Senior Audiologist (Tinnitus) - Band 6

Job overview

This senior role is responsible for the assessment and management of both adult and paediatric patients, with a specialist focus on delivering a tinnitus management service to the local population.  The post holder will support patients with tinnitus, including those with complex medical, social and emotional needs.

Working alongside the existing Senior Audiologist (Tinnitus) and under the supervision of the Audiology Service Manager, the role also requires a high level of autonomy in providing tinnitus support, as well as contributing to broader adult audiological assessment and rehabilitation services.

Main duties of the job

• Undertake ENT clinics, direct referrals and hearing aid clinics.
• Provide Tinnitus assessment/management service in conjunction with the Audiology Service Manager and current Senior Audiologist (Tinnitus)
• Work independently providing a specialist diagnostic and rehabilitative service for adults and children
• Formulate and deliver care plans for both adults and children.
• Fit hearing aids (including CROS devices) including rehabilitation and support
• Perform hearing aid verification measures
• Responsibility for a particular area of the Audiology Service
• Prioritise own work and manage time effectively.
• Keep up to date with professional standards.
• Maintain professional registration with AHCS
• Training and supervision of junior staff including students.
• Communicate complex test results and technical information to patients, carers and other professionals
• Interpret complex information/test results.
• Report writing to other professionals regarding test results, outcomes and future care plans.
• Assist with health and safety aspects of the department including completion of risk/COSSH assessments
• Report equipment faults/repairs
• Contribute to IQIPS accreditation process, developing documentation to support governance
• Undertake clinics at outreach sites and domiciliary visits when required

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB SUMMARY/PURPOSE:

The post holder will be providing direct patient care to our Adult and Paediatric population. In doing so, you will implement programmes of care required to support and manage their hearing needs. It is crucial that the post holder works within their sphere of competence and knowledge in relation to Adult, Paediatric and Tinnitus pathways. The post holder will work within a range of procedures and pathways in which they have experience to ensure a streamlined care plan is provided for patients/carers and their families. The post holder will also support the other team members and students (work based mentor). Whilst providing specialist expertise in Tinnitus assessment and management, the post-holder will also undertake other aspects of adult audiological assessment and rehabilitation. In addition to the clinical role, there will also be responsibility for safety and quality assurance within the department.  The will be a requirement to undertake clinics in outreach setting as well as occasional domiciliary visit clinics.

Principle Responsibilities

Clinical duties:

• Assisting in the day to day running of the Audiology Service to ensure ENT clinics, outreach clinics and hearing aid clinics operate effectively with good clinical outcomes.
• Responsibility for the provision of the Direct access Tinnitus service in conjunction with the Audiology Service Manager and current Senior Audiologist (Tinnitus), ensuring national guidelines are adhered to.
• Working independently providing a specialist diagnostic and rehabilitative service for adults and children
• Responsibility for management of own patients, formulating and delivering care plans for both adults and children.
• Fitting Hearing Aids (including CROS devices) to adults and children including rehabilitation and support to the patient/carers and their families
• To be competent in hearing aid verification to maintain best outcomes for the patient group, including speech testing methods
• Use of drills, grinders and polishers for ear mould adjustment.

Management duties (self & others):

• Working closely with the Audiology Services Manager to maintain high standards of care for hearing impaired patients, adhering to Trust and Departmental procedures.
• Responsibility for a particular area of the Audiology Service provision.
• Ability to deal with difficult patient/staff situations which may occasionally include emotional, upsetting or distressing issues.
• Prioritises own work and manages time effectively.
• To develop own role and remain current with professional standards.
• Assisting in the development of new professional techniques including clinical trials, R&D activity, equipment testing in line with departmental and Trust objectives.
• Responsible for identifying, negotiating and achieving agreed CPD requirements.
• Maintain professional development including up to date membership of BAA and membership of RCCP.
• Ability to delegate tasks to other staff both technical and clerical as appropriate.
• Supervision and training of junior staff including students.
• Workload management of junior staff and students.

Communication/information:

• Excellent verbal communication skills with Audiology Team, patients, carers and other professionals.
• Ability to effectively communicate complex test results and technical information to both patients, carers and other professionals
• Analysis and interpretation of complex information/test results/problems.
• Maintaining Audiology statistics both electronically and manually.
• Effective use of resources – IT systems, maintaining patients records both electronically and manually, data extraction, reports.
• Synchronisation of laptops before and after use at outreach clinics.
• Report writing to other professionals regarding patients test results, outcomes and future care plans.

Teaching:

• Training and supervision of students to graduate entry level.
• Teaching and advising colleagues, trainees, students and other professional disciplines, aspects of Audiology within the organisation.
• Teaching and advising patients, parents and carers.

Research and development:

• Understand the needs and philosophies that underpin research – research ethics, evidence based healthcare.
• Support/participate in R & D programmes and department developments e.g. modernisation.
• Evaluation of equipment/ devices for their suitability for use within the service.
• Development of new techniques together with the Head of Service i.e Supporting junior staff in research methods and technologies.

Other:

• Be responsible for the health and safety aspects of the department including completion of risk/COSSH assessments in line with national guidelines/Trust requirements
• Be responsible for managing and reporting  equipment faults/repairs
• To contribute to IQIPS accreditation process through the writing of policies, guidelines and standard operating procedures for the Audiology Service
• Undertake clinics at outreach sites in the community and domiciliary visits when required
• Any other duties as identified by the Head of Department.

Professional Registration/Codes of Conduct

Be aware of and comply with the relevant codes of conduct and practice set up by your professional regulatory body and maintain up to date professional registration appropriate to the post. Any breach of these codes may lead to action by the Trust independent of any taken by the regulatory or professional body.

Safeguarding Children & Adults

Understand and work within policies and local procedures relating to Safeguarding Children and the Protection of Vulnerable Adults.

Health & Safety

You are required to: co-operate with supervisors, managers and other employees to achieve a healthy and safe environment, to take reasonable care of your own health and safety and that of other persons who may be affected by your actions, to carry out your responsibilities in ways that help to ensure a safe and healthy place of work.

In the course of your work you are to bring to the attention of your supervisor or manager:

• Any situation which reasonably could be considered to represent a serious or immediate danger to the health and safety of any person.
• Any matter which reasonably could be considered to represent a shortcoming in the Trust’s health and safety protection arrangements.

Please see attached job description and person specification.