Advanced Paediatric Audiologist

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES

1. Clinical and Scientific.

To perform routine hearing assessments on pre-school and school aged children as part of doctor led clinics (to include visual reinforcement audiometry)

To undertake full Audiological assessment of pre-school and school aged children-to include both routine and complex cases (special educational needs, multiple disabilities and communication disorders).

Assessment will include full case history, otoscopy, tympanometry, stapedial reflexes, oto acoustic emissions, distraction testing, Visual re-inforcement audiometry, pure tone audiometry and speech discriminations tests.

To analyse test results, discuss findings with families/carers and formulate individual management plans.

To carry out auditory brainstem response assessment on newborn babies and older children. To be responsible for taking a history, interpreting test results, and sharing results with families in a sensitive manner.

To partake in internal and external ABR peer review system.

To provide a comprehensive hearing aid service to newborn babies and children, in accordance with national best practice guidelines/protocols (MCHAS, NICE..). To include real ear measurements on older children and real ear to coupler differences in babies and younger children.

To undertake repairs and modifications to faulty hearing aids as necessary.

To take aural impressions appropriate to hearing loss and hearing aid types.

To be responsible for reviewing children and their amplification needs in Audiologistled clinics. This will include taking a full history, age appropriate hearing assessments, speech discriminations tests, aided assessments, and communicating results and appropriate management plans to families

To offer appropriate advice and guidance to families of children with permanent and temporary hearing loss.

To liase with all key stakeholders involved in childs care to ensure optimum support for child and family, this will include-but not limited to- sensory support services, Paediatricians, safeguarding, health visitors, GPs, etc..

To problem solve inconsistent/erroneous findings/test results.

2. Administrative and Management

To be responsible for a specific area of Paediatric Audiology- to be determined. May include managerial responsibility for the 2nd tier service in Camden & Islington-based at the Northern heath centre.

Responsibility for management of junior staff.

To include responsibility for inductions, Personal Development reviews, clinical supervision,monitoring of annual leave, sickness, and general 1:1s.

To escalate any serious/relevant issues to the lead clinical scientist in a timely manner.

To provide clinical training/supervision to ATO/MSc/BSc students and locums.

To provide training for school nurses involved in screening hearing

To investigate and manage DATIX incidents-as delegated by the lead Paediatric Audiologist.

To ensure that national/local/trust policies/protocols/guidelines are followed and to support junior staff in adhering to same.

To deputise for the Lead Senior Clinical Scientist as requested

To contribute to departmental and team meetings and ensure appropriate actions are completed in a timely manner

To arrange professional and in-house training as required/requested by Lead Clinical Scientist

To disseminate learning to peers/team/other health professionals

To be responsible for general maintenance, stock checks and re-stocking of rooms used for auditory brainstem response and to inform the Lead Senior clinical scientist of any issues.

To maintain accurate clinical records in line with departmental/Trust requirements.

To produce timely and accurate reports for all babies and children seen in clinics.

To generate appropriate referrals to other specialities, such as ENT, TOD.

To deal with any queries from patients.

To be accountable for the day-to-day management of pertinent work areas, ensuring that equipment is maintained correctly, and daily checks/calibration are carried out, reporting any faults as appropriate to the Lead Senior Clinical scientist. To follow up any equipment/software issues.

Daily requirement to input own patient audiological data into Audiology patient management system (Auditbase), Trust patient management system, and Newborn Hearing Screening national database (ESP/SH4).

3. Research and Development.

To participate in research projects as required.

To maintain up to date knowledge of scientific, technical and clinical practices to keep abreast of professional change and development in the fields of Paediatric Audiology.

Participation in Family Friendly Paediatric Service Provision as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

To review service processes and pathways to ensure optimum efficiency and patient satisfaction

To participate in departmental audit, and assist the Lead Clinical Scientist in implementation of action plans

To attend meetings as required regarding Audiology Service Issues.

To present educational/research information received from formal training to other members of staff.

To attend service training and study courses as required for personal development and/ or the advancement of the service.

To play an active role in service developments, commenting on change with an evidence based practice approach under the guidance of consultant/Lead Senior Clinical Scientist.

To provide necessary information as required for equipment procurement, quality assurance, and clinical governance to Consultant/Lead Clinical Scientist to enable best practice and service development.

To be responsible for monitoring own CPD activity to ensure registration requirements are fulfilled.

4. Other

To provide cover as required commensurate with grade

To perform any other adhoc duties that may be requested by the Consultant or Lead Clinical Scientist as appropriate to the grade.

In order to meet the needs of the service, maybe required to work at different locations at times.

Education / Qualifications

Essential

• Relevant BSc/equivalent
• Postgraduate MSc in Audiological Science/equivalent
• CAC/Diploma in Clinical Competency in Audiology/equivalent
• Registration as a Clinical Scientist/Clinical physiologist in Audiology

Desirable

• Advance course modules
• BSL Qualifications
• Membership of BSA/BAA
• HTS-in Paediatric assessment-newborns, older children, habilitation

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Ability to communicate effectively with parents/carers/children
• Ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with patients with learning and social communication difficulties
• Excellent verbal and written presentation skills Good interpersonal skills
• Good interpersonal skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of health professionals
• Good IT/word processing skills
• Ability to work autonomously

Desirable

• Competent at performing threshold ABR assessment on babies and young children

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• At least 2 years recent Post graduate experience of Paediatric Audiological assessment
• At least 2 years recent post graduate experience of hearing aid work with children
• Experience in testing and working with children with complex needs and social communication difficulties
• Up to date knowledge of national test protocols

Desirable

• Post graduate experience of Auditory brainstem response assessments
• Cortical evoked response audiometry assessment
• Responsibility for specific areas within Audiology service
• Experience of sharing news of hearing loss with families
• Experience of managing staff

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Able to show understanding and empathy
• Supportive to peers and junior staff
• Team player
• Dedicated to improving Audiology services for children and their families
• Motivated+ proactive Flexible, patient and reliable
• Flexible, patient and reliable

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

UK Registration

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