Lead Fertility Counsellor inPort Talbot inPort Talbot PUBLISHED 11 DEC 2023

Main Duties of the Job

The post holder will provide specialist consultation and education on infertility counselling and related psychosocial issues within the health board for health professionals and other related bodies and provide supervision of staff and liaison with other agencies including other NHS departments. This also includes providing counselling skills training for staff within the multidisciplinary team and the wider Health Board as appropriate.

To organise, promote, deliver, evaluate, develop and manage the Counselling Service within the multidisciplinary fertility services of the Wales Fertility Institute, NPTH. This will be carried out within the overall framework of the multidisciplinary team's policies and procedures.

Management, Training & Leadership

Exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients/patients, whose problems are managed by appropriate assessment and counselling approaches relevant to the specialist area of infertility.

Ensure patients receive a high-quality counselling service, which may include referring patients to other agencies for further specialist medical or mental health help or treatment, if required.

Develop the necessary administrative structures to facilitate the work of the counsellors and integrate any changes in the law in a timely way for the benefit of patients.

Take responsibility for the maintenance, storage and disposal of confidential counselling records and ensure that patient confidentiality is not compromised by working within the BACP Ethical Framework and the HFEA Code of Practice.

Be responsible for the welfare of the WFI B6 counsellor or trainee counsellors on placement within the department and ensure their on-going professional development needs are met .

Develop and maintain effective communication within the team and the Trust and liaise with the multidisciplinary team regarding the provision of counselling services including educating all team members about good practice in counselling.

Attend ethics committee meetings and contribute to ethical decision making.

Attend and contribute to multidisciplinary team meetings.

Demonstrate commitment to ongoing clinical professional development in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework, the BICA guidelines and the current HFEA Code of Practice by attending further education and training events as appropriate.

Participate in mandatory training activities according to Health Board policy.

Provide teaching regarding counselling and managing emotions for team members and other members of the Trust.

Provide counselling skills training and promote, develop and support the use of counselling skills within the multidisciplinary team as appropriate to individual members professional roles and relationships.

Give lectures/presentations to professional bodies, local groups, students, and Health Board staff, when required.

Communication

Attend relevant infertility/counselling meetings, BICA study days and conferences to maintain specialist knowledge and skills relevant to infertility, so as to meet the needs of the department and client group and build up resources that may help all these groups.Provide specialist advice, information and consultation to other professionals, agencies and counsellors on the social, emotional and psychological effects of infertility, related medical conditions and assisted conception procedures.Oversee communication with other team members, with other departments within the Health Board and with outside agencies when issues arise regarding the Welfare of the Child.

Counselling

Provide a Counselling Service for people experiencing infertility difficulties at the Wales Fertility Institute, NPTH or by referral from elsewhere within the WJCC funding areas.

Be responsible for implementing a range of specialist counselling interventions for individuals and couples, drawing on different models based on an appropriate framework for the client's problems.

In line with the BACP Ethical Framework provide confidential therapeutic face-to-face counselling to individuals, couples and, on occasions, their families, whose infertility, circumstances, treatment, donation and/or outcome give rise to particular difficulties or distress.

In line with the HFEA Code of Practice provide implications counselling to individuals and couples who are considering or wishing to donate or receive gametes (eggs/sperm or embryos), and those who are considering, are undertaking, have undertaken or who are otherwise affected by assisted conception, donation or gamete storage procedures.

Provide counselling to patients throughout all stages of the infertility treatment process as well as providing an opportunity for patients to return to the unit for counselling support after treatment has been completed.

Provide psychosexual and relationship counselling, where required.

Undertake Welfare of the Child Assessments in liaison with the patients, the multidisciplinary team and external agencies (when indicated) in line with the HFEA Code of Practice.

Adhere to the Health Boards Child Protection Procedures if and when such issues arise during the course of working with patients.

Improvement, Monitoring, Policy/Service Development

Areas of discretion and typical analysis, decisions and judgements made in the course of the job, Does the post holder work to agreed procedures e.g. SOPs, policies add examples to illustrate analysis, decisions and judgements made.

Consider the job in a time frame i.e. things done on a daily, weekly, monthly, annual or longer basis.

Implement systems to evaluate the efficacy of the counselling service.

Digital and Information

Prepare annual audit report of the counselling service for HFEA Inspection according to BICA guidelines.Produce leaflets and information for the benefit of the patients/clients and to promote the Counselling Service.
Research Development. Evaluation & Audit

Conduct ongoing review of current research, technologies, legislation, national and local policies and other activity relevant to the specific patient/client group.

Participate in the WFIs research programme as appropriate and work towards initiating research in the area of infertility counselling as the regional centre becomes established.

Represent the counselling service and provide evidence of compliance with HFEA Code of Practice as part of the HFEA Inspection Process of the Centre.

Demonstrate awareness of research and resources available.

Participate in clinical audit within the multidisciplinary team.

Professional

Make own independent supervision arrangements to receive regular professional and clinical case supervision from an appropriately qualified supervisor as required by the HFEA, the BACP and the BICA.

Maintain membership of a relevant professional body with a complaints/disciplinary procedure (e.g. BACP) and abide by their professional code of conduct and ethics.

Maintain membership of the BICA.

Remain up to date with relevant national legislation, e.g. welfare of the child, donor anonymity, guidelines, and local policy standards.

Participate in annual performance reviews to identify personal training and development needs and work to achieve set objectives.

Contribute directly and indirectly to a holistic framework of understanding and care for the benefit of all patients of the Wales Fertility Institute, NPTH, across all settings and agencies serving the patient group.
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

At Wales Fertility Institute (WFI) this role is integral in supporting the HFEA governance of all our donor patients and surrogates and Oncology/fertility preservation patients undertaking implications counselling prior to commencing treatment.

The successful candidate will provide specialist information and consultation to other professionals on the social and psychological effects of fertility, involuntary childlessness, related medical conditions and assisted conception procedures, along with options for their management and support. They will promote and maintain good working relationships with other professionals, groups, organisations and agencies in order to further patients' / clients' support and counselling needs and refer on as necessary for other specialist help.

The lead fertility counsellor will support the B6 counsellor and WFI management; to develop and maintain effective communication within the team and the organisation and lead with communication with the multi-disciplinary team regarding the provision of counselling services including educating all team members about good practice in counselling.

Delivering and leading innovation for the counselling service for the Wales Fertility Institute ensuring clinical work and administration are maintained to the highest standard and according to the HFEA Code of Practice.

Manage and be responsible for the delivery of a professional, high quality, specialist Counselling Service as an integral part of the multidisciplinary team involved in providing fertility treatment at the Wales Fertility Institute NPTH.

Being responsible for ensuring that the highest level of psychological and emotional support is given to patients as appropriate.

Ensuring that the counselling practice is ethical and professional.

The post holder will work closely with all members of the multidisciplinary team within departments, to promote the informed consent of patients and educate staff where necessary about changes in legislation etc.

Take responsibility for the maintenance, storage and disposal of confidential counselling records and ensure that patient confidentiality is not compromised by working within the BACP Ethical Framework and the HFEA Code of Practice.

Be responsible for the welfare of the counsellors or trainee counsellors on placement within the department and ensure their on-going professional development needs are met.

The role will be based within Neath Port Talbot Hospital and virtually as appropriate.