Paediatric Audiologist (progression post)

Job description

Job responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform diagnostic hearing assessment on pre-school and school age children and analyse the results, including:

• Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA)
• Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA)
• Performance testing
• Speech discrimination testing
• Tests of middle ear function using tympanometry
• Otoacoustic Emissions

• Complete audiological testing of babies that are referred following their newborn hearing screen, using Otoacoustic Emissions (OAEs) to detect cochlear function.

• Carry out otoscopy following BSA recommended procedures
• identify any contraindications or indications for further procedures e.g. tympanometry and aural impression taking.
• Identify atypical or abnormal ear conditions and make appropriate onward referrals

• Take accurate and safe impressions of the ear following BSA recommended procedures for impression taking.

• Arrange referral to other professionals for treatment/management when required, following local and national guidance. E.g. referring to ENT for management of middle ear effusion.

• Manage hearing loss in infants and children
• dispense, fit and maintain digital hearing aids, using MCHAS guidelines and protocols.
• • use probe microphone measurements to verify hearing aids to prescription targets
  • carry out reviews with hearing aid users
  • audiological habilitation/rehabilitation
  • use of outcome measures to support and guide habilitation/rehabilitation
  • Carry out hearing aid repairs and maintenance.
  • Carry out routine maintenance and calibration checks on audiological equipment, reporting faults and arranging for repair when necessary.
  • Maintain accurate recording of results and update patient records.
  • Write reports to relevant health professionals
  • Update national S4H database with results of hearing tests following referral from neonatal hearing screening team.
  • Ensures adequate and smooth transition of children onto Adult Audiology Services, via a Transition Clinic.
  • Responsible for maintaining own workload, prioritising referrals and planning work for junior staff. Plans day to day duties and routine clinics.
  • Demonstrate flexibility to meet the needs of children with complex needs, and adapt test procedures based on the needs of the child
  • Demonstrate flexibility to deal with urgent referrals and queries
  • Organises testing and hearing aid management in outreach clinics and schools, ensuring all necessary portable equipment is available.
  • Collaborates with Audiology Manager to ensure an efficient and effective Audiology department.
  • Monitor hearing aid stock and advise senior staff/management on re-ordering requirements.

  Communication

  • Work and communicate effectively and courteously with patients, colleagues, public and members of the directorate and the trust
  • Maintain hospital and departmental records, including provision of patient reports as necessary
  • To work and communicate effectively within the multi-disciplinary team
  • Ability to adapt communication in order to instruct infants and children, including those with complex needs, during behavioural hearing assessment using appropriate language
  Able to use tact and persuasion where barriers to understanding exist, e.g. very
  • young children, children with learning difficulties and the un-cooperative child.
  • Communicate effectively with deaf and hard of hearing patients and families.
  • Able to communicate complex technical information in a meaningful manner.
  • Demonstrate reassurance and persuasive skills to gain a child's confidence for invasive procedures e.g., impressions.
  • Demonstrate sensitivity and awareness when imparting bad news e.g. sudden hearing loss or deterioration of existing hearing loss.

  Professional

  • Active participant in Trust research projects involving children with hearing loss.
  • Maintain strict confidentiality at all times.
  • Maintain professional standards and protocols without supervision.
  • Work in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act and complies with Trust policies and audiological protocols.
  • Ensure continuing professional development. Develops and maintains in depth knowledge of paediatric test protocols, is well informed about changes to current practice and able to implement new recommended procedures following appropriate training.
  • Maintain registration with the RCCP
  • Take part in both professional and departmental meetings.

  Information and Data Responsibilities

  • Maintain thorough record-keeping
  • Maintain systems to monitor documentation including recording and storing all relevant information ensuring it is securely held and can be accessed easily.

  Training

  • Carries out training and supervision of degree students. Assesses student's clinical competencies both practically and verbally and signs off achieved targets.
  • Designs learning targets for/with the student to help them to fulfil their learning objectives
  • Complete tutorial sessions with the students.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• BSc/MSc Audiology or equivalent e.g., BTEC in MPPM, BAAT Parts 1 and 2 and HNC MPPM
• Registered with RCCP

Experience

Essential

• NHS experience to include paediatric audiometric assessment including full range of behavioural audiometric tests
• Experience in managing infants and children with hearing loss.
• Experience in carrying out audits and surveys within a clinical set up
• Excellent experience of paediatric hearing aid assessment, fitting and rehabilitation.

Skills & Attributes

Essential

• To be able to carry out a full range of paediatric audiology diagnostic tests.
• Ability to meet strict deadlines when necessary
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
• The ability to communicate sensitively and empathically
• Excellent team player
• Ability to keep accurate and legible patient records and statistical information.
• Demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance.
• Good IT skills
• Good organisational skills

Desirable

• Good experience in paediatric diagnostic tests including ABR & OAEs.
• Attendance of the Harrogate ABR training course is desirable.
• Experience in audits and introduction of service developments
• Experience of training and development of junior members of staff, and BSc and MSc university students on clinical placement

Skills & Attributes

Essential

• Flexibility over location/ pattern of work
• Able to travel to peripheral clinics throughout Halton, St Helens & Knowsley and to travel across the wider Trust footprint to meet the needs of the service.

Desirable

• British Sign language level one (BSL)

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Address

7 Crow Wood Lane

Widnes

Cheshire

WA8 3NA

Employer's website

http://bridgewater.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)