Senior Anatomical Pathology Technician

Job Introduction

BCP Council are offering an opportunity for a certified and experienced Senior Anatomical Pathology Technician (APT) to join a small, hardworking and dedicated mortuary team, supporting the HM Coroner for Dorset and Public Health Funerals for BCP Council.

Working with the Mortuary Manager you will deliver a full range of mortuary activities and be responsible for undertaking of all duties related to admission, identification and safe storage of deceased bodies for post-mortem examination in accordance with service procedures and legislation.

Role Purpose

The Senior APT supports the Mortuary Manager in the provision and delivery of a safe, secure, effective and comprehensive mortuary and post-mortem examination service to support the HM Coroner for the County of Dorset.

The post holder will be primarily responsible for ensuring the mortuary and post mortem examination service always operates in accordance with relevant legislation, regulations, licencing, codes or practice and local authority requirements, and that standard operating procedures are in place and complied with at all times.

Main Responsibilities

• Assist the Mortuary Manager in supervising, coordinating and monitoring the performance and daily work schedules of all Anatomical Pathology Technicians within the framework of service requirements, including staff appraisals, performance management plans and HR policies.
• Assist with the induction and training programmes of all mortuary staff, including Continuing Professional Development, basic and advanced theory, practical training and the safe and correct use of equipment in line with the requirements of the Human Tissue Authority's licence to operate. 
• Assist with the training and development programmes for staff and that they are completed, up to date and recorded.
• Ensure the post-mortem room is maintained in accordance with SOPs and other policies and procedures, including the routine disinfection procedures and disposal of waste.
• Participate in the mortuary on-call service, through effective rota patterns and accesses, to offer advice and assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year as directed by the Mortuary Manager.
• Be competent in all areas of mortuary and post-mortem work and assist at post-mortem examinations where necessary to meet the demands of the service.
• Assist with Forensic / Home Office post-mortem examinations as directed by the Mortuary Manager.
• Attend the mortuary in the event of a mass fatalities incident being declared as directed.
• Ensure effective links with the Coroners Office, Pathologists, Bereavement Services Team, Funeral Directors, Police and hospital staff are in place to ensure a cohesive mortuary and post-mortem service.
• Ensure the Facilities Management Team undertake comprehensive and effective servicing, maintenance and repair of the mortuary facility and equipment, and ensure all log books are maintained and updated.  
• Ensure exemplary standards in the management of human tissue/fluid specimens collected at post-mortem in the collection, labelling, safe handling, storage and transportation to provide full traceability and reporting as directed by the Mortuary Manager.
• Monitor and maintain appropriate levels of consumable stocks for the mortuary to ensure continuity of service.
• Ensure all data and records are maintained correctly, accurately and appropriately and are processed in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations and information governance requirements.
• Keep up to date with current mortuary practices and guidance from the Human Tissue Authority, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and any other professional bodies relating to mortuaries, post-mortems and the retention of tissue samples.
• Ensure effective case management for the receipt and release of deceased persons to funeral directors or other authorised persons in accordance with the standard operating procedures.
• Accompany bereaved relatives to viewings and ensure these are held appropriately and in accordance with best practice.  Ensure that communications with bereaved families are sympathetically and efficiently dealt with.
• Ensure control of external agencies such as Funeral Directors for collection times and that safe collection procedures are followed according to the mortuary policy and health and safety.
• Safeguarding of all data associated with the service provision ensuring casefiles and documents including photographs are secured in line with GDPR and Council policies
• Deputise for the Mortuary Manager as and when required.

The Ideal Candidate

Essential

• Level 3 Diploma in Anatomical Pathology Technology (or equivalent) with at least 2 years’ post Level 3 experience (or equivalent)
• Experience of mortuary work
• Able to effectively and sensitively communicate information to colleagues and other interested persons
• Demonstrable experience with good hand to eye coordination and dexterity when performing complex technical tasks
• Good working knowledge of MS365 including Teams, Excel, Word, Outlook and other programmes relevant to the role 
• Able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines by planning and organising own workload in an environment of change and where there are competing demands 
• Able to work as an effective team player, assisting and supporting other team members as and when required 
• Possess a high level of resilience, emotional stability and maturity 
• Able to deal with distressing situations in a professional, dignified and respectful manner without compromising the needs and reputation of the service
• Must be able to travel, using public or other forms of transport where they are viable, or by holding a valid UK driving licence with access to own or pool car 
• Able to lift and manoeuvre bodies, including oversized bodies, for dressing and undressing, viewings, post-mortems and release to Funeral Directors, using hydraulic trolleys
• Able to deal with frequent exposure to highly distressing circumstances, including post-mortems on patients of all ages, disfigurement or decomposed bodies and untoward deaths.

About BCP Council

BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people. Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline. We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services. By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.

Our Benefits

We offer an excellent benefits package to colleagues. Find out more on our website

As a result of the creation of BCP Council in 2019, we are working on simplifying our terms and conditions of service and will be creating a single pay structure which is to be applicable for all employees. It is important to us that we offer benefits that our colleagues value as part of their total employment package and we are reviewing these to make sure we have it right. We are in the process of establishing a timescale for implementation and colleagues joining us will be included in these changes. This is expected to be in place in 2024.