Healthcare Science Support Worker - Microbiology Stores

Employer Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Innovation Centre NNUH Town Norwich Salary £24,465 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 22/10/2025 23:59 Interview date 03/11/2025

Healthcare Science Support Worker – Microbiology Stores

NHS AfC: Band 2

At NNUH it is our privilege to provide healthcare to over one million people across Norfolk and surrounding areas. Our vision is to ‘provide the best care for every patient’, and if this inspires you and you share our values, we really want you to join our team.

NNUH is currently the busiest Trauma Unit in the East of England caring for almost 850 trauma patients annually many with complex care needs. We are enhancing our urgent and emergency care specialist services for patients with significant injuries as a result of trauma and have an ambition to become a Major Trauma Centre.

Our values support our vision and guide the behaviour of everything we do, these are:

People-focused

We look after the needs of our patients, carers and colleagues, to provide a safe and caring experience for all.

Respect

We act with care, compassion and kindness and value others’ diverse needs.

Integrity

We take an honest, open and ethical approach to everything we do.

Dedication

We work as one team and support each other to maintain the highest professional standards.

We continuously learn and improve to achieve the best outcomes for our patients and our hospital.

We want all our staff to achieve a balance between work and personal life and understand how important flexible working can be. We welcome applications on a full or part time basis, various shift patterns and hybrid working, where roles allow.

At the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH), we know the benefits diversity can bring to our organisation such as creativity, innovation and compassion. All of which have a direct impact towards our staff and patient experience. We are committed to being a Hospital for All – being equitable and inclusive, and a place where all feel a sense of belonging. We therefore particularly encourage and welcome applications from candidates who are underrepresented in NNUH’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, people with diverse abilities and people within the LGBT+ community.

Job overview

This post is within the Microbiology department NNUH, based at the Innovation Centre.

To provide support services to the Microbiology Department including disposal of waste; receipt of goods, sorting and distribution of laboratory goods and stores management. The successful candidate will be working closely with the stores/stock management team.

Working as part of a friendly and helpful department, upholding Trust PRIDE values.

Join us at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and be part of a workforce of over 10,000 staff!

The NNUH is one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, providing first-class acute care for around one million people, living in Norfolk and surrounding areas. We are a teaching and research hospital, at the forefront of innovation, home to state-of-the-art facilities, such as the Quadram Institute. We are pleased to work closely with the University of East Anglia, providing teaching opportunities for our staff and placement opportunities for their students. We attract some of the best and leading professionals from across the country and are proud that our workforce represents 94 countries from across the world.

Main duties of the job

• To clean/prepare as appropriate glass ware and other items for laboratory use and to maintain stocks of these items as required.
• To transfer laboratory waste into containers for external collection according to laboratory and Trust policies and procedures.
• To maintain the organisation of the Storeroom, and its stock control system.
• To assist with the ordering and manage unloading, sorting, storage, stock control and issue of laboratory goods including the weekly media delivery.
• To prepare standing orders and other requests for supplies for distribution to laboratory users.
• To maintain the departmental stock control system inputting order details and stock into the system.
• To participate in mandatory and in-service training/competencies as required.
• To perform any other duties as required by the Head of Department commensurate with grade.

Working for our organisation

Join us at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and be part of a workforce of over 10,000 staff!

The NNUH is one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, providing first-class acute care for around one million people, living in Norfolk and surrounding areas. We are a teaching and research hospital, at the forefront of innovation, home to state-of-the-art facilities, such as the Quadram Institute. We are pleased to work closely with the University of East Anglia, providing teaching opportunities for our staff and placement opportunities for their students. We attract some of the best and leading professionals from across the country and are proud that our workforce represents 94 countries from across the world.

We are a friendly, collaborative hospital, working with local services and home to N&N Hospitals Charity.

We can offer you the full range of NHS benefits/discounts and in addition:

• Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
• Multi Faith prayer room at NNUH Colney Lane site
• Discounted gym memberships
• Excellent pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
• Wagestream – access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
• Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH Colney Lane site
• Free 24-hours confidential counselling support
• On-site Nursery at NNUH Colney Lane
• On-site cafes offering staff discounts at NNUH Colney Lane
• Flexible staff bank
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars, Cycle to Work scheme and home electronics

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please view the attached job description for full details of the role and use your supporting statement to confirm how you meet the essential and desirable criteria on the job specification.

Please note that this advertised position, which is part of occupation code 3111 does not meet the UKVI eligibility requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa. The Trust would not be able to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role.

Person specification

Qualifications

• GCSE in science subject
• Participation in CPD

Experience

• Background knowledge and laboratory based work experience

Skills

• Suitable level of literacy and numeracy
• Suitable level of manual dexterity
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to organise own workload
• Effective role model, demonstrating NNUH’s PRIDE values of People focussed, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence
• Demonstrates understanding and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Job Description, which includes a Person Specification, provides a full outline of responsibilities and requirements for this role. Please use your supporting statement to demonstrate how you meet the person specification.

Visa and Immigration

If you are wishing to apply for this role and would require sponsorship (this includes if you are already in a sponsored post and looking to change employer), you can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for this post by assessing your circumstances against criteria specified on the gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-job.

Travelling to work

Staff parking is available onsite; however, this is limited during core working hours. We have more capacity in the evening and at weekends and can usually provide spaces during those hours.

We look to allocate these spaces fairly. Our Travel Office have a set of criteria that staff must meet in order to qualify. If you qualify for a space, you may be placed on a waiting list if we are at full capacity.

The NNUH is served by a number of public buses, and we offer generously discounted monthly passes with First Bus & Konect.

The Costessey Park and Ride runs regularly each day from 06:30 (from P&R) to 20:45 (from NNUH) and this service is free for NHS staff. There is a regular Thickthorn P&R service as well which is free. Applications to the Travel Office are required for this service. We also have a discounted service from the airport P&R if you purchase a bundle. Please see Konect website for further details.

The NNUH host multiple bicycle racks and a salary sacrifice scheme. We also benefit from a Beryl station onsite.

If you work at another Trust site, please discuss travel and parking arrangements at interview.

DBS

If this post involves working with children or adults the application form will ask for information regarding previous convictions as you will be required to undertake a Criminal Record and Barring Check known as a DBS check.

If you are a new employee or registering with the Staff Bank you will need to meet the cost of this unless your salary is less than point 9 of Afc

NHS Service

Should you be appointed to the post we will need to establish any previous NHS service via the ESR IAT and we will accept the submission of your application as your agreement to this.

UK Registration

You will need to have current UK professional registration where this is a requirement of the role.

Application

Following candidate feedback and to reduce our dependency on paper, all our communication with you regarding your application will be by email so could you please check your e-mails (and Spam) regularly.

We value equality in our team and recruit from all sections of the community. We recognise there is a wealth of talent among people who have a disability and if you meet the minimum criteria detailed in the person specification and have a disability, you may wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme by indicating this in the relevant section on your application.

We look forward to receiving your application and if you do not hear within the next four weeks this will usually mean that you have not been short-listed. However, if you wish to confirm this please contact the person indicated on the advert.

Flexibility

Whilst every effort will be made to recruit to the post as it is advertised, there may be occasions where we consider alternative working patterns, such as part time working, or contract types, such as secondments, depending on circumstances. Should you wish to work in a different working pattern to that stated in our advertisement, please indicate this in the supporting statement to your application.

Useful Information

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