Are you an Audiologist interested in Adult Audiology and are looking to train and progress?
We are looking for a bright, committed, and enthusiastic individual to join the Adult Audiology department based at Northampton General Hospital Trust.
You will be working as part of the newly formed countywide Audiology Service and will be part of the exciting journey the collaboration gives us for service improvement, collaborative working and staff development.
To apply for this position, you will need to have a BSc in Audiology (or equivalent). You will need recent Audiology experience (preferably in the NHS); further training will be provided.
Be registered or in the process of registering with the RCCP/AHCS or HCPC.
Be interested to take an active role and contribute in the departments journey to secure IQIPS accreditation.
Full time role 37.5 hours per week.
This is an exciting opportunity where the post holder will provide clinical expertise and leadership in the adult audiology service. This will encompass the delivery of evaluation monitoring and development of the audiology service and its staff; there will be access to clinical paediatric assessment activity if desired.
This role is an important part of the new structure of audiology services across Northamptonshire as part of the newly formed collaboration.
The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate excellent team working and leadership qualities as well as a high level of clinical and communication skills. They will play a key role in providing supervision, training, and advice to junior staff and students and will work closely with other specialism leads and a motivated audiology team to work towards IQIPS accreditation, continual development of a quality assured culture, and provision of a patient-focused service.
Whilst working with the trust, support and opportunities will be available for developing clinical management and leadership skills.
Northampton General Hospital is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All of our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered into a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.
Our Excellence Values:
* Compassion
* Accountability
* Respect
* Integrity
* Courage
We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone’s full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities.
We are a Defence positive trust, supporting our reservists, veterans, spouses, and partners.
The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled, and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals.
We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.
We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
The primary aim of the audiology services is to provide quality assured patient-centred care to all patients that use Northampton General Hospital audiology services. The main roles and responsibilities of this post will include:
Operational:
* We need an excellent communicator who is proactive in the way they tackle tasks and can work well individually and as part of a team, with a good sense of humour and ability to work well under pressure.
* You must be able to work with Adults, children, and families with complex needs and/or challenging social needs.
* To ensure that a consistently high quality, complex and sophisticated clinical service is provided, meeting the highest national and international standards.
* This includes maintaining continuous professional development, clinical supervision, and training of junior members of staff including medical students, working autonomously, managing own caseload and demonstration of own initiative as well as working well as part of a team.
Key Duties:
* To ensure that all patients are assessed accurately, using the most appropriate combination of clinical tests, to assist in their further clinical and medical management.
* To help the head of audiology maintain and develop audit and CPD resources for the department and use this as a mechanism through which it can monitor its performance, ensure quality, and strive for continuous improvement in service delivery.
* In conjunction with the head of audiology, to investigate and respond to all patient complaints in compliance with the trust policy and within the timescales set by the trust, using complaints positively to review and improve services.
* To keep well versed with the latest developments in audiology to inform and ensure their continued personal development and that of the department.
* To take forward the modernization of the service and develop initiative patient-focused models of care.
* To always comply with the Northampton General Hospital health and safety policies, in particular by following agreed safe working procedures and reporting incidents using the trust risk incident reporting system.
* To always respect patient confidentiality and not divulge patient information unless sanctioned by the requirements of the role.
* To participate in the recruitment selection and interviewing process for all new staff.
* Line management responsibilities for members of the adult audiology team.
* To monitor and manage sickness and well-being issues in the absence of the head of audiology.
Clinical:
* To undertake regular clinical sessions in order to maintain a high clinical profile, professional competence, authority, and credibility.
* To professionally lead and actively participate in the work of specific specialised disciplines in the department appropriate to the skills and experience of the post holder.
* To provide specialist advice to patients, professionals, and professional services on all matters pertaining to adult audiology and clinical services.
* To be professionally responsible for test results in the writing of test reports by all student staff, particularly in the absence of the head of audiology.
* To be responsible for the clinical decisions as to the viability of which diagnostic tests to undertake.
* To work closely with the paediatric audiology service so adults and paediatric audiology services are aligned.
* In compliance with the departmental policies, be responsible for referring patients to other professionals where appropriate.
* To audit clinical effectiveness and maintain a programme of development.
Communication:
* To be able to take a complete audio vestibular case history from a patient and/or carers and be able to interpret the information to guide treatment planning and discussions with multi-professional team members.
* To be able to communicate complex and often sensitive or emotive information (such as diagnosis of hearing loss) in an effective and accurate way in difficult situations to patients and their relatives or carers and be able to adapt using different communication skills in every situation seeking advice from the line manager when necessary.
* This may include the use of communication skills including empathy, persuasion, motivation, negotiation, training, and reassurance to ensure the best outcome for the patient.
* To be able to communicate effectively with patients with additional communication needs including profoundly deaf people who rely on sign language or language interpreters.
* To counsel distressed patients and their relatives or carers on hearing loss or associated problems including those with cognitive impairment or illnesses that may lead to anxiety, aggressive behaviour, or suicidal ideations. The ability to talk sensitively about other problems the patient may have if appropriate (e.g., bereavement).
* To be able to adapt communication to patients based on their clinical diagnosis and the stage of treatment; this may include pre and/or post-operative patients and patients with long-term potentially rare conditions.
* To maintain good patient rapport including being sensitive to the patient or carer's communication needs.
* To liaise with the consultants in ENT/other audiologists and other associated healthcare professionals to ensure a holistic approach to the patient.
* To be able to justify the choice of clinical intervention where expert opinions may differ using highly specialist knowledge and experience.
* To act as an expert resource and advisor in the area of audiology to other professionals, patients, and carers.
* To ensure that each patient has access to the relevant counselling, rehabilitation, and external support that they require in relation to their hearing loss.
* To provide support and motivation to patients so that they may complete the assessment and rehabilitation process to the best of their ability.
* To be able to communicate effectively with patients to ensure that appointments are managed within appropriate timeframes to reduce delays to the clinics.
#J-18808-Ljbffr