Overview
A practising healthcare practitioner, who contributes towards provision of a comprehensive Audiology Service. Assists the Audiology Manager in the daily clinical work of the department and is responsible for managing their own workload without direct supervision.
In addition to audiological assessment, hearing aid fitting and re‑evaluation clinics, adult audiology provides specialist vestibular clinics and a hearing therapy service. We work closely with our colleagues in ENT and Paediatric Audiology.
Applicants must have the ability to prioritise their time and work schedule effectively, be flexible, have excellent written and oral communication, ability to meet deadlines and be a team player within a multidisciplinary team, with a knowledge and acceptance of diverse populations.
The Audiology Practitioner must be registered with the AHCS or the RCCP and is responsible for performing and analysing diagnostic assessments of hearing on adults and children over 5 years of age.
Main Duties
1. Clinical duties: Assists the Audiology Manager in the provision of specific clinical work on a daily basis, ensuring an efficient and effective service within clinical governance guidelines. Follows professional standards and protocols without direct supervision. Contacts clients within hospital, community settings, patients' homes and nursing homes on domiciliary visits.
2. Perform and analyse diagnostic assessments of hearing on adults and children over 5 years of age using air and bone conduction headphones, tympanometry and otoscopy. Recognises contraindications and refers to ENT, GP or specialist ENT Nurse where required.
3. Selection, verification and programming of hearing aids: Uses assessment results to select and programme appropriate hearing aids, verifies programming with subjective and objective techniques, including free‑field assessment and Real Ear Measurement with probe‑tube microphone.
4. Rehabilitation and counselling: Provides patient education on aid use, realistic expectations, basic directive counselling, formulates individualised care plans, and uses effective communication and persuasion for patients with motivational challenges or communication barriers.
5. Audit and outcome measures: Audits benefit of hearing aid use and patient satisfaction using national benefit profiles and questionnaires. Records and analyses outcome measures for further rehabilitation.
6. Audiology repair sessions and maintenance: Provides repair, replacement, re‑tubing of earmoulds, battery supply and troubleshooting. Serves in‑patients on wards and outside clinics, sometimes in less‑than‑ideal conditions.
7. Modification of earmoulds: Uses appropriate equipment including dental drill, buffer/grinder and safety equipment to ensure comfortable and acoustically viable fit for adults and children over 5 years of age.
8. Taking accurate and safe impressions of the ear: Follows BSA‑recommended procedures, places foam otostop, syringes impression material, and processes for bespoke earmould manufacturing.
9. Assist in specialist areas: Vestibular clinics, group instruction sessions, supervision of assistant audiology practitioners, placement students and work‑experience students.
10. Communication: Demonstrates effective interpersonal skills when dealing with staff, patients, relatives and the public in person, on the telephone and in writing.
Administrative Duties
* Maintenance of accurate and efficient patient records both paper and computer databases.
* Records clinical test results and observations onto electronic patient database and hospital patient management system.
* Assists in maintaining accurate and efficient records of all technical services, including computer databases and stock control functions.
Working for Us
The Adult Audiology Service is friendly, forward‑thinking and experienced with a good skill mix. The team consists of 17 staff based over two sites – Royal Blackburn Hospital and St. Peter's Centre in Burnley. We have recently set up a vestibular service and are always looking at ways to expand and modernise our services.
Equal Opportunities
The Trust is an equal opportunities employer, committed to improving the working lives of our staff and operates a 'Zero Tolerance' policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment. We aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability or social background. We especially welcome applications from members of our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.
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