Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is one of the biggest trusts in the country, following the merger of Mid Essex, Basildon and Southend hospitals in April 2020.
(***) Clinical Skills Trainer (CST)/Image Quality Assurance (IQA) Lead
Band 7
Main area Vascular-scientist/Senior-Sonographer Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Part time - 7.5 hours per week (9am-5pm day of choosing) Job ref 390-HC-CTC-SO-1935
Site Southend Town Westcliff Salary £49,387 Per Annum (Pro Rata for Part Time) Salary period Yearly Closing 25/10/2026 23:59
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is the onlyacute hospital provider in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS), which is a system of health and care partners working together for our local population.
Within Mid and South Essex there are 149 GP practices, operating from over 200 sites, forming 27 Primary Care Networks and one Ambulance Trust. There are also three main community and mental health service providers who work together through a community collaborative.
We collaborate with other valuable partners, including three Healthwatch organisations, nine voluntary and community sector organisations and three top tier local authorities, with seven district, borough and city councils, as well as our local universities.
Job overview
Mid and South Essex foundation Trust are seeking a CST/IQA Lead. This position will be employed 1 day per week (7.5 hours).
The CST/IQA Lead has special responsibility for quality assurance (QA) of screening technicians and the screening process with responsibility for the screening equipment, screening technicians’ accreditation and monitoring of clinical performance, including review of scans (Image quality Assurance - IQA) identified by SMaRT (Screening Management and Referral
Tracking system) from screening clinics. Any QA concerns should be brought to the attention of the director. The CST/IQA Lead advises on which ultrasound equipment should be purchased (subject to the specifications of the National Abdominal Aneurysm Screening Programme - NAAASP - guidelines) and when it needs to be updated or replaced.
Please note this position can be a remote role should the candidate live outside of Southend or even Essex. All of the IQA can be done remotely and any clinical observations/reaccreditations can potentially be done at one of our screening locations, e.g. if a CST/IQA Lead was residing in London or West Hertfordshire, the observations could be done at our Harlow, Brentwood, Epping or Stansted locations, wherever is most convenient. Similarly, if they resided in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk or Norfolk we have locations at Saffron Waldon and Braintree. There would be very little need to come to Southend and we remain flexible.
Main duties of the job
If successful your duties will include:
- to be responsible for the clinical training and supervision of new and existing staff – ensuring they are familiar with scanning techniques and maintain screening programme procedures and high standards
- to act as the main point of contact and supervisor/assessor for the screening technicians while undertaking the required NAAASP qualification – this may require CST/IQA Lead to undertake additional assessor qualification
- to perform clinical assessments of trainee screening technicians at the specified ‘assessment gateways’ as perAAAscreening programme guidance to ensure trainee technicians complete their portfolio of experience and log book (assessment criteria are provided to supportCSTswhen performing these assessments)
- to manage and review the work of the screeners at regular intervals as per programmeQAframework and instigate further training where necessary
- to plan and provide local training andCPDsessions for screeners, including supervisory sessions as per clinical training requirements
- to offer support and advice to screeners if they encounter problems or unusual findings, particularly associated with conditions in men or technical malfunctions
- to play an important role in the recruitment process for new screeners, including assessing the candidates’ eye-to-hand coordination
- to carry out accurate abdominal ultrasound scanning as part of the localAAAscreening programme, if required
Working for our organisation
Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.
We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For full details about this varied and rewarding role, please see attached job description.
Please be aware that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a suitable number of applications.
Unfortunately, there is no Visa Sponsorship available for this role. Whilst we are able to employ candidates on a graduate Visa, we are unable to offer sponsorship once the graduate visa expires.
Person specification
Education
- Postgraduate diploma or certificate in ultrasound or equivalent relevant CASE/SVT accredited qualification.
Knowledge and Experience
- Good understanding of abdominal cross sectional anatomy and specifically relating to the abdominal aorta.
- A minimum of two years post registration experience and have experience of scanning abdominal aortic aneurysms
- Extensive experience of training others in the workforce especially those without prior experience.
- Familiarity with computer systems and the NAAASP IT system
Please be aware as per the new Immigration guidelines we cannot sponsor candidates with a salary (full time or pro Rata) under the current minimum threshold. Please note, the selection processes at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right skills and values, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain vigilant against candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn’t accurately reflect their skills, and you will be required to declare on your application if AI has been used before submitting your application.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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(***) Clinical Skills Trainer (CST)/Image Quality Assurance (IQA) Lead employer: VerseOne Group
VerseOne Group is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration in the healthcare technology sector. With hybrid working arrangements and a focus on employee growth, you will have the opportunity to make a significant impact while developing your career in a leading AI-powered Digital Experience Solutions provider for the NHS.
