Are you a skilled and experienced dental therapist?
Are you passionate about providing dental care to patients with special or priority needs?
If you answered yes, we have the perfect role for you!
The service provides opportunities to develop innovative ways to provide dental care and offers stimulation career development opportunities. Clinical care is provided in a variety of clinic settings including inhalation sedation.
To be responsible for the provision of professional and efficient dental care of patients as requested by the service. The post holder will provide appropriate NHS dental care for patients with special needs, those referred into the service by their General Dental Practitioner or other identified Healthcare Professionals and for those where there is evidence that they would not otherwise receive dental care. The Dental Therapist will undertake the necessary administrative and management tasks as directed by the Clinical lead of Dental services or their deputy.
So what else?
This is your chance to join a progressive and innovative service in a social enterprise that is patient and staff focused.
We encourage staff to get involved in exploring new ways of working and service development.
We’ll provide well established, in-service training, one to one supervision, and appraisals with regular support.
You’ll be able to develop your skills in a friendly and supportive team.
Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important work life balance is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.
The small print
Informal visits can be arranged on request
MCH is considering merging with Kent Community Health Foundation Trust (KCHFT). If the merger goes ahead, the proposed transfer date is 30 th September 2026 and this role will be subject to TUPE transfer to KCHFT.
1. Communication and relationship skills
A Dental Therapist must ensure a professional and ethical level of communication and confidentiality in their day to day activity encompassing the following areas.
Internal
- To work closely with colleagues in the Community Dental Service and adhere to the appropriate referral guidelines outlined by the Service.
External
- To liaise with general medical and dental practitioners, other healthcare professionals, external agencies and Organisations in order to achieve the best possible care for patients.
- To liaise with local hospital Maxillofacial Departments in order to provide well-co-ordinated care for all patients.
- To work closely with the public, patients and their carers in order to maintain a high-quality service to our patients.
2. Knowledge, training and experience
- Hold a recognised Dental Therapy qualification (3-year full time diploma/degree course).
- Hold a recognised qualification for extended duties (supervised and validated by an external accredited University over a 6-month period).
- Hold an accredited Dental Radiography Qualification, or equivalent.
- Have a current IR(ME)R certification
- Be registered on the current appropriate General Dental Council register.
- Have IT skills suitable for their role.
- Maintain their clinical skills and knowledge base throughout their professional career, as required by the General Dental Council.
- Have the ability to work within a Dental Team.
- Have experience of working with Patient Group Directives (PGD’s) as well as patient Specific Directives.
- Be able to work towards Direct access working
- Have good planning and organisational skills.
- Have good analytical and judgemental skills in a wide range of complex clinical and non-clinical procedures.
3. Analytical and judgement skills
Organising and monitoring of clinical activity to provide the most appropriate and effective outcomes for patient care.
Management of practical issues on a daily basis to provide a safe and efficient working environment.
4. Planning and organisational skills
Well-developed organisational skills.
Ensure high standards of accessible and appropriate treatment for the patient care group.
Providing assistance and guidance to healthcare colleagues in matters related to the dental care of special care adults and children in the community.
Facilitate effective treatment in a care network.
Represent the Dental Service in dental care matters as appropriate.
Collaborative working with a variety of community and social care professionals.
Maintain referral and preventative networks. Use of the Dental Electronic Referral system.
Liaise with Oral Health Promotion team to work with parents, carers and education professionals.
5. Physical skills
The post requires highly developed dental skills for assessment and treatment.
- Having highly developed physical skills, manual dexterity and a high degree of accuracy for intricate use of instruments in confined spaces during dental surgical interventions.
- To be able to undertake clinical procedures which may be time consuming due to the physical, mental or dental needs of the patient.
- If necessary, moving and handling of patients from wheelchair to dental chair, either manually or by hoist in line with Moving and Handling.
- To have keyboard skills and appropriate IT skills to enable effective record keeping, patient referrals and dental claim submission.
- Ability to travel between diverse sites across Medway, West Kent and Swale.
6. Responsibility for patient / client care
Screening, diagnosis, treatment planning and providing treatment for special care and paediatric patients in a variety of settings, including clinics, hospital units and special schools.
Manage an integrated care pathway.
Receive referrals from the referring dentist as well as working autonomously utilising PGD’s when necessary.
Organising and providing care for patients with special needs, including those with medical, physical or mental disabilities.
Detailed knowledge and application of contemporary methods of providing dental care, with reference to current clinical guidelines and standards of practice. Current knowledge of standards in the field and of NICE guidelines.
Adherence to the standards of practice and ethics required by the GDC and current legislation.
Adherence to Organisation policies on Health and Safety, Diversity, infection control, no smoking. Knowledge of local standards and policies. General knowledge of Organisation and Health and Safety policy. Appropriate applications and service development.
Work closely with staff in other dental specialities in the local health economy to develop seamless care within the population.
Carry out a wide range of clinical procedures to all categories of patients, including those with complex medical conditions; high risk patients with blood/air borne disease such as Hep B/HIV; complex dental need; challenging behaviour; communication difficulties, which General Dental Practitioners are unable or unwilling to treat.
7. Responsibility for policy and service development implementation
Organising and monitoring of clinical activity to provide the most appropriate and effective outcomes for patient care.
8. Responsibilities for financial and physical resources
Ensure supplies of essential dental materials are up to date, and if pharmacy stock low, ensure re-order through appropriate channels.
Ensure dental claims for patients are submitted accurately and in a timely manner to support the contractual obligations of the service.
9. Responsibilities for human resources (HR)
To take clinical responsibility for ancillary staff working under his/her supervision to maintain agreed standards.
10. Responsibilities for information resources
Medway Community Healthcare CIC employees are required to ensure that information about patients is safeguarded to maintain confidentiality and is kept securely in accordance with NHS requirements of 1999. (The Caldicott Committee’s Report on the review of patient-identifiable information 1997, & HSC/1999/012). This means that patient information can only be passed to someone else if it contributes to the provision of care or the effective management of health care services within the Organisation.
Record and submit accurate and timely data as required to inform service planning, community profiling and aid local development plans.
11. Responsibilities for research and development (R&D)
Medway Community Healthcare CIC has adopted a strategy for Continuous Improvement and all members of staff employed by the Organisation are expected to play an active role in development and improving services to the benefit of patients.
Support of training positions within the dental service and the larger MCH organisation.
Completion of surveys and audits as required
Take responsibility for implementing a practice initiative or project. This could include the provision of training or development of other practitioners.
12. Freedom to act
Works independently as an autonomous practitioner.
Works within defined departmental, professional and organisational protocols, policies and codes of conduct.
Uses initiative to resolve problems
Follows Organisation policies and procedures.
