Job overview
An opportunity has arisen to work within the Decontamination Distribution Department at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospitals as a Decontamination Support Worker. This post will alternate between sites within the trust, therefore the successful candidate will be required to travel to both Maidstone and Pembury.
You will work within a small team and be responsible for ensuring that sterile equipment for theatres, wards and departments is available and in good condition. The post holder will need to be flexible in their approach to given tasks with the ability to work both independently and as part of the team.
The role will include the delivery of clean surgical instrumentation to theatres, wards and departments, checking the integrity of sets prior to delivery to ensure sterility has been maintained for the end user. The role also incorporates other tasks to assist other departments within the trust and these will be discussed at interview.
You will be required to work 37.5 hours a week between 8am-7pm Monday – Friday and weekends on a rota basis. Currently set at one weekend in four.
Main duties of the job
The role will also involve assisting with repair and quarantine processes and assisting with loan kit process. You will scan and receive clean sets, scan and send dirty sets away for processing, undertake deliveries to wards, departments and theatres, manage the repair of surgical instrumentation and assist the supervisor and coordinator with other related tasks associated with decontamination.
You would benefit from having the following attributes: basic computer skills, good people skills and a flexible approach to working.
You must be able to carry out manual handling duties as this role will involve the movement of large trolleys around the hospital.
We are a small hard working team who work closely together to ensure the theatre department and other areas using sterile equipment for patients have what they need. Our work is critical to the smooth running of patient services.
Working for our organisation
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust ranks among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second-best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 NHS Staff Survey.
We are a large acute hospital trust in south-east England, providing general hospital services and specialist care to around 600,000 residents in West Kent and East Sussex. With a dedicated and diverse team of over 8,000 staff we are proud to offer specialised cancer services to over two million people through the Kent Oncology Centre.
Fordcombe Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, became part of the Trust in October 2024. Specialising in planned care, it offers two operating theatres, 28 inpatient and day-care beds, diagnostic services (X-ray, MRI, CT, and endoscopy), and consultation/treatment rooms.
Looking for flexible working?
We are a flexible working-friendly organisation. Whether it’s adjusting your hours or exploring other flexible arrangements, we want to work with you to find the best solution for you, our patients, and the Trust. Talk to us about how we can accommodate your working needs.
Joining us includes a comprehensive benefits package:
• At least 27 days of annual leave plus public/bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff).
• Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with a 20.6% employer contribution and life assurance benefits
• Blue Light card eligibility
• And more, additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents below
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We’ve provided all the details you need about this role in the job description and person specification. Please take a moment to review the criteria in the person specification and share specific examples in your application that demonstrate how you meet these requirements. Please also check your application for errors/omissions prior to submission.
Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service Check at Standard Level (Enhanced level now includes regulated checks against vulnerable adults and children) .
All successful applicants will be required to complete our corporate trust induction once a start date had been agreed.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Good standard of general education to include Maths and English.
2. Willingness to learn in the field of decontamination.
Desirable criteria
3. Science based subject advantageous
Knowledge/ Experience
Essential criteria
4. Good basic level of computer skills
5. Experience of record keeping
Desirable criteria
6. Knowledge of basic surgical instrumentation advantageous
7. Knowledge of decontamination process advantageous
Skills
Essential criteria
8. Ability to be flexible to cover emergency situations
9. Able to work on own initiative and as part of a team
10. Able to problem solve and seek advice where needed.
11. Demonstrate ability to liaise effectively and report appropriately to line managers
12. Ability to multitask