Job Description

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Chailey Communication Aid Service (CCAS) for an experienced Clinical Scientist. We are looking for someone to join us with a passion for clinical work and a commitment to facilitate communicative independence for our highly specialist and complex caseload.



We work with children, young people and adults across all of Sussex (including Brighton and Hove) and Surrey, who have been referred to us due to complex communication and access challenges.



You will work effectively as a member of the CCAS team to ensure safe and efficient provision of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).



You will undertake and where relevant lead highly specialised assessments of children, young people and adults with diverse or complex communication disabilities and use specialist analysis, clinical reasoning, listening skills to determine their requirements. C linics and interventions will take place at Chailey Clinical services and across East and West Sussex, Surrey, Brighton and Hove as required.



You will need t o take account of the medical, therapeutic, nursing and other requirements relevant to the equipment to be produced/provided and to have adequate clinical knowledge to understand the usage implications of the devices in question.



Our Clinical Scientist needs to be able to independently formulate and design, develop and manufacture novel equipment or adapt and modify existing equipment to help solve individual problems where standard equipment does not meet the client's needs.



You will use sound engineering techniques and other specialised practices to develop the equipment required and to seek advice when in doubt. You will need to be responsible for the engineering and functional competence of the equipment produced and to seek advice when in doubt. It will be important to be able to advise all concerned and produce the necessary documentation on the technical aspects of the use of the equipment produced.



We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.



Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.



Why work for us?

Positive 2023 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussex Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement Excellent training, development, and research opportunities Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast

Our values -- Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence --guide everything we do.



We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.



This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.



You will carry out all duties and responsibilities in accordance with requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act, relevant statutory requirements approved codes of conduct and local policies and procedures with particular regard to personal safety and that of colleagues in the workshop.



You will need to p roduce written information associated with the equipment produced e/g/ user instructions in line with the legislation associated with the manufacture of medical devices.



Another important element of the role is t o teach and train other members of CCAS and Healthcare Science staff on aspects of design development and manufacture of assistive technology.



You will need to work independently to provide clinical engineering lead to multidisciplinary teams dealing with complex and highly specialist caseloads.

Main responsibilities:

To undertake and where relevant lead highly specialised assessments of children, young people and adults with diverse or complex communication disabilities and use specialist analysis, clinical reasoning, listening skills to determine their requirements. C linics and interventions will take place at Chailey Clinical services and across East and West Sussex, Surrey, Brighton and Hove as required.



To participate in a programme of research and development and assist in identifying research projects and the development of related research grant applications.



To contribute to and undertake a share in the management of designated CCAS processes.



To contribute to and undertake a share in the management of designated CCAS quality systems.



To provide leadership and clinical supervision to more junior members of the CCAS team.



To monitor CCAS service provision and seek guidance and advice as necessary.



To compile and process the documentation associated with the work undertaken in a timely manner and assist senior management with documentation associated with the general procedures of the service &/or department.



To present the work undertaken at CCAS at multidisciplinary meetings and conferences, and to train others as required on academic courses, parent workshops etc.



Investigate and monitor trials of new equipment.



To undertake CPD in line with the requirements of HCPC and IPEM.



To develop links user groups, local therapy teams and other stakeholders across the region in order to ensure that the service operates efficiently.