Job Summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a full-time Rehabilitation Engineer to join our small, friendly and hard-working team completing assessment and provision of mobility and seating equipment for children and adults. The role is well suited to an experienced Rehabilitation Engineer or Clinical Scientist.

The post is based between the wheelchair service localities in Horsham, Brighton and Bognor and includes remote, clinic and community working. The successful applicant will have a practical, organised and flexible approach to working. Experience with design and manufacture of bespoke equipment is essential. The successful applicant will have the ability to communicate well with people of all ages and needs and have insight and understanding of the challenges faced by our service users.

Full induction will be provided. A full valid driving licence is essential, as is the ability to work well alone and within a team.

Main Duties of the Job

• Have clinical and technical knowledge in the fields of wheelchair and special seating engineering.
• Prescribe equipment to wheelchair users (e.g., manual and electrically powered wheelchairs, buggies, seating systems and accessories). This involves working in a technical-clinical capacity and includes client assessment, analysis, the costing of equipment, report writing, equipment prescription, equipment design and commissioning, delivery to the client and review.
• Provide support to the Rehabilitation Engineering Manager and the management team in service development, new contract tenders and ongoing supervision of the current maintenance contractor.

About Us

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why work for us? Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing. Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussex. Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retirement. Excellent training, development, and research opportunities. Accredited Living Wage Employer, we ensure fair pay for all our staff. Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton. Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks. Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust.

Our values -- Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence -- guide everything we do.

We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

Job Responsibilities

• Assess, prescribe and handover manual and powered wheelchairs, buggies, seating and associated equipment to clients with long term disabilities in a safe, timely and effective manner.
• Develop and maintain a working knowledge of the rehabilitation technology available to meet the needs of wheelchair, seating and prosthetic service users.
• Maintain an awareness of safety standards and the safety issues associated with wheelchair and seating (e.g., current hazard and safety notices and device bulletins).
• Provide support to the management team in the tendering, awarding and supervision of the wheelchair maintenance contracts as required.
• Evaluate new equipment to assess its technical quality, design, specification, effectiveness and cost, and provide feedback to manufacturers.
• Ensure that any equipment used by clients meets statutory requirements and is fit for purpose.
• Be responsible for maintaining and developing own competency to practice through CPD activities.
• Maintain professional registration with the Register of Clinical Technologists (RCT) or Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS) or Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential: Degree/Diploma/Certificate in Rehabilitation Engineering or Clinical Technology or an appropriate engineering discipline. Current registration on RCT, AHCS or HCPC.

Desirable: Membership of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM).

Experience

Essential: Experience of design and manufacture of bespoke equipment. Working knowledge of brazing, welding and fabrication. Experience of quality assurance. Post qualification experience in rehabilitation, preferably within wheelchairs and prosthetics.

Desirable: Experience with manual and powered wheelchairs, commercially available seating systems, and bespoke seating solutions for complex needs.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential: Practical engineering skills, understanding of modern materials, awareness of medical conditions, physical manipulation techniques, risk management, interpretation of standards, ability to use hand tools, CAD system, good communication, observational and analytical skills, empathetic approach.

Desirable: Familiarity with national drawing standards, understanding of wheelchair seating systems, ability to program powered wheelchairs.

Other Requirements

Ability to use Microsoft Office. Fit for manual handling. Valid driving licence. Able to drive own vehicle or departmental van.

Employer Details

Employer name: [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]

Address: Rose Wing, Horsham Hospital / Sussex Rehabilitation Centre, RH12 2DR

Employer's website: [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] careers page

Contact: Paul Townsend, Rehabilitation Engineering Manager, [contact hidden], [contact hidden]

Additional Information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check required. Applicants must have current UK professional registration.