Job requirements
Essential
17 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- HEART values
Demonstrates commitment to Trust HEART values: honesty, equity, accountability, respect and teamwork.
- HEART values
Demonstrates commitment to placing quality at the heart of patient care and professional practice.
- Knowledge and experience
Post-qualification or equivalent supervised experience in genetic/genomic counselling, including autonomous or progressively autonomous caseload management.
- Knowledge and experience
Demonstrable knowledge and clinical experience in cancer genetics.
- Knowledge and experience
Experience of family-history assessment, pedigree interpretation, cancer risk assessment, informed consent, arranging genomic tests and communicating results.
- Knowledge and experience
Experience of complex, sensitive or time-critical clinical situations and multidisciplinary working.
- Knowledge and experience
Understanding of professional scope of practice, confidentiality, consent, safeguarding, clinical governance and data protection.
- Education/ qualifications
First degree in relevant subject and MSc in Genetic Counselling OR Graduate Nurse or Midwife with two years post-registration experience plus counselling skills training of at least 120 hours and an accredited genetics science course of at least 30 hours
- Education/ qualifications
Registered Genetic Counsellor with AHCS: if not AHCS Registered, appointment on band 6 is possible with the expectation that Registration is obtained within 3 years of appointment. OR Registered Genetic Counsellor (clinical scientist) with the HCPC OR Registered with an overseas body which has a reciprocity agreement in place with the GCRAB / AHCS and be willing to commit to register with the AHCS within 1-2 years of appointment.
- Skills, abilities and attributes
Advanced counselling, communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate highly complex and distressing information clearly and sensitively.
- Skills, abilities and attributes
Ability to work autonomously, make accountable clinical decisions, recognise limitations and escalate appropriately.
- Skills, abilities and attributes
Ability to prioritise a varied caseload, respond to urgent work and maintain safe tracking and documentation.
- Skills, abilities and attributes
Ability to critically appraise evidence and apply professional guidance, national testing criteria and local protocols.
- Skills, abilities and attributes
Ability to work effectively across professional and organisational boundaries.
- Skills, abilities and attributes
Commitment to non-directive practice, informed decision-making, equity, inclusion and accessible communication.
- Skills, abilities and attributes
Competent use of clinical, pedigree, risk-assessment, communication and office IT systems.
- Skills, abilities and attributes
Commitment to continuing professional development, reflective practice and regular genetic counselling supervision
Desirable
9 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Knowledge and experience
Previous experience at Band 7 or equivalent.
- Knowledge and experience
Experience of diagnostic, predictive or presymptomatic cancer testing, mainstreaming pathways, urgent treatment-related testing or specialist cancer clinics.
- Knowledge and experience
Experience of advice and guidance, referral triage, on-call work, audit, quality improvement, pathway development, research or teaching.
- Knowledge and experience
Experience supporting trainees or students.
- Education/ qualifications
Counselling skills qualification
- Education/ qualifications
Recognised qualification or training relevant to clinical supervision, teaching or assessment.
- Skills, abilities and attributes
Ability to teach genetic and non-genetic healthcare professionals.
- Skills, abilities and attributes
Ability to lead or coordinate a defined pathway, MDT activity, audit or improvement project.
- Skills, abilities and attributes
Experience using CanRisk or other relevant cancer risk-assessment and genomic information systems.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Genetic/Genomic Counsellor to join the North West Thames Regional Genetics Service (NWTRGS) Cancer Genetics Team. The post holder will provide a comprehensive, equitable and person-centred genetic counselling service for individuals and families with, or at risk of, inherited cancer predisposition.
This is a full-time, fixed-term Band 7 post for 12 months to provide maternity leave cover. The post holder will support continuity and capacity within the Cancer Genetics Team and will autonomously manage a varied caseload that may include diagnostic, predictive, presymptomatic and urgent cancer genetics cases.
The post holder will undertake cancer risk assessment, arrange appropriate genomic testing, interpret and communicate results, and coordinate referral to relevant screening, surveillance and specialist management pathways. They will contribute to cancer genetics advice and guidance, multidisciplinary meetings, mainstreaming pathways and the on-call service according to competence and service need.
Main duties of the job
- Manage an autonomous cancer genetics caseload, including diagnostic, predictive, presymptomatic and urgent cases.
- Provide genetic/genomic counselling through face-to-face, video and telephone consultations, including preparation, follow-up and coordination of care.
- Elicit and interpret detailed medical and three-generation family histories and maintain accurate pedigrees using approved clinical systems.
- Assess inheritance patterns and cancer risks using appropriate evidence, clinical information and validated risk-assessment tools.
- Explain testing options, possible outcomes, limitations and uncertainty, and facilitate informed, voluntary and non-directive decision-making.
- Arrange and, where authorised, request genomic tests in line with the National Genomic Test Directory, local pathways and professional scope of practice.
- Interpret and communicate results, including complex or uncertain findings, and coordinate appropriate follow-up, cascade testing and referral.
- Participate in the cancer genetics on-call rota and respond to urgent enquiries and time-sensitive treatment-related testing.
- Contribute to referral triage and advice and guidance within agreed competencies and approved protocols.
- Prepare for and participate in multidisciplinary meetings, presenting cases and documenting agreed actions.
- Maintain accurate, timely clinical records, correspondence, activity data, portals and safe caseload-tracking systems.
- Support mainstream cancer teams and act as a specialist resource for professionals, patients and families.
- Contribute to teaching, supervision, audit, quality improvement, pathway development and research.
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.
WhatsApp job alerts
Get instant WhatsApp alerts for Band 7 Genetic counsellor roles in Harrow
Create your Job Clerk account first. We'll collect your alert preferences during onboarding and help you turn on WhatsApp notifications for matching healthcare roles.
Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Genetic Counsellor with London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust in Harrow, England. It is listed as a Band 7 Genetic counsellor role. The advertised salary is £55,524 - £62,652 Inclusive of HCAS pro rata per annum. The contract type is Permanent: 2 Full Time and 1 Fixed Term Contract (Maternity cover). The application deadline is 11 Nov 2026.
Before you apply, compare the job description with the person specification and mirror the employer's essential criteria in your supporting information. Use the vacancy title, employer, location, salary, contract type, closing date and posted date (29 Oct 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHSjob search. If the employer can close applications early, prepare the application before the stated deadline rather than waiting for the final day.
For more context, review related Job Clerk pages for the same profession, band or location where they exist, then use the application-support guides to tailor your statement and prepare for interview.