Job summary
An opportunity has arisen for a Specialist Orthoptist to join our department on a temporary contract of 1 days per week, to cover a secondment.
The post holder will provide highly specialised Orthoptic service(s) to patients of all ages from a range of specialities suffering from a wide variety of medical disorders including tertiary referrals from Ophthalmology, Neurology, Maxillofacial Unit, Endocrinology, Oncology, Stroke Unit and Emergency Eye Centre. Will participate in the provision of Goldmann and Octopus visual field assessment, also assess patients referred to the Low Vision Service and Orthoptic TBI service. You will undertake clinical teaching and assessment of undergraduate orthoptic students.
Main duties of the job
To be legally and professionally responsible and accountable for the orthoptic investigation, diagnosis and management of new and follow-up patients referred to the Orthoptic Department from various departments including ophthalmology, paediatrics, the Emergency Eye Centre (EEC), accident and emergency, maxillo-facial, and neurology.
This patient group comprises all cases of ocular motility defects and amblyopia (reduced vision with no pathological cause), anomalies of binocular single vision (ability to use the eyes together), complex congenital and acquired cases including neurological abnormalities, genetic disorders and associated ocular abnormalities.
To be responsible for the evaluation of visual acuity and visual behaviour in referrals from the specialist services, including non-seeing babies, infants with strabismus (squint) and amblyopia, congenital or developmental abnormalities, adult illiterates, and children and adults with significant learning difficulties.
To formulate and implement individualised management and treatment plans using advanced clinical reasoning and a wide range of treatment skills, communicating these effectively with patients (adults and children), parents, and carers and to gain informed consent to those treatment plans.
About us
You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its staff. This includes commitments to professional development but also many policies to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives.
This vacancy is advertised on a fixed term contract basis for the maximum period of 18 months. Where there is potential, the secondment/fixed term contract may finish early, or in the first instance, the secondment/fixed term contract may be extended due to the internal/external secondment of the substantive post holder. The fixed term contract status of the post holder will be reviewed in accordance with the Trust's legal obligations regarding fixed term contracts and secondments in relation to the substantive post holder.
Please also note any secondment must first be agreed with your current line manager.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.
When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.
When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Orthoptics BMedSci OR BSc (Hons) Orthoptics OR Orthoptics BSc (Hons) OR Diploma from British Orthoptic Council (DBO)
- To be registered with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
Desirable
- Medical exemptions for Orthoptists
- Member of the British & Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS)
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- To have sufficient relevant experience in all aspects of clinical Orthoptics, especially in strabismus and complex ocular motility clinics, with evidence of continuing professional development maintained in a portfolio
- Experience of clinical teaching of Orthoptics.
- Evidence of on-going commitment to continuing professional development following BIOS/HCPC guidelines.
- Visual field examination and interpretation
- Experience of clinical teaching of Orthoptics.
- IT skills
Desirable
- Skilled in use of slit lamp, optic disc imaging and interpretation of visual fields results, or other ophthalmic investigated usually carried out by specialist medical staff
- Experience of research and development activities
- Experience undertaking and presenting audit
Communication Skills
Essential
- Good verbal and written communication skills with adults, carers, parents and children, students and all staff disciplines.
- Evidence of working successfully as part of a multidisciplinary team and independently.
- Ability to produce written reports.
- To be approachable and maintain an excellent rapport with colleagues
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills; ability to communicate complex, sensitive and potentially conflicting information to patients and other stakeholders in an appropriate manner independent of their level of understanding
- Leadership, organisational and negotiating skills
- Ability to use initiative and quickly interpret complex and potentially conflicting clinical information
- Capable of performing sustained high intensity work in a pressurised clinical environment
- Skills of persuasion
- Possesses precise, fine-motor physical examination skills
- Works well autonomously
- Self-motivated
- Enthusiastic
- Excellent time management
- Conscientious
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Orthoptics BMedSci OR BSc (Hons) Orthoptics OR Orthoptics BSc (Hons) OR Diploma from British Orthoptic Council (DBO)
- To be registered with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
Desirable
- Medical exemptions for Orthoptists
- Member of the British & Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS)
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- To have sufficient relevant experience in all aspects of clinical Orthoptics, especially in strabismus and complex ocular motility clinics, with evidence of continuing professional development maintained in a portfolio
- Experience of clinical teaching of Orthoptics.
- Evidence of on-going commitment to continuing professional development following BIOS/HCPC guidelines.
- Visual field examination and interpretation
- Experience of clinical teaching of Orthoptics.
- IT skills
Desirable
- Skilled in use of slit lamp, optic disc imaging and interpretation of visual fields results, or other ophthalmic investigated usually carried out by specialist medical staff
- Experience of research and development activities
- Experience undertaking and presenting audit
Communication Skills
Essential
- Good verbal and written communication skills with adults, carers, parents and children, students and all staff disciplines.
- Evidence of working successfully as part of a multidisciplinary team and independently.
- Ability to produce written reports.
- To be approachable and maintain an excellent rapport with colleagues
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills; ability to communicate complex, sensitive and potentially conflicting information to patients and other stakeholders in an appropriate manner independent of their level of understanding
- Leadership, organisational and negotiating skills
- Ability to use initiative and quickly interpret complex and potentially conflicting clinical information
- Capable of performing sustained high intensity work in a pressurised clinical environment
- Skills of persuasion
- Possesses precise, fine-motor physical examination skills
- Works well autonomously
- Self-motivated
- Enthusiastic
- Excellent time management
- Conscientious
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
