Close Relative Marriage Neonatal Nurse

at  Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced neonatal nurse to join our trust in a brand new role. If you are passionate about reducing inequalities in infant and child mortality and morbidity this could be the role for you.
The Neonatal Unit at Wexham Park Hospital is a Level 2 Neonatal Unit made up of 2 Intensive Care, 3 High Dependency and 12 Special Care cots. The unit cares for babies over 26+6 weeks gestation and stabilises any baby under that gestation, to be transferred to a tertiary hospital/ NICU.
Our team aspires to provide high quality and evidence based; clinical, developmental and family integrated care in order to ensure the best outcomes for our babies and their families.
Working alongside the neonatal team both on the unit and in the community, the close relative marriage neonatal nurse will proactively work with affected families practising close relative marriage to encourage a greater level of genetic testing and/or genetic awareness/literacy among families where Autosomal Recessive disorders are present. Improving access to genetic services for families to enable informed reproductive decision-making.
This role will support the development and promotion of the new service for women and families who have a higher risk of a genetic condition and is part of the development of the wider Culturally Sensitive Genetic Literacy Project, funded by NHS England. The successful applicant will work closely with the Close Relative Marriage Midwife to facilitate early access to genomics information, advice and support for women in consanguineous relationships.
We are actively involved in the Thames Valley and Wessex Neonatal Network and participate in several work groups to standardise and improve care.
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust provides NHS hospital services for around 900,000 people across Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and south Buckinghamshire.
As well as delivering excellent general hospital services to local people, we provide specialist heart attack, vascular, stroke, spinal, cystic fibrosis and plastic surgery services across a much wider area.
We have three main hospitals - Frimley Park in Frimley near Camberley, Heatherwood in Ascot and Wexham Park near Slough.
As a Trust, we will offer a commitment to your professional development, through appraisals, personal development plans and study opportunities. We are a forward thinking Trust with a passionate and enthusiastic nursing team. We have a passion for excellence and are committed to enhancing the patient experience and providing the best care for neonates.

Our three core values , and the behaviours that support them, guide everything we do and set out what we expect of our staff in the way they treat patients, visitors, service users and each other, Committed to Excellence, Working Together and Facing the Future .

• This role aims to improve access to the provision of a culturally competent genetic service for consanguineous families at increased risk of autosomal recessive genetic disorders in Slough.
• The post holder will work as a member of the neonatal outreach team, to identify Slough families where consanguineous related disorders are present and improve access to genetic services for families to enable informed reproductive decision-making.
• Identify families that are admitted to NICU with a probable or likely genetic aetiology linked to close relative marriage and conditions likely to be inherited in an autosomal manner and initiate conversations with family in a sensitive, culturally appropriate manner.
• Ensure that families who need information about genetic risk and close relative marriage receive this support.
• Support other staff members to provide accurate, unbiased, non-judgemental evidence-based information to service users.
• Deliver a comprehensive training programme including access to genetic literacy information, to all staff, within neonatal services supporting the implementation of the national strategy.
• Maintain their own clinical skills and competencies and have excellent communication skills.
• Develop an understanding of the issues and research evidence of the subject matter.
• Ensure that provision of genetic information is available to Slough women/families who are affected by this issue to enable empowered decision making.
• Enable parents to make informed choices in a culturally sensitive empowering way.
• Initiate sensitive, appropriate conversations with families affected with recessive disorders linked to close relative marriage.
• Support and improve engagement with genetic services for affected families.
• Establish the role within the neonatal team and be a point of contact referral for the wider team.
• Work towards incorporating genetic information into neonatal care where appropriate.
• Help to improve access to genetics services for at risk consanguineous families.
• Ensure a common understanding of genetic risk
• Promote the use of standardised resources and materials
• Support the development of joint ways of working across maternity, neonates, paediatrics, clinical genetics, health visiting and general practice in the local high need area
• Ensure learning is shared across the Trust
• Support the development of networks and partnerships with/between: Genomic Services Medicine Alliances and Regional Clinical Genomic Services; Local Maternity & Neonatal Systems; the National Child Mortality Database; local authority public health teams; NHS England; Office for Health Improvement & Disparities; relevant professional bodies; and others.
• Undergo training sessions delivered by NHS England and link with Close Relative Marriage Neonatal Nurses in other High Need Areas as part of the wider Culturally Sensitive Genetic Literacy Project.
• Design and deliver training for neonatal team at local level.
• Establish and contribute to a multi-disciplinary community of practice.

Please refer the Job description for details