Principal Genetic Counsellor

Job overview

The Principal Genetic Counsellor is a senior autonomous practitioner responsible for delivering, developing and leading specialist genetic counselling services within Prenatal and Rare Disease Genomics. The post holder will provide expert genetic counselling, risk assessment, genomic test coordination and clinical management of a highly specialised caseload, supporting individuals, couples and families with, or at risk of, genetic conditions.

Working as an integral member of the multidisciplinary Clinical Genetics Service, the post holder will provide leadership for prenatal and rare disease pathways, contributing to strategic service development, workforce development, education, audit, research and quality improvement. The role will involve close collaboration with fetal medicine, obstetric, maternity, neonatal, paediatric, laboratory and other specialist services across the region to ensure timely access to genomic testing and genetic counselling.

high-quality, equitable and patient-centred genomic services across the regional network.

Main duties of the job

1. Clinical Expertise

  • Independently manage a specialist caseload in prenatal and rare disease genetics.
  • Undertake genetic counselling consultations, risk assessment and psychosocial evaluation.
  • Provide counselling on inheritance, reproductive options, genomic testing and genetic diagnoses.

2. Prenatal and Rare Disease Genomics

  • Deliver specialist counselling for individuals and families affected by rare genetic conditions.
  • Support implementation of genomic testing pathways and family testing strategies in line with national guidance.

3. Clinical Leadership and Service Development

  • Provide professional leadership within prenatal and rare disease genetic counselling services.
  • Lead development, implementation and evaluation of clinical pathways

4. Triage and Clinical Governance

  • Lead referral triage and case review processes.
  • Ensure compliance with professional standards, national guidance and organisational policies.

5. Education and Workforce Development

  • Supervise, mentor and support Genetic Counsellors, trainees and genomic staff.
  • Contribute to professional registration and assessment pathways.

6. Management Responsibilities

  • Support the Consultant Lead Genetic Counsellor in workforce leadership and service development.
  • Provide advice and reports on service performance, capacity and workforce needs.

7. Research, Audit and Professional Responsibility

  • Support evidence-based practice, audit and service improvement.
  • Present service developments and research outcomes.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To view the main responsibility, please see the attached the Job Description and Person Specification.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Person specification:

HEART values

Essential

  • Demonstrate commitment to Trust HEART values – Honesty, Equity, Accountability, Respect, and Teamwork

Knowledge and experience

Essential

  • • Utilises advanced counselling skills in working with people who are distressed
  • • Experience of multidisciplinary working with fetal medicine, obstetric, neonatal, paediatric and laboratory teams
  • • Proven ability to educate both genetic professionals and other healthcare professionals
  • • Experience managing complex counselling situations involving uncertainty, reproductive decision-making and psychosocial complexity
  • • Experience of pathway development, service improvement and clinical leadership
  • • Experience supervising, mentoring or training genetics professionals, trainees or students.

Desirable

  • • Previous line management experience
  • • GCRAB Sign off Mentor and / or experience as a training officer for Genomic counsellor STP programme
  • • Experience implementing prenatal genomics service developments at regional level.

Education/ qualifications

Essential

  • • Master's degree in Genetic Counselling or equivalent with advanced knowledge and clinical expertise in prenatal and/or rare disease genomic
  • • GCRB/AHCS/HCPC registration
  • • Demonstrates has met the criteria for Band 8A AGNC Genetic Counsellor – see www.agnc.org.uk (Agenda for Change endorsed career structure

Desirable

  • • Leadership qualification

Skills, abilities and attributes

Essential

  • • Works within AGNC code of ethics and the GCRAB Code of Conduct and Scope of Practice
  • • Ability to work effectively as a Team leader
  • • Excellent communication skills and sensitivity to needs of others
  • • Excellent interpersonal skills.
  • • Strong sense of responsibility, integrity, and commitment to service delivery.
  • • Able to work cooperatively with others, sharing knowledge and supporting colleagues to achieve shared goals.
  • • Ability to recognise personal and professional boundaries.
  • • Effective and flexible time management skills
  • • Ability to review current literature and develop and implement clinical policies.
  • • Good IT skills

Desirable

  • • Previous line management experience
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