Job summary
Have you ever thought of training to become and Audiologist or are you already undertaking training and wish to join the NHS?
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Audiology Department at Torbay Hospital in the beautiful location of South Devon. You will join the Department as a Senior Assistant Audiologist but there will be opportunity to undertake further training to qualify as a hearing aid Audiologist and potentially as a fully qualified Audiologist in the future.
The Department delivers an Audiology service across 8 localities and domiciliary visits for those patients who cannot attend hospital appointments.
The ideal candidate will be reliable, motivated and enthusiastic. In order to undertake further qualifications, you must have5 GCSE's including Maths, English and one science subject Grade 4 (c) or above and a minimum of 48 UCAS points from at least one of the following: A levels, T levels, BTEC , Access to higher education diploma, NVQ level 3 or equivalent.
You must be able to attend training courses away from home.
Main duties of the job
The SATO works alongside and assists the audiologists in a wide range of clinical and administration duties. This includes delivering a hearing aid repair service via drop in, postal and booked face to face appointments. They will also assist the Audiologists in the paediatric clinics and learning disability clinics.
The SATO will also be responsible for a wide range of administrative and clerical duties within the department, including stock control (sending, receiving and ordering), ear mould processing, dealing with phone calls for patients wishing to book appointments or requesting advice.
Whilst undertaking the roles of the Assistant Audiologist, training and education will also be undertaken. This will require attendance at an institute of further education, self-study and practical Audiology training given by the Audiologists.
About us
The Audiology Department has around 30 members of staff working across a range of grades, roles and specialisms. These specialisms include Direct Access Hearing assessment clinic for adults, Hearing assessment clinics for children, Direct Access Tinnitus Clinics, Specialist Adult Rehabilitation Services including Hearing Therapy, Bone Anchored Hearing Devices, Vestibular Assessments, Learning Disability service to name but a few.
We are based at Torbay Hospital and run Audiology clinics across 8 localities in the South Devon area. We also offer domiciliary visits for those patients who cannot attend the hospital.
It is a busy, friendly and supportive department and we pride ourselves in offering a quality service to our patients. We were awarded the UKAS IQIPS accreditation in 2014 and have successfully maintained this ever since.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Communication and working relationships:
Forms of communication may include:
- Discussions
- Formal oral presentations
- Written reports (clinical, technical or management)
- Ability to work with interpreters to include sign language interpreters
Internal:
- To Consultant specialists and other members of the medical Staff
- Senior Managers
- All grades and professions across the trust
External:
- Members of the public
- GP practices
- Other NHS healthcare trusts in and out of the region
- Other professionals associated with the service for hearing impaired people e.g. Social services, Advisory teachers for Hearing impaired Children, Learning Disability Network and Charities.
- CCGs
- All grades and professions across the health community
Communication with patients/carers who may have varying degrees of hearing loss, from mild to profound.
Responsibility for patients and client care
- To operate a postal hearing aid service, ensuring that patients hearing aids are repaired quickly and returned in a timely manner.
- To operate face to face repair clinics. Conducting an examination of hearing aid function, replace tubing, repair and maintain behind the ear and in the ear hearing aids and reprogram if necessary.
- To book follow up appointments for patients attending the department.
- To assist the audiologist when they attend domiciliary visits when patients are housebound.
- To calibrate audiological equipment daily and report any faults to the supervisor or directly to medical electronics department or manufacturer, ensuring the faulty equipment log is kept up to date.
- Ensures that all patient details are confirmed prior to any treatment
- Perform otoscopy on patients attending the department and to recognize conditions that may affect patient care and refer on to appropriate professionals appropriately.
- Ensure patients records/ Individual Management Plans (IMPs) are comprehensive and kept up to date on the patient management system following each consultation.
- To recognise when impressions of patients ears need to be taken and undertake this procedure, or organise for a senior member of staff to do so if the ear is deemed a complex ear.
- To attend the wards to fit inpatients ear moulds and repair hearings aids.
- To alter/adjust ear moulds when required.
- Attend domiciliary visits for mould fitting or simple repairs.
- To assist the Audiologists when testing children.
- To assist the Audiologist during learning disability clinics.
- To deal with requests for advice regarding hearing aid issues over the phone or by telecare.
Administrative duties
- Triage referrals that arrive in the Department from other specialties.
- Receive and deal with queries either by telephone/letter/email from staff members, GPs and patients.
- To take requests for hearing aid batteries and hearing aid tubing from GP surgeries and send out as and when required.
- To ensure patients are entered onto the correct waiting list or have the correct appointment after their ear moulds have come back from the manufacturer.
- Ensure ear mould impressions are scanned and sent to manufacturer in a timely manner.
Planning and organisation
- To book follow up appointments for patients attending the department and who have made contact by phone.
- To ensure that work is collected/taken/sent for patients appointments in locality clinics.
- To input all incoming stock details on a computerized stock control system to maintain Audiology Department stock and ensure all the documents are placed in appropriate files to enable goods receipting to take place.
- Maintain stock levels within the Department, ordering when necessary.
- Ensure stock is sent out to the various hospitals and clinics when needed
Responsibility and accountability
- Act with integrity and professionalism, demonstrating responsible behaviours at all times, in accordance with Trust values.
- Be accountable for your actions, be honest and share your experiences, encouraging learning in others.
- Ensure the patient is at the centre of the service and treated with dignity and respect.
- Helps the Department maintain its accreditation status (UKAS IQIPS)
- Undertake any activities as required at the request of the Head of Audiology/Deputy Head of Audiology.
- Assist the head of Department in annual risk assessments.
- Undertake various audits.
Policy and service responsibility
- All staff have a responsibility to ensure that the needs of the service are met in a timely and efficient manner.
- All staff have a responsibility familiarize and to adhere to Trust and Departmental polices, guidance and SOPs.
- Encourage and welcome feedback from colleagues and patients to ensure continual improvement.
- Ensures the ability to find any policies and SOPs at any given time to confirm compliance
Responsibility for finance, equipment and other resources
- All staff have a responsibility to ensure equipment is in good working order and ensure daily, weekly and monthly checks/calibration are undertaken, reporting where necessary.
- All staff have a responsibility resources are used efficiently and effectively.
- All staff have a responsibility to ensure effective and conservative use of resources.
- All staff have a responsibility to ensure low stock items are identified and added to the ordering spread sheet.
Responsibility for supervision, leadership and management
- To assist in the training and supervision of new members of staff and students.
Responsibility for development
- To attend a recognised institute of further education to undertake the foundation degree in Audiology (potentially via the apprenticeship route).
- To ensure time is managed to allow for self-study.
- To participate fully in training opportunities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Communication and working relationships:
Forms of communication may include:
- Discussions
- Formal oral presentations
- Written reports (clinical, technical or management)
- Ability to work with interpreters to include sign language interpreters
Internal:
- To Consultant specialists and other members of the medical Staff
- Senior Managers
- All grades and professions across the trust
External:
- Members of the public
- GP practices
- Other NHS healthcare trusts in and out of the region
- Other professionals associated with the service for hearing impaired people e.g. Social services, Advisory teachers for Hearing impaired Children, Learning Disability Network and Charities.
- CCGs
- All grades and professions across the health community
Communication with patients/carers who may have varying degrees of hearing loss, from mild to profound.
Responsibility for patients and client care
- To operate a postal hearing aid service, ensuring that patients hearing aids are repaired quickly and returned in a timely manner.
- To operate face to face repair clinics. Conducting an examination of hearing aid function, replace tubing, repair and maintain behind the ear and in the ear hearing aids and reprogram if necessary.
- To book follow up appointments for patients attending the department.
- To assist the audiologist when they attend domiciliary visits when patients are housebound.
- To calibrate audiological equipment daily and report any faults to the supervisor or directly to medical electronics department or manufacturer, ensuring the faulty equipment log is kept up to date.
- Ensures that all patient details are confirmed prior to any treatment
- Perform otoscopy on patients attending the department and to recognize conditions that may affect patient care and refer on to appropriate professionals appropriately.
- Ensure patients records/ Individual Management Plans (IMPs) are comprehensive and kept up to date on the patient management system following each consultation.
- To recognise when impressions of patients ears need to be taken and undertake this procedure, or organise for a senior member of staff to do so if the ear is deemed a complex ear.
- To attend the wards to fit inpatients ear moulds and repair hearings aids.
- To alter/adjust ear moulds when required.
- Attend domiciliary visits for mould fitting or simple repairs.
- To assist the Audiologists when testing children.
- To assist the Audiologist during learning disability clinics.
- To deal with requests for advice regarding hearing aid issues over the phone or by telecare.
Administrative duties
- Triage referrals that arrive in the Department from other specialties.
- Receive and deal with queries either by telephone/letter/email from staff members, GPs and patients.
- To take requests for hearing aid batteries and hearing aid tubing from GP surgeries and send out as and when required.
- To ensure patients are entered onto the correct waiting list or have the correct appointment after their ear moulds have come back from the manufacturer.
- Ensure ear mould impressions are scanned and sent to manufacturer in a timely manner.
Planning and organisation
- To book follow up appointments for patients attending the department and who have made contact by phone.
- To ensure that work is collected/taken/sent for patients appointments in locality clinics.
- To input all incoming stock details on a computerized stock control system to maintain Audiology Department stock and ensure all the documents are placed in appropriate files to enable goods receipting to take place.
- Maintain stock levels within the Department, ordering when necessary.
- Ensure stock is sent out to the various hospitals and clinics when needed
Responsibility and accountability
- Act with integrity and professionalism, demonstrating responsible behaviours at all times, in accordance with Trust values.
- Be accountable for your actions, be honest and share your experiences, encouraging learning in others.
- Ensure the patient is at the centre of the service and treated with dignity and respect.
- Helps the Department maintain its accreditation status (UKAS IQIPS)
- Undertake any activities as required at the request of the Head of Audiology/Deputy Head of Audiology.
- Assist the head of Department in annual risk assessments.
- Undertake various audits.
Policy and service responsibility
- All staff have a responsibility to ensure that the needs of the service are met in a timely and efficient manner.
- All staff have a responsibility familiarize and to adhere to Trust and Departmental polices, guidance and SOPs.
- Encourage and welcome feedback from colleagues and patients to ensure continual improvement.
- Ensures the ability to find any policies and SOPs at any given time to confirm compliance
Responsibility for finance, equipment and other resources
- All staff have a responsibility to ensure equipment is in good working order and ensure daily, weekly and monthly checks/calibration are undertaken, reporting where necessary.
- All staff have a responsibility resources are used efficiently and effectively.
- All staff have a responsibility to ensure effective and conservative use of resources.
- All staff have a responsibility to ensure low stock items are identified and added to the ordering spread sheet.
Responsibility for supervision, leadership and management
- To assist in the training and supervision of new members of staff and students.
Responsibility for development
- To attend a recognised institute of further education to undertake the foundation degree in Audiology (potentially via the apprenticeship route).
- To ensure time is managed to allow for self-study.
- To participate fully in training opportunities.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- 5 GCSE Minimum grade C (or 4-9) in English and Maths
Desirable
- To access level 6 apprenticeship 3 A Levels at ABB (one science) OR where the applicant has significant work experience alternative qualifications we will consider their suitability
Knowledge and experience
Essential
- IT literate and experience in using various IT packages/systems
- Experience of working with the general public
- Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal)
Desirable
- Experience of dealing or working with people with hearing loss
Skills
Essential
- Experience of working in an NHS setting
- Excellent interpersonal skills and to be able to work as part of a team
- Organised and methodical approach to work
- Ability to be able to attend training courses away from home
- Experience of working with general public
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- 5 GCSE Minimum grade C (or 4-9) in English and Maths
Desirable
- To access level 6 apprenticeship 3 A Levels at ABB (one science) OR where the applicant has significant work experience alternative qualifications we will consider their suitability
Knowledge and experience
Essential
- IT literate and experience in using various IT packages/systems
- Experience of working with the general public
- Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal)
Desirable
- Experience of dealing or working with people with hearing loss
Skills
Essential
- Experience of working in an NHS setting
- Excellent interpersonal skills and to be able to work as part of a team
- Organised and methodical approach to work
- Ability to be able to attend training courses away from home
- Experience of working with general public
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
