Head of Audiological Services

Integrated Care System; Dunstable; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Healthcare Provider is seeking a Head of Audiological Services. You will lead a multidisciplinary Audiology team, implementing transformation and ensuring high standards of service across Bedfordshire. Candidates must possess an MSc in Audiology and relevant leadership experience. This role offers a chance to make significant improvements in the quality of care for the community.

Benefits

Access to high quality training and development

Inclusive recruitment practices

Opportunities for career growth

Qualifications

• Proven experience in delivering Audiology services.
• Substantial experience in leading a multi-professional environment.
• Experience in teaching, training, and supervising staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Audiology services across multiple sites.
• Ensure high standards and integration of patient pathways.
• Manage the finances and accreditation of the services.

Skills

Leadership skills

Clinical expertise in Audiology

Change management

Conflict management

Counseling/mentoring

Education

MSc in Audiology

Registered as a Consultant Clinical Scientist with HCPC

Job description

Go back Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Head of Audiological Services

The closing date is 15 August 2025

The post holder will be a highly experienced Audiologist, leading the multidisciplinary Audiology Service both managerially and clinically to deliver a comprehensive all-age Audiology service. They will have a proven record of accomplishment in the Audiology environment at a local and regional level.

They will have outstanding clinical, leadership and organisational and project management skills to lead the Bedfordshire Audiology service into the future, working with senior management and key stakeholders to improve and enhance the service offer, leading to single/integrated and consistent pathways to best serve the population of Bedfordshire service users.

This post is offered as a transitional role that will evolve to fill the position of the present Head of Service when they leave. A formalised plan to manage this transition will be agreed with the successful candidate.

This will be supported by the design and implementation of a robust approach to audit and service evaluation, with responsibility for training and research within the Department.

Main duties of the job

Taking a strategic and professional lead for the future of Bedfordshire Audiology across the two sites of Bedford and Luton and Dunstable Hospital, including any community or peripheral sites

Transforming service through exceptional leadership and team building. Inspiring passion for service transformation in all staff.

Championing improvement through effective change management skills

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job

Job responsibilities

Please find attached full job description and person specification.

Continually developing, delivering, and maintaining high standards

Streamlining and integrating pathways to provide patients with an exceptionally high-quality service which is a shared experience for all patients across the locations

Providing opportunities for the development of others, ensuring that high quality systems of training, supervision and governance are in place to support patient safety through safe and effective care

Ensuring that national targets and standards are met

Building trust and developing relationships to ensure service user involvement

Oversee data quality accuracy, ensuring that information is managed and applied appropriately and effectively

Overall responsibility for the finances across all aspects of the service

Representing Bedfordshire Hospitals at a national level, ensuring the service is up to date with recent initiatives and developments

Ensure accreditation across the services for the UKAS national quality IQIPS programme; overseeing integrated governance policies, procedures and structures are put in place and adhered to, being ultimately responsible for the Risk Management of the entire service.

To perform the role of a non-medical Consultant; providing highly specialist advice.

Developing and maintaining a clinical research portfolio for the service. Interpreting current research and its impact on service delivery

Liaising with Newborn hearing screening services

Person Specification

Qualifications

• MSc in Audiology
• Eligibility to join Consultant Clinical Scientist Register
• oRegistered as a Consultant Clinical Scientist with HCPC

Experience

• oConsiderable experience providing Audiology services
• oSubstantial demonstrable experience of leading and working effectively in a multi-professional environment
• oExperience of teaching, training and supervising staff and students
• oExperience in implementing large scale operational and cultural change and facilitating others to achieve change
• oExperience assessing/examining for Audiology professional and academic bodies

Knowledge

• oExpert knowledge across a broad area of Audiological procedures with underpinning specialist theoretical training
• oIn depth knowledge and understanding of the issues currently facing Audiology services
• oDetailed knowledge and experience of activity management

personal skills

• oAbility to manage conflict and barriers to acceptance and understanding.
• oDrive and determination to make improvements
• oFormalised counselling/mentor skills

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.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust