About the job

Job summary

Job Title – Healthcare Scientist Support Worker

Profession- Science

Directorate – Public Health Microbiology Division

No of Roles – 1

Contract Type – Permanent

Hours – Part Time  25 hours per week. Mon – Fri 07:30 to 12:30

Location – Colindale, London, NW9 5EQ

Working Pattern – Part Time

Grade & Salary – Grade AO. Inner London - £26,392 - £26,994 per annum

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.

The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&C’s are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/.

Closing Date – 16/07/2024. 23:55pm. Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered

Interview Date – 26/07/2024 Please note, these dates are subject to change.

Job description

UKHSA provides strategic leadership and vision for protecting and improving the nation’s health. Its ambition is to lead nationally, and enable locally, a transformation in the health expectations of all people in England, regardless of where they live and the circumstance of their birth. It will achieve this through the application of research, knowledge and skills. UKHSA is an executive agency of the Department of Health. It is a distinct delivery organisation with operational autonomy to advise and support government, local authorities and the NHS in a professionally independent manner.

Overview of Job

This role will be part of a team of Healthcare Science Support workers whose role is to support the core functions of the laboratories across both BRD and VRD. This role will be located within the Gastrointestinal Bacteria Unit, although may be required to support other units as required

Main Duties and Responsibilities

The main duties of this role are to undertake laboratory housekeeping and/or clerical duties under supervision guided by standard operating procedures and protocols. Training will be provided. You will provide support to the GBRU unit with waste management, restocking of reagents and consumables and assist in with regular monitoring of laboratory equipment.

As required this role may support our Central Specimen Reception by performing laboratory duties including receipt of specimens or samples, entry of data onto the computer (LIMS) system, and the processing of biological samples for analysis.

This post is positioned within the Reference laboratories on the Colindale site.

Please see attached job description for full details.

 

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Good standard of general education i.e. GCSE’s in English, maths and science
• Previous microbiology laboratory experience
• Work with live microorganisms
• Knowledge and understanding of laboratory safety requirements
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word and Excel.
• Previous experience of a LIMS system
• Understanding of Data Protection legislation.
• Previous experience in molecular techniques
• Good oral communication skills
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team
• Problem solving skills
• An ability to maintain confidentiality and trust.
• Able to follow instructions – written and oral
• Well-developed physical skills, especially in the manipulation of pipettes and other laboratory equipment. Also must be adept and precise when handling samples
• Good time keeping.
• Able to follow standard operating procedures.
• Able to deal with problems in a calm and efficient manner.
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems.

 

 

Desirable Criteria

 

• Undertaking or Educated to IBMS Cert of Achievement Part I level or equivalent level of qualification or previous proven experience.
• Understanding of Data Protection legislation.
• Previous experience in molecular techniques
• Experience of managing and communicating sensitive/confidential information
• Clear communicator with good writing, data entry and telephone skills ensuring accuracy
• Able to work on own initiative, organising own workload to set deadlines

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £26,392, UK Health Security Agency contributes £7,125 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Stage 1: Application & Sift

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a Statement of Suitability in no more than 500 words. This should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the experience criteria or the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section).

Be sure to clearly address how you meet each item in the essential criteria. Consider using sub-headings to thematically group your evidence in support of one or more related criteria.

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history.

Note: both your Statement of Suitability and Employer/ Activity history sections will be scored with equal weight in the sifting process. You must complete both to progress. If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview

 

Stage 2: Panel Interview

All applicants that progress to interview will be assessed on experience / technical / ability

You will be asked questions on your experience, technical questions, health and safety questions and Labs based questions

The interview will be conducted remotely over Microsoft Teams

Reserve List:

Candidates who pass the interview criteria but are not offered a post will be kept on a reserve list for 12 months and may be contacted if similar roles become available.

If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available.

Benefits

• Member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/joining-the-pension-scheme/benefits-of-the-pension-scheme/
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Range of health and wellbeing support

 

Any move to UKHSA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare.

 

 

DBS - People working with government systems must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which includes a disclosure and barring security check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed for this role is BPSS however there may be a requirement for this role to be SC cleared and you should familiarise yourself with the criteria of security clearance.

 

This role is Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants. Appointments to roles within UKHSA will be made in accordance with the Civil Service nationality rules. These can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• Certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Government baseline personnel security standard

It’s important to note that there are currently exceptions to applications being considered if your conviction relates to any of the following:

• life sentences
• arson
• sexual offences
• hate and terror offences

Some departments will also consider the specific offence against the nature of the business, i.e., a conviction for fraud may rule you out for a finance role

 

Complaint process:

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.

 

Contact Details – Sophie.Rigney@reed.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.