Team Leader, Adult Audiology

Come and join our friendly department in a beautiful part of the country! Following the departure of one of the team, we have a key vacancy in this award winning and IQIPS accredited service. We are seeking a highly motivated individual with excellent clinical knowledge and skills to lead our adult rehabilitation audiology service. The post-holder will be responsible for the audiological management of adults with hearing loss, tinnitus and balance disorders including personally managing a caseload of complex cases. She or he will also be responsible for leading the service on a day-to-day basis, liaising with other professionals across the area to ensure high quality outcomes for adults with hearing loss, tinnitus and balance disorders, and joining the leadership team to provide governance and strategy for the service.

This is an exciting time to join us, with the planned relocation of a large part of the service to purpose-built accommodation in the Plymouth Community Diagnostic Centre next autumn.

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

1.   Adult rehab team leader

2.    Provides expert clinical service in rehabilitation of adults with hearing loss, tinnitus and balance disorders

3.    Undertakes clinical supervision and training of staff and trainees

4. Provides leadership, governance and strategic direction for adult audiology services

PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Clinical Duties

Rehabilitation duties

¨        Take social histories and listening needs assessments in adults, including those with highly complex needs and balance disorders, and occasionally children, and combine these with diagnostic test results to develop the necessary individual management plans

¨        Take accurate aural impressions of adults, including those with abnormal ear canals such as mastoid cavities, and occasionally children

¨        Modify ear moulds using the range of laboratory equipment available

¨        Following national and departmental guidelines and protocols, but with an understanding of when these can not be adhered to:

o    Select appropriate hearing aids and prescription formulae based on the needs assessment and diagnostic test results

o    Accurately fit digital hearing aids to adults using real ear/probe microphone measurements

o    Follow-up to enable fine tuning of digital hearing aids based on objective and subjective assessments of benefit and onward referral to other specialist services

¨        Provide counselling to patients and parents/carers regarding the nature and extent of any hearing loss, and the options on how this could be managed

¨        Manage distressed or angry patients sensitively, especially when disclosing test results and management options

¨        Provide audiological management to patients with significant co-morbidities, including mental health problems and learning difficulties

¨        Ensure patients and parents/carers are fully aware of the use of any devices issued

¨        Fault finding to provide a timely hearing aid repair service

¨        Manage complex cases, including taking referrals from junior and specialist staff

¨        With the specialist staff, take a leading role in the vestibular rehabilitation service

¨        Provide expert advice to other staff, including wards, health visitors and ENT

¨        Ensure timely onward referral to specialist services when required, such as cochlear implants or community mental health

¨        Take a lead in safeguarding vulnerable adults within the audiology service

Diagnostic duties

¨        To determine the appropriate test battery for patients seen as direct referrals from primary care and as referrals from ENT or other health care professionals in both haring and balance services

¨        To provide specialist audiological assessment of otology patients referred to the ENT service, on behalf of the ENT department

¨        Analyse results to determine the next stage of diagnostics required, and to problem solve inconsistent or erroneous findings

¨        Take medical histories of patients directly referred from primary care to exclude pathologies requiring a medical opinion

¨        Following national and departmental guidelines and protocols, but with an understanding of when these can not be adhered to:

o    Accurately test hearing of adults, and occasionally children, including those  with learning difficulties or cognitive difficulties, using appropriate techniques for the individual’s level of ability

o    Accurately perform objective tests of auditory function on adults, and occasionally children, including electrophysiological tests of hearing and balance, tympanometry, acoustic reflex testing and otoacoustic emissions

¨        To determine the appropriate test battery for dizzy patients seen as referrals from primary care or from specialist services

¨        Take leading role in approved regional or national peer review programmes to quality assure diagnostic testing

¨        Ensure that expensive clinical equipment used is calibrated, decontaminated and maintained according to national and departmental protocols

Management and Other Duties

¨        Lead the adult elements of UKAS accreditation to ensure a safe and effective adult audiology service

¨        With the leadership team, manage complaints, incidents and non-conformities

¨        With the support of the Head of Service, provide leadership and drive service development within adult rehabilitative audiology to ensure continuous service improvement to enhance the quality, safety and efficiency of patient care

¨        With the support of leadership team, responsible for the development and maintenance of clinical protocols in adult audiology

¨        Support and implement service development in other areas of the service.

¨        Take a lead in audits and other measures of quality

¨        Responsible for ensuring the adult hearing aid stock is sufficient for the service needs

¨        Ensure staff have appropriate appraisals and development plans, competency assessments and plan training for staff in adult rehabilitative audiology.

¨        Work within the Trust management systems to ensure smooth service delivery, such as through attendance at service line meetings.

¨        With the support of the Head of Service, responsible for the development and maintenance of clinical protocols in adult rehabilitative audiology

¨        Work closely with other providers, such as through the Plymouth Hearing Loss Interest Group and related bodies.

¨        Deputise for the Head of Service as necessary

¨        Provide education, training and supervision to audiology staff of all grades

¨        Provide education and training to other staff groups, including medical and nursing staff

¨        Responsible for the maintenance of service statistics

¨        Take part in research and development, including input into the design of clinical trials and presentation of the results.

¨        Provide the range of audiological services in peripheral/community settings and domiciliary settings

¨        Provide specialist input into local procurement decisions on hearing aids and audiological equipment

¨        Ensure efficient use of resources

¨        Maintain accurate and comprehensive clinical records using the computerised patient management system and hospital records

¨        Provide written and verbal reports on patients to referrers and other members to the multi-disciplinary team

¨        Prioritise own workload

¨        Take responsibility for own continual professional development

COMMUNICATIONS & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

¨        Good communication skills passing on relevant technical and/or condition related information with persuasion and reassurance for better understanding.

¨        Daily communication and interaction with adult and paediatric rehabilitation colleagues.

¨        Daily interaction with Head of Department and other senior staff within the service

¨        The Cluster Manager and Service Line Director

¨        Daily interaction with other professionals involved in the care of adults with hearing loss and tinnitus

¨        Act as a mentor to students and colleagues, participating in induction programmes, guiding practice, and assessing competence to develop staff.

¨        Regional paediatric audiology teams

¨        UKAS accreditation team

¨        Clinical engineering unit and IT department

¨        Medical and Para medical staff.

¨        Communication with outside agencies

All Job Holders are required to…

¨        Work to the Trust values - Put patients first, Take ownership, Respect others, Be positive, Listen, learn and improve.

¨        Adhere to Trust policies and procedures, e.g. Health and Safety at Work, Equal Opportunities etc.

¨        Maintain personal and professional development to meet the changing demands of the job, participate in appropriate training activities and encourage and support staff development and training.

¨        Attend statutory, essential and mandatory training.

¨        Respect the confidentiality of all matters relating to their employment and other members of staff. All members of staff are required to comply with the requirements of Data Protection Legislation.

¨        Comply with the Corporate Governance structure in keeping with the principles and standards set out by the Trust.

¨        Comply with the codes of professional conduct set out by the professional body of which registration is required for the post.

¨        Ensure they are familiar with the Risk Management Framework, follow policies, procedures and safe systems of work, make known any hazards or risks that they identify and take all necessary actions to reduce risk.

¨        Ensure the welfare and safety of children within their care. This includes staff who come into contact with children and families in the course of their work as well as those staff who have a specific role with children and families.

¨       Ensure they attend Child Protection training at the appropriate level within the specified time frame.

¨       Staff must comply with Safeguarding Policies and Procedures in order to promote safeguarding and prevent abuse to vulnerable people using Trust services.

¨        Maintain the prevention and control of infection and fully comply with all current Trust Infection Control policies and procedures.

¨        Take responsibility for any records that they create or use in the course of their duties, in line with the Public Records Act and be aware that any records created by an employee of the NHS are public records and may be subject to both legal and professional obligations.

All Managers are responsible for…

¨        Assessing risks and implementing the necessary actions to minimise these risks within their sphere of responsibility.  They must also enable staff to attend the relevant statutory and essential training.

¨        Managing attendance in accordance with the Trusts Attendance Management Policy.