Newborn Hearing Screener

Job overview

An exciting part time vacancy has arisen in the Newborn Hearing Screening Service, which is part of the Maternity Department of the Royal Berkshire NHS Trust. This is a fantastic opportunity to join our established team of dedicated Newborn Hearing Screeners working on busy postnatal maternity wards and in outpatient clinics.

We are looking for fully qualified/experienced newborn hearing screeners who are caring, motivated, conscientious individuals with a flexible, adaptable approach. Good communication and interpersonal skills are required and experience of working in a hospital environment and baby handling skills are desirable. The post requires being able to work well as part of a team and also on your own initiative. You must be methodical and well organised and it is essential for you to be able to prioritise your own workload to ensure that all babies are screened. You must be able to remain calm when under pressure as you will frequently be required to cover busy postnatal wards and clinics alone. An adaptable approach to the role aspects is essential.

Main duties of the job

Qualified to GSCE Grade C standard (or equivalent) in Maths & English is a minimal requirement, good computer skills are essential and deaf awareness would also be an advantage.

Flexible Working Hours: Part-time 2 days per week (15 hours)  over 7 days a week on a rota basis.

Hours are worked as 7.5 hour shifts. Standard shifts are from 08.00-16.00.

**This is a 7 day per week service, 364 days per year and shift patterns are dependent on service needs.

Service cover is over 7 days a week and some weekend and bank holiday working is required of all post-holders. It is essential that you are able to be flexible and available to work any of these shifts on any day. As you will be required to travel to outreach clinics in the Berkshire area, a full clean driving license is required as well as access to a vehicle.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Based in the Maternity Unit of the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, the team provides hearing screening to all babies born in the Berkshire area. The service is a comprehensive national programme and the role involves explaining and performing screening tests and imparting results to families, as well as accurately entering data into the National Screening database and liaising with other healthcare professionals. Our service helps identify babies who may have a hearing loss, so that they can be referred for further testing and receive the appropriate early intervention where appropriate.

You will be a fully qualified and experienced Hearing Screener; this involves direct contact with babies and parents alongside annual computer based e-learning and clinical assessment.

To work as a member of the Newborn Hearing Screening team, as the health professional performing newborn hearing screens in a hospital setting, recording and collecting data and liaising with parents, health professionals, other stakeholders and the Newborn Hearing Screening Manager as appropriate. The post will involve direct handling of newborn babies and contact with parents.

Interviews will be conducted in person. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Please see the Job Description, person specification and working conditions for full details and requirements.