Fertility Counsellor

Job description

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Helping patients to:

Deal with infertility and treatment, providing information, implications, support and therapeutic counselling
Comprehend the medical facts
Understand the alternatives
Choose the course of action
Understand the legal aspects and implications of treatment to them and both potential and existing children
Make the best possible adjustment to their infertility, and where necessary come to terms with treatment not working and continuing childlessness
Deal with cryopreservation of gametes due to cancer or gender reassignment
Understand the implications of donating or receiving eggs, sperm and embryos
Make lifestyle changes, e.g. weight loss, giving up smoking

Key relationships

Administrators, Counsellors, Nurse Specialists, Clinical Scientists, Consultant Gynaecologists, Quality Manager
General Manager, Matron
UHL ethics committee, patient safety team.
Other specialties [oncology, endocrinology, urology, genetics, EPAU, GAU
External inspectors
International egg donation clinics
Patient and donor support groups
GPs

Patient care

Act as named counsellor for patients and their partners before, during and after treatment consultation.
Ensure that the views of patients, or those speaking on their behalf, are well received; and that complaints, both formal and informal, are received courteously and responded to promptly in line with Trust guidelines.
Maintain a good working environment in which patients receive a high standard of care.
Assess patients to determine where there is a need for referral to specialist therapeutic counselling and make appropriate referral e.g. psychosexual, adoption, fostering, surrogacy.
Maintain client confidentiality except in cases where the client is at risk of causing harm to either themselves or to others and refer on to specialist service where appropriate.
Take responsibility for accepting referrals from GP's, hospital doctors and other health care professionals, prioritizing action accordingly.
Maintain standards of care in accordance with BACP Code of Conduct and code of Ethics and Practice.
Respectful, welcoming, supportive approach for inclusivity, e.g. correct use of pronouns and preferred names for transgender patients; organization of interpreter services.
Take appropriate action when patients present with suicidal ideation or intent.
Conduct welfare of the child assessments for existing and unborn child, and communicate any concerns to the team via reports to clinical review meeting and referral to tertiary parties as required (ethics committee, safeguarding, GP).
Ensure patients have proper understanding of legal parenthood.

Communication with patients and donors

Elicit client's concerns and expectations, building rapport.
Take and accurately document client's detailed family history.
Interpret medical, family and psychological history.
Confirm diagnostic information.
Communicate test results and treatment information to patients and their partners.
Receive and provide highly complex and possibly conflicting information.
Identify and respond to emerging issues for the client or family.
Identify changes of risk within the family.
Take responsibility for communicating and applying new scientific information for the benefit of the individual/couple/family over an open-ended time frame.
Interpret and communicate normal and abnormal test results to patients and health care professionals.
Expertly communicate highly sensitive and potentially psychologically damaging information, which may cause high levels of distress e.g. giving a couple an abnormal test result, confirming that the use of own gametes is not possible.
Communicate with patients whose treatment has failed or who are bereaved and provide support e.g. around loss of pregnancy or stillbirth.
Following genetic counselling, help patients with genetic conditions to explore how this affects them psychologically.
Offer support to prospective donors who are unsuitable to accept for donation.
Implications counselling for donors considering removal of anonymity.
Assist donor conceived people and families wanting information about donors and half siblings from the register.
Liaison with relevant colleagues in arranging an evacuation of uterus following an abnormal ultrasound scan result.
Support patients of deceased partners who have previously stored gametes
Use non-directive and other counselling skills to counsel patients about various treatment options and to facilitate decision making.
Identify and manage conflict within couples created by sensitive treatment management options information.
Manage conflict when patients' demands are incompatible to professional responsibilities and resources.
Deal with patients who have great difficulty accepting a clinical diagnosis or an infertility test result.
Use counselling skills to communicate sensitively in the presence of language, cultural and/or medical issues, or when dealing with cases where there is antagonism and/or highly sensitive atmosphere, e.g. in the presence of a complex ethical, cultural or psychiatric issue.
Facilitate the development of patient information leaflets.

Communication with Colleagues

Ensure good communication with counsellors to facilitate provision of a safe, effective service, where staff are well supported.
Liaise with laboratory colleagues regarding tests and their interpretation.
Liaise with other laboratories and departments to obtain and provide information.
Liaise with colleagues in other Assisted Reproduction centres to obtain and provide information and to establish understanding and cooperation.
Discuss cases with clinical or ethical complexity with colleagues where appropriate.
Challenge negative attitudes/ practice.
Liaising with donor coordinators and HFEA for requests to open the donor register.

Governance

Responsible for ensuring appropriate systems are in place to evidence ongoing compliance of counselling provision with local and national policies as required for HFEA, CQC, BICA, BFS, and ISO 9001 standards. Represent counselling service at inspection to support maintenance of HFEA licence and ISO 9001 certification.
To attend and contribute to departmental meetings.
To actively promote effective clinical governance within the Assisted Conception Unit and UHL NHS Trust.
To ensure that the recommendations of relevant professional and national bodies related to fertility counselling are disseminated to staff and that the best practice identified is adopted by the department.
Encourage survey return; continually review uptake and performance against KPIs, proactively addressing areas of concern and undertaking audits as required.
Conduct regular protocol review and staff competency assessments.
Support the quality manager with complaints/ incident reporting and corrective actions.

Educational Activities

Prepare and present scientific articles in the clinical and departmental journal clubs.
Participate in the teaching of infertility issues and counselling to other professionals.
Act as an educational resource for medical and other personnel attached to the Assisted Conception Unit team.

Continued Professional Development

Complete Trust induction process, engage in annual appraisal.
To achieve and maintain own registration as a fertility counsellor.
Take personal responsibility for continuing professional self-development and keep up to date with changes in the practice of fertility counselling.
Attend regular clinical/counselling peer supervision sessions as provided by the unit or as arranged individually in line with BICA guidance.
Actively participate in local, regional and national networking and relevant professional bodies to maintain and develop expert knowledge in the speciality.
Actively promote the training of fertility counsellors.
Maintain up to date knowledge of professional issues for instance by membership on appropriate working parties/committees.
Complete all statutory and mandatory training as required by the CBU/Trust.
Support the introduction of new procedures/ technology for service improvements.

Information Resources

Ensure all clinical documents are up-to-date, accurate, contemporaneous, legible and appropriately filed.
Take minutes of meetings as required.
Diary management, accurately record data on patient information systems
Ensure that in house databases are used effectively and developed according to service need thus facilitating provision of local and national data requirements.
Provide summaries of workload and reports as required to manage systems of evaluation including quantitative and qualitative data.
Redaction of donor codes for patient facing information.
Support use of paperless working when possible.

Research

Access and critically appraise research findings and literature reviews relating to clinical practice and modify practice accordingly.
UHL has strong links with local universities and there are opportunities for the postholder to initiate and participate in research as part of their continued professional development.

Health & Safety

Support the implementation of annual CMG H&S action plans.
Provide safe environment for employees, patients and visitors; stagger lunch breaks.
Ensure staff understand and comply with legal H&S obligations at work.
Report any accidents, verbal abuse.
Assist quality manager with risk assessments.

Person specification

Commitment to Trust Values and Behaviours

Essential criteria

• Must be able to demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Trust's Values and Behaviours

Training & Qualifications

Essential criteria

• 4 GCSEs including English Language, Maths and IT (grades 9-4 or A*-C) or equivalent
• Counselling training of at least 120 hours of guided learning
• First degree in a subject relevant to health care or equivalent
• Recognised diploma in Counselling (BACP Accredited course) or relevant Masters degree or equivalent •
• Accreditation with BACP or have submitted a written application for accreditation with relevant professional body. • Current professional registration to practice as a qualified counsellor (BACP/UKCP/BICA)

Desirable criteria

• Accreditation or working towards accreditation with BICA
• BICA course 'introduction to infertility counselling'
• Mindfulness training

Experience

Essential criteria

• Previous experience as a Counsellor, minimum 400 hours post qualification
• Experience of working with patients with fertility issues/ women's health, bereavement or similar
• Evidence of CPD

Desirable criteria

• NHS employment
• Quality improvement
• Psychosexual counselling

Communication and relationship skills

Essential criteria

• Sensitive, approachable, non-judgemental, self aware
• Cultural awareness, tact and diplomacy, non-judgemental
• Flexibility, able to use initiative
• Manage conflict, diffuse situations
• Effective written and oral communication

Analytical and Judgement skills

Essential criteria

• Committed to patient empowerment
• Embraces the concept of lifelong learning

Skills

Essential criteria

• Ability to work autonomously and manage clinical caseload
• Proven counselling and assessing skills
• Proven and effective team member
• Knowledge, confidence and ability to act as a resource for ACU team and other health professionals • Ability to develop and deliver educational packages using a variety of presentation skills • Practical application of IT skills (MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Teams, standard keyboard skills)
• Ability to initiate audit and successfully incorporate findings into practice
• To facilitate service development both strategically and on a day to day basis

Desirable criteria

• Use of IDEAS, Health Roster
• Work within BACP/BICA Code of Ethics

Planning and organisation skills

Essential criteria

• Good time management skills and organisation including ability to work under pressure

Desirable criteria

• Experience of external inspection

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Essential criteria

• Able to demonstrate a commitment to and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect appropriate to their individual needs.
• All staff are expected to engage in compassionate and inclusive leadership in the provision of high quality care and interactions with others

Other requirements specific to the role - Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Knowledge and commitment to multidisciplinary working
• Understanding of medical terminology
• Extensive current knowledge of professional issues
• Eligible for membership of BACP and/or BICA

Desirable criteria

• Experience of all assisted conception procedures, fertility investigations and a wide understanding of the issues involved with the treatment and HFEA.

Additional Information

Please submit your application form without delay to avoid disappointment; we will close vacancies prior to the publishing closing date if we receive a sufficient number of completed application forms.

Please check the email account (including your junk mail) that you supplied as part of your application on a regular basis following the closing date and throughout the recruitment process, as this is how we will communicate with you.

UHL is an equal opportunities employer. We aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds who match our job criteria.

Applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the job will be interviewed if you indicate you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme. If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process please make the recruitment services team aware as soon as possible.

UHL is committed to helping colleagues balance the demands of both their work and personal needs through flexible working arrangements wherever reasonably practicable and subject to service needs.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

Please note if you are successful in obtaining this position and the post involves regulated activity you will be required to undertake a Disclosure & Barring Service check.

The Trust will pay for the check initially and the money will then be deducted from your salary over a three month period commencing on your first month's payment.

The current price of a check is £38 for an enhanced and £18 for a standard check.

COVID 19 Risk Assessment

Due to the current Covid pandemic we have introduced a staff risk assessment into our pre-employment process. This now forms part of the mandatory pre-employment checks that will be carried out if you receive a conditional offer.

The risk assessment is intended to ensure you are able to safely perform your duties in any of our work areas, and if you have been identified as being particularly vulnerable to coronavirus. Our main aim is to reduce risk and to ensure the safety of all new starters to the Trust as well as current staff, patients and visitors.

If it is identified that you are within a vulnerable category, we will endeavor to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate this through discussions with both Occupational Health and your recruiting manager.

Covid Vaccination Status

Covid-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, family, colleagues and our patients/service users from the Covid-19 virus. We therefore continue to encourage our current and potential colleagues to get vaccinated.

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust holds the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of everything it does and all that it stands for. We are committed to developing a workforce that is representative of the community we serve. We welcome applications from the diverse community of Leicester, Leicester and Rutland, to help deliver healthcare services that meets the needs of our diverse communities.

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