Advanced Practitioner in Northampton

The Northamptonshire Centre for Oncology would like to hear from experienced radiographers who are ready to join our treatment delivery team. We need experienced radiographers who are able to work alongside our current expert treatment floor team providing support and technical guidance to our treatment delivery workforce. The advanced practitioner Band 7 Team Leaders manage the linear accelerators and calculation area while still engaging in technique development and staff management. Regular protected time will be arranged for development work.

Main duties of the job

• To be responsible for the day to day operational management of the assigned area of the Radiotherapy Department, supervising procedures, ensuring that standards are maintained and that staff are kept up-to-date with operational and technological developments.
• To work at Advanced Practice level within the treatment delivery and calculation area and to work with the management team to further develop radiographer led services.
• To be a technically competent Radiographer capable of working in areas outside of the specialist area when required.
• To supervise and provide clinical leadership to the students and staff ensuring all staff work within Trust and departmental policies and guidelines.
• To participate in the shift and on call rotas to provide a comprehensive service to the patients in line with RCR and NICE guidance.

About us

Northampton General Hospital is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All of our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered into a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.

Our Excellence Values

Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Integrity, Courage.

We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities. The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative. We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.

Job responsibilities

General Responsibilities

• To act in accordance with the Radiographers Professional Code of Conduct at all times, HCPC standards also need to be met to ensure registration is maintained.
• Maintain portfolio of CPD evidence as required to meet HCPC standards.
• To ensure requirements of IR(ME)R 2017 and Ionising Radiation Regulations (IRR17) are met.
• To comply with all policies and procedures with the departmental Quality System, providing input to updating documents as required.
• To ensure all equipment is safe for clinical use on a daily basis, performing Q.A. checks and reporting any discrepancies as described in the handover procedure.
• Supporting, training and supervising students and other radiographic staff within the assigned work area.
• As a senior staff member it is essential to act as a role model, leading by example and ensuring junior members of the team also maintain high standards of conduct.

Clinical, Professional and Technical

• To fulfil the role of advanced practitioner radiographer for radiotherapy treatment acting as a clinical lead for treatment delivery and calculation.
• Ensuring safe and accurate treatment delivery, maintaining a high level of clinical skill underpinned by extensive knowledge of dosimetry and biological effects.
• To establish and maintain good communication links, medical staff, physicists and other staff groups to further the efficient and safe running of the service.
• To provide advice in the evaluation, procurement and introduction of new techniques, procedures and processes.
• To play a key role in the development of new projects, helping establish the training needs associated with them and ensuring that mechanisms are put into place to meet them.
• Providing information and support for the cancer patients referred for radiotherapy.
• Achieve clinical competence to provide expert advice on treatment imaging and set up for radiotherapy patients.
• Achieve IR(ME)R practitioner status for concomitant imaging.

Leadership

• To be proactive in the development and implementation of evidence based clinical practice in line with local and national initiatives, facilitating changes in service where necessary.
• To work collaboratively with others to challenge professional and organisational boundaries in the interests of patient care, proactively developing new partnerships where it is in the best interest of the service.
• To act as an expert resource for radiotherapy treatment delivery, being recognised and accessible, and providing inspiration, motivation, guidance, support and advice as appropriate.
• To keep up-to-date with best-practice in treatment and planning locally and nationally, being proactive in the improvement and development of their own competence, developing appropriate strategies for self‑audit and assessment, and accessing clinical supervision as appropriate.

Managerial

• To work with the treatment advanced practitioner team to manage and supervise the day‑to‑day running of the treatment area ensuring the provision of a high quality, patient‑centred service which complies with service and best‑practice guidelines, and operated at optimal levels of capacity.
• To work closely with the Radiotherapy Management Team to ensure the most effective use of staffing resources across the department.
• To establish and maintain good communication links between radiographers, medical staff and other staff groups to further the efficient and effective running of the service.
• To support the Radiotherapy Manager in the business and strategic planning processes, advising on issues which may affect overall service planning, future staff and equipment requirements as appropriate.
• To be responsible for the equipment and IT resources in the work area, ensuring that fault reporting and Handover procedures are followed, working closely with medical physics and technical staff to ensure that repairs and routine servicing of equipment is carried out with minimal disruption to service provision.

Education and Staff Development

• To contribute to the management of the Radiographic workforce by active involvement in recruitment, performance appraisal, training and personal development programmes and initiatives.
• To lead the in‑house provision of training for radiographic staff and to advise the Radiotherapy Manager of any issues regarding the training of staff and student radiographers.
• To provide information and advice regarding radiotherapy treatment to other staff groups, working with the Senior staff and Managers to ensure high quality care is provided by all staff groups across the service.
• To work with the Radiotherapy Manager and others to ensure that resources are used appropriately to enable staff to meet their training and CPD needs.
• To remain clinically competent and to maintain an up‑to‑date awareness of clinical and technical advances, evidence‑based best practice etc.

Person Specification

Education, training and qualifications

• BSc honours in radiotherapy or equivalent qualification as recognised by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• HCPC registration as a therapeutic radiographer, post holder must ensure they meet and comply with all HCPC standards.
• Gained competency at enhanced practice level e.g. practitioner status for concomitant imaging.

Knowledge and experience

• Good experience of working across a range of treatment delivery and planning activities within the Radiotherapy Department as a senior radiographer.
• Aware of clinical governance and up to date knowledge of best practice of broad range of radiotherapy techniques.
• Knowledge of IR(ME)R and responsibilities relating to own scope of practice.

Skills

• Leadership, ability to implement change.
• Effective interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively within the multi‑disciplinary team, leading and chairing meetings.

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.