Full Time 37.5 hours per week (Work pattern can be discussed at interview)
Permanent Position
Are you an Audiologist who has gained lots of experience in Audiology and are looking to progress and keen to be part of a newly formed County Collaboration of Audiology Services?
We are looking for a bright, committed, and enthusiastic individual to join and Lead the Adult Audiology Team at Northampton General Hospital Trust as part of the wider Collaboration.
You will be working as part of an established team of dedicated Audiologists as well as having the opportunity contribute to the newly formed county collaboration, working closely with other audiology service leads to ultimately gain accreditation and deliver an outstanding service.
To apply for this position, you will need to have a BSc in Audiology (or equivalent). You will have recent audiology experience in the NHS and a desire to drive change and be instrumental in service improvement.
Be registered or in the process of registering with the RCCP/AHCS or HCPC.
Be committed to take an active role and contribute in the department's journey to secure IQIPS accreditation.
Main duties of the job
The Adult Audiology department is a very busy hospital-based clinic receiving referrals from a wide range of professionals across South Northants and also supports the ENT collaboration. We are an integral part of the surgical division and work very closely with our colleagues in Paediatric Audiology and ENT as well as primary care, social care, and the voluntary sector.
To assist in the provision of a diagnostic service for the Adult Audiology Department, performing a full range of diagnostic audiological assessments on neonates, children, and young people up to the age of 18 years old including children with learning disabilities, challenging behaviour and additional disabilities or special needs.
To provide aural habilitation for adults referred to the service, which includes providing counselling about hearing loss and associated problems and to help patients to make decisions about the most appropriate course of treatment for them.
To be the Clinical Lead for the service working closely with the other service leads in Audiology and the Lead for Audiology Services and Deputy across the collaboration.
About us
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.
Job responsibilities
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
1. To ensure demonstrably high professional standards are maintained in all areas of clinical scientific, technical educational and rehabilitative service provision as they pertain to both staff and patients.
2. The post holder will be expected to provide supervision training and advice to all new staff and students within the department.
3. To have in-depth understanding of all operational management systems for the provision of clinical service including the use of their applications for example hospital pass system, audiology pass system, procurement system, leave record, and clinical rota system.
4. To promote and support the professional and vocational development of staff within the audiology service and to implement good working practices in compliance with trust human resource policies in order to ensure effective and equitable recruitment retention development and training of staff.
5. 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 insurance quality and strive for continuous improvement in service delivery.
6. 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.
7. To keep well versed with the latest developments in audiology to inform and ensure their continued personal development and that of the department.
8. To take forward the modernization of the service and develop initiative patient-focused models of care.
9. 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.
10. To always respect patient confidentiality and not divulge patient information unless sanctioned by the requirements of the role.
11. To participate in the recruitment selection and interviewing process for all new staff.
12. Line management responsibilities for members of the adult audiology team.
13. To monitor and manage sickness and well-being issues in the absence of the head of audiology.
Clinical
1. In conjunction with the head of audiology be professionally responsible for the provision of a clinical and technically safe audiology service and to undertake regular clinical sessions in order to maintain a high clinical profile professional competence authority and credibility.
2. With support from the head of audiology be responsible for the day-to-day clinical pathway management of adult audiology service and its specialties to support and demonstrate high professional standards and to work towards meeting national waiting time targets.
3. 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.
4. To provide specialist advice to patients, professionals, and professional services on all matters pertaining to adult audiology and clinical services.
5. 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.
6. To be responsible for the clinical decisions as to the viability of which diagnostic tests to undertake.
7. To work closely with the clinical lead of paediatric audiology so adults and paediatric audiology services are aligned.
8. In compliance with the departmental policies be responsible for referring patients to other professionals where appropriate.
9. To audit clinical effectiveness and maintain a programme of development.
10. To chair the adult and tinnitus specialist meetings. To undertake any such duties as deemed appropriate by the head of audiology.
Communication
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. This may include the use of communication skills including empathy persuasion motivation negotiation training reassurance to ensure the best outcome for the patient.
4. To be able to communicate effectively with patients with additional communication needs including profoundly deaf people who rely on sign language or language interpreters.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. To maintain good patient rapport including being sensitive to the patient or carers communication needs.
8. To liaise with the consultants in ENT/other audiologists and other associated healthcare professionals to ensure a holistic approach to the patient.
9. To be able to justify the choice of clinical intervention where expert opinions may differ using highly specialist knowledge and experience.
10. To act as an expert resource and advisor in the area of audiology to other professionals, patients and carers.
11. To ensure that each patient has access to the relevant counselling rehabilitation and external support that they require in relation to their hearing loss.
12. To provide support and motivation to patients so that they may complete the assessment and rehabilitation process to the best of their ability.
13. To be able to communicate effectively with patients to ensure that appointments are managed within appropriate timeframes to reduce delays to the clinics.
14. To demonstrate effective skills in conflict resolution and competent negotiation skills when dealing with difficult or challenging situations including the discussion of complex cases with other clinical staff.
15. To undertake joint consultations with other professionals including speech and language therapists and teachers of the deaf.
16. To work constructively and flexibly with people from other cultures and backgrounds being particularly alert to special vulnerabilities e.g. refugee status war-related post-traumatic stress disorders.
17. To act as a key worker for patients such as during the transition from paediatrics to adult clinics.
18. To liaise with external suppliers of equipment and devices to optimise service delivery and patient management.
Person Specification
Educations, Training and Qualifications
* Educated to BSc level or equivalent level of education, training or experience.
* Registered/in the process of registering to practise as an audiologist/clinical scientist with either health or care professions council HCPC or the Academy of healthcare sciences AHCS.
* Evidence of postgraduate CPD.
* Significant postgraduate experience in the relevant clinical area.
* Applied theoretical knowledge of the relevant assessment and therapeutic rehabilitative procedures for the management of audiological or vestibular conditions in adults and/or children.
* Knowledge of impact of comorbidities such as global delay or neurological conditions in the management of adults and/or children.
* Postgraduate management leadership training or experience as supervisor.
* Membership of BAA, BSA.
Knowledge and Experience
* Demonstrable experience in the relevant clinical area and evidence of clinical competency with a complex patient caseload.
* Specialist knowledge of routine and non-routine diagnostic therapeutic audiological assessment procedures their interpretation and their implication for patient management.
* Experience in formulating comprehensive management plans based on case history information and diagnostic test results where management decisions may or may not be straightforward.
* Experience of working with hearing impaired patients, parents, carers and associated professionals.
* Evidence of participation in clinical audit research and/or presentations at scientific meetings.
* Evidence of rota management and managing annual leave.
* Evidence of financial and stock management.
Skills
* Ability to work in a team and to independently deliver clinical and non-clinical tasks.
* Ability to work with a level of autonomy to assess, diagnose, differentially diagnose, and manage patients and their families.
* Participation in research and development activities including audit of clinical outcomes as required.
* Ability to work calmly and methodically when under pressure from a busy and varied caseload demonstrating good prioritisation and organisational skills.
* Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
* Ability to monitor outcome using clinical and non-clinical data.
* Evidence of teaching students and groups of staff.
* Experience of working within the designated specialist area e.g. paediatrics /CI/ tinnitus.
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.
£46,148 to £52,809 a year Per Annum / Pro Rata
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