Sterile Services Team Leader

Job overview

For your information sponsorship for this role is not available.

Please be advised that once qualified and trained the salary will be revised.

As a Sterile Services Team Leader you make a valuable and important contribution to the delivery of a high-quality decontamination service. Your role is to support the departmental needs of reprocessing and delivery of all instruments and equipment used to provide medical and surgical procedures.

Responsible for the daily co-ordination of the workload and allocation of or amendment to work duties of SSD Technicians in line with changing service requirements during each shift

Main duties of the job

The Decontamination and Sterile Services Team Leader is responsible for providing supervision of staff within the unit. They will ensure the effective safe and efficient collection, decontamination (washing, disinfection and sterilisation) and distribution of re-usable medical devices for use in direct patient care with complex speciality demands, including devices of varied design which are of a delicate and valuable nature for use in patient care

The Sterile Services department maintains a quality system (ISO 13485:2016). The Team Leader must comply with the essential requirements of the UKCA Medical Devices Regulation.

Maintaining and updating of records and database for traceability of re-usable medical Devices in accordance with quality control and accreditation

To test, validate and operate highly technical and sensitive decontamination equipment within the department, recording and reporting faults to ensure timely repairs and maintenance

To undertake quality checks for cleanliness and functionality of equipment before distribution to customers in accordance with Legislation, Quality Systems and Health and Safety both Trust wide and for external customers

To prepare and record appropriate documentation, e.g. labelling and recording for traceability in accordance with quality control and accreditation

To collect and accept delivery of used equipment from all customers including external customers

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Responsible for ensuring that sterile service production meets clinical service user needs, to be taking prime responsibility for and control of the co-ordination of staff duties/services/user communication and equipment resources on a daily basis

Responsible for monitoring of daily preparation and maintenance procedures in production areas

Responsible for ensuring high standards of departmental housekeeping are maintained

Responsible for ensuring that work patterns and practices conform to the departmental procedures and safety requirements for clean rooms and dirty areas within the department

Responsible for monitoring staff usage of resources to ensure that materials are used in a cost efficient and appropriate manner

Responsible for acting as the primary contact with service users for management of daily product requirements and liaising with senior SSD managers in the event of production difficulties or anticipated risks

Responsible for immediately reporting plant equipment malfunctions or suspected anomalies to senior SSD managers

Responsible for understanding and assuming supervisory staff responsibilities under the Trust and Departmental Health & Safety Policies to minimise and control workplace risk

Responsible for ensuring that Personal Protective Equipment is always available and is used by all staff working in the department, with any continuing noncompliance reported to the department Manager

Responsible for ensuring staff adherence to SSD procedures for dealing with missing instrumentation

Responsible for conducting appraisals (PDR) of SSD Technicians and supporting them in meeting their objectives

Responsible for undertaking activities and monitoring as required by SSD managers to ensure that mechanisms to reduce production errors are followed

Responsible for advising senior SSD managers where behavioural, reliability, technical ability or other issues are identified in relation to individual SSD Technicians, ensuring that confidentiality is maintained

Responsible for maintaining contact with key users during times of peak workload where prioritisation is necessary and keeping other Team Leaders and Technical staff up to date with current priorities

Responsible for taking responsibility for specific elements of departmental management as agreed with the senior management team

Responsible for undertaking training of new staff and updating of existing staff on new or revised equipment and procedures

Responsible for identifying and developing in conjunction with senior SSD managers, changes to existing procedures and working practises in order to enhance departmental efficiency

Responsible for working flexibly across the whole department to ensure consistency of service quality and covering the work of colleagues during times of absence and during peak workload

Responsible for effectively communicating operational issues with other members of the SSD team using departmental routes of communication

Responsible on a rotational basis to carry out duties include receiving, disassembly and cleaning of contaminated equipment

Responsible for the inspection, testing, assembly, packing, sterilisation and distribution of instruments and equipment for supply to customers, wards, departments, theatres and external customers

Responsible for ensuring that the recording of all essential stages of the decontamination/sterilisation process is carried out

Responsible for ensuring daily tests are carried out as per agreed schedule and results on equipment are within set parameters and to inform the relevant personnel if results are contrary to the required standards

Responsible for carrying out functionality tests on all re-usable medical devices

Responsible for ensuring all records and process test results demonstrate compliance so as to enable audits and facilitate analysis

Responsible for carrying out all duties in line with the Trusts Health and Safety policies

Responsible for carrying out all duties in line with the Departments Accredited Quality System

Responsible for carrying out assigned clerical tasks as required which will include but not limited to placing orders via Integra, goods receiving and invoicing

Responsible for keeping areas clean and tidy to maintain a safe and compliant environment

Responsible for delivering the workload within the agreed time and to the required customer service level agreement Responsible for the collection, processing and distribution of essential medical devices and sterile packs throughout the trust including clinics and outside agencies in accordance with legislation and quality systems

Responsible for adhering to specified levels of Personal Protective equipment at all times including Pushing/manoeuvring trolleys, manual handling of instrument sets and stock

A high degree of physical effort will be required to undertake these duties on a regular basis

Responsible for dealing with customer enquiries in a professional manner at all times

Responsible for helping in the training of new staff

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.