found in the attached DBS Information document

The Trust is committed to its staff and their development and to equal opportunities and diversity. Applications are welcomed from all sections of the community.

Whilst we welcome applications from all and your application will be considered on individual merit, if you are offered a position and require a Skilled Worker Certificate of Sponsorship we may not be able to process your application to the final stage due to Home Office eligibility. Please note Band 2 roles are not eligible for sponsorship.

In submitting an application form, you authorise East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process should you be appointed to the post.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust; we look forward to receiving your application for employment.

We do not charge any fees at any stage of our recruitment process, including job applications, interviews, sponsorship arrangements or employment offers