Job overview
This is an excellent opportunity for a Senior Paediatric Audiologist to join our team.
We are a community-based, consultant-led 2nd tier NHS paediatric audiology service working across 3 sites covering Barnet and Enfield. The post involves rotation across all 3 sites which include: Edgware Community Hospital, Oak Lane Clinic (East Finchley) and St Michael's hospital (Enfield).
We are looking for innovative, passionate team players to help us continue our provision of an excellent paediatric Audiology service.
This role includes full diagnostic assessments to an array of children, liaising with a number of multi-professionals both in community and other hospitals, via reports and emails to ensure our patients get the best holistic care possible.
Our patient demographic includes children aged from 6 months-18 years with varying levels of complexity, from a culturally diverse population with multi-ethnic, bilingual and multilingual speaking communities as is the case across London.
Main duties of the job
Please see the Job Description and the Persons Specification for further details about the job role. If you are unable to access the PDF, the details of the job description can also be found in the 'Detailed Job Description and Main responsibilities' section.
Please note we are a 2nd tier service and do not provide auditory habilitation/rehabilitation
Working for our organisation
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical Duties:
1. To work in providing a child-led, family focused service ensuring our patients are provided with clinical excellence in a holistic manner.
2. To lead clinics independently and undertake a full range of specialised audiological assessments for children of all ages. This includes; taking an appropriate medical history, conducting age/developmentally appropriate test battery and to problem solve inconsistent or erroneous findings. Explaining the results to the patients and their families, formulating patient management plans and ensuring this is communicated to relevant health care or other professionals.
3. Maintain empathy and rapport with the patient throughout the appointment and during testing to maximise the quality of test results and minimise patient anxiety including identifying the relevant concerns of the patient, any family at the end of the test session, discussing the care plan for any further management.
4. To ensure all patients are seen in a professional and confidential environment. This is done by maintaining sensitive use and storing of all patient notes and records, and by being aware of issues regarding confidentiality when interacting with both staff members and members of the public.
5. Supporting students and junior staff who are often assisting in clinics ensuring that they are developing their skills and furthering their training.
6. Accurately test hearing of children of all ages including those with highly complex needs.
7. To be responsible for performing routine Audiological test battery as part of consultant-led clinics on children. This will include Pure tone audiometry, tympanometry, play audiometry, visual reinforcement audiometry, acoustic reflexes, Oto-acoustic emissions, speech testing and distraction testing of children with additional/complex needs.
8. Follow national and departmental guidelines and protocols with an understanding of when there should be variation from these.
9. To be accountable for the day-to-day management of work areas, ensuring that equipment is maintained correctly and daily checks/calibration are carried out and recorded appropriately. Reporting any faults as appropriate to the relevant member of the team. To include chasing up/actioning any issues as directed by team leads.
10. To be accountable for checking stock levels and informing the correct member of the team in accordance to local protocol.
11. To be responsible for reporting any incidents via the Datix reporting system and directly to the Clinical lead.
12. To be responsible for safeguarding of all patients and families and following the local protocols.
13. Act independently within professional guidelines.
14. To analyse and interpret a broad spectrum of paediatric test results and recommend appropriate audiological intervention.
15. Use the full breadth of subjective and objective tests available, as required, according to age, ability and clinical needs of the individual.
16. Analyse results of tests and provide comprehensive reports including advice on clinical implications of findings and suggested further investigations. Justify and document any contra indications or necessary deviation from protocol in the case notes and/or medical notes, seeking guidance or justification if required.
17. Rotate across the three sites as required, directed by line manager, and/or due to service needs. To be flexible in travelling to additional sites covered by Whittington Health if Service needs requires this.
18. To maintain good time management ensuring that clinical task and reports are completed in a timely manner.
Communication:
19. To communicate verbally, face-to-face and on the telephone, and in writing with children and families ensuring that the information is age appropriate for the child.
20. To communicate with children and families through interpreters where necessary.
21. To deal with telephone queries from parents, carers, other departments within the hospital, other hospitals, health care workers, primary care workers, medical staff, social services and Education Department appropriately.
22. To explain complex information in a clear and concise manner.
23. To be responsible for supporting families after the communication of distressing news with sensitivity and compassion; being receptive to the many questions asked, providing information and facilitating a way forward for the families on such occasions.
24. To be sensitive to families and children’s special needs and facilitate accordingly. To be fully aware of confidentiality guidelines and exercise judgment and care when exchanging confidential and sensitive patient information.
Research, Development and Education:
25. To keep up-to-date with developments in-field and ensure appropriate changes are incorporated into patient care. To monitor national and international developments in the field of Paediatric Audiology, in conjunction with the Service Lead and to develop departmental policies to ensure that evidence-based practice is implemented.
26. To participate in mandatory staff training sessions.
27. To attend and participate in team monthly meetings. To bring innovative ideas to help bring positive changes to improve our clinics and provision of hearing health care to all our patients.
28. To disseminate acquired course knowledge to other team members.
29. To be responsible for completing student’s/ apprenticeship’s log books.
30. To supervise the work of trainee, junior and assistant audiologists and provide guidance and support in audiological techniques to trainees studying for professional examinations.
31. To provide training and support for non-audiological staff as and when required including school nurses, health visitors, medical students, speech and language therapists etc.
32. To ensure involvement with Professional bodies: British Academy of Audiologists or British Society of Audiology.
33. The post-holder must comply with the HPC or RCCP Code of Professional Conduct.
34. To be responsible for continuing to maintain and record Professional Development Record and ensuring revalidation requirements are met for Clinical Governing bodies.
35. To participate in departmental research and audit including clinical trials, new technology trials and MSc Research Projects.
36. To participate in clinical audit and ongoing development of evidence-based practice within the Paediatric Audiology Team.
37. To participate in Friends and Family tests and other service improvement initiatives.
38. To produce and adhere to clinical protocols in conjunction with the Paediatric Audiological Physician and Paediatric Audiology Service Lead. To be responsible for changes in working practice of the service.
Management and general responsibilities:
39. To ensure incidents are reported and logged appropriately. To train staff around logging incidents, and remain up- to-date on incident reporting procedures, and disseminate the same to the team and service lead.
40. To ensure all patients are seen in compliance with Trust policies in an environment that upkeeps the highest levels of health and safety. On a daily basis this involves an active awareness of good hygiene, to prevent the spread of MRSA and other infectious diseases especially in the use of clinical equipment used for otoscopy and tympanometry. Also involved is maintaining an awareness of fire safety and emergency procedures, and ensuring the department fulfils all general health and safety protocols.
41. To undertake other duties with the Audiology Team as directed by Clinical Service Manager agreed by the post holder.
42. To participate in any relevant training to further skills and knowledge as directed by the (Line) Service Manager, Paediatric Audiological Physician and Trust Policies.
43. To participate in regular appraisals with Service manager/Chief Audiologist, highlighting development and training needs in a professional development plan.
Person specification
Person Specification
Essential criteria
44. Relevant BSc/Equivalent and practical qualification
45. Evidence of CPD
46. Professional registration
Desirable criteria
47. Post graduate qualification
48. BSL Qualifications
49. Membership of BSA/BAA
Skills
Essential criteria
50. Competent at performing a full range of audiological tests on children
51. Ability to communicate effectively with parents/carers/children
52. Ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with patients with learning and social communication difficulties
53. Good interpersonal skills
54. Ability to use Microsoft word, powerpoint, excel
Desirable criteria
55. Familiar with Auditbase/Smart4hearing
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
56. Able to show understanding and empathy
57. Motivated and proactive
58. Dedicated to improving audiology services for children and their families
59. Flexible, patient and reliable
Desirable criteria
60. Experience supporting junior staff
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
61. At least 2 years recent Post graduate experience of Paediatric Audiological assessment within the NHS
62. Experience in working with children with special needs and social communication difficulties
63. Knowledge of the fundamentals of normal child development
64. Knowledge of the causes and appropriate management of hearing impairment in children
65. Up to date knowledge of national test protocols
66. Experience of staff management and supervision/training clinical staff
SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND ADULTS
To comply with the Trust’s Safeguarding Children and Adults policies, procedures and protocols. All individual members of staff (paid or unpaid) have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults This will require you to:
67. Ensure you are familiar with and comply with the London Child Protection Procedures and protocols for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people.
68. Ensure you are familiar and comply with the London Multi Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Pan London Procedures.
69. Ensure you are familiar and comply with local protocols and systems for information sharing.
70. Know the appropriate contact numbers and required reporting lines.
71. Participate in required training and supervision.
72. Comply with required professional boundaries and codes of conduct
Whittington Health is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.