Specialist Paediatric Audiologist

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Oxford; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS teaching hospital in Oxford is seeking a qualified Audiologist to undertake audiological assessments and fit hearing aids for children. The role involves supervising junior staff and contributing to service development. Ideal candidates will have a relevant degree and be registered with HCPC or AHCS. Experience in paediatric audiology is preferred, and CPD opportunities are available.

Benefits

Regular CPD opportunities

Qualifications

• Must be a registered Audiologist or Clinical Scientist.
• Experience in paediatric audiology in an NHS context is an advantage.
• Evidence of further specialist training is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Conduct audiological assessments in children.
• Fit and verify hearing aids.
• Supervise junior audiologists and trainees.

Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Ability to communicate with children and adults with hearing loss

Excellent interpersonal skills

Good analytical skills

Reliable clinical judgement

Education

BSc Audiology or equivalent

Registered with HCPC or AHCS

Tools

Microsoft Office

Specialist audiological software

Job description

The role includes undertaking developmentally appropriate audiological assessments in children of all ages, including those considered non-routine, together with hearing aid fitting and verification. In addition, involvement with service development is expected, and the post holder will work with the paediatric audiology Team Leaders and the Head of Paediatric Audiology in delivering this. Supervision of colleagues in training will be required including more junior audiologists and those on formal training programmes (e.g. degree apprenticeships and STP). In addition, a small amount of adult audiology work will be required to support ENT clinics; further adult audiology work is also a possibility for the interested candidate.

You will be an Audiologist with BSc or PTP (or equivalent), or a Clinical Scientist (Audiology) and must be registered with HCPC as a Clinical Scientist or AHCS as an Audiologist. Evidence of further specialist training and experience in paediatric audiology in an NHS context is an advantage.

Essential Criteria

• BSc Audiology, PTP Healthcare Science (Audiology) or MSc in audiology with CAC / HTS, or STP in neurosciences (audiology modality)
• State registered with HCPC as a Clinical Scientist (audiology modality) or with AHCS as a Healthcare Scientist

Desirable Criteria

• MSc Audiology
• Evidence of further specialist training / qualifications in paediatric audiology
• BSL level 1, Evidence of recent CPD activities
• Experience working as a band 5/6 specialist paediatric audiologist / Clinical Scientist in an NHS context
• Experience of behavioural hearing assessment in children of all ages
• Experience of supervision of junior staff and trainees
• Experience of communicating with colleagues from other disciplines including paediatrics, ENT, education, speech and language therapy
• Excellent understanding of child development
• Research experience
• Experience of hearing aid fitting and verification in children including real ear measurements and RECD
• Experience of clinical audit, High level of knowledge / competence in paediatric audiology, including assessing the hearing of children with additional needs
• Experience of running own paediatric audiology clinic
• Able to work with minimal supervision
• Good analytical skills
• Reliable clinical judgement
• Knowledge of Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (NHSP)
• Knowledge / skill in hearing aid fitting in children
• Ability to give formal presentations at local and national meetings / conferences

Behavioural Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including the ability to communicate complex information to people from a variety of educational backgrounds in emotionally challenging situations
• Ability to communicate with children and adults with hearing loss
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to show empathy
• Positive attitude and enthusiastic approach, with can-do attitude even when under pressure
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Resilient and able to multi-task and prioritise competing demands
• Aligned to the Trust values
• Committed to own personal development
• Able to travel to peripheral clinics, Excellent manual dexterity and coordination to accurately manipulate equipment and small devices to include hearing aids and accessories and insert probe tubes accurately into ear canals
• Computer literate with experience of working with the Microsoft Office and specialist audiological software, You must have appropriate UK professional registration

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research.

The Trust comprises of four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.

OUH is one of the UK's largest teaching hospital trusts. We provide a comprehensive paediatric audiology service including assessing babies referred from the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme, the behavioural and objective assessment of children of all ages and the habilitation of children with hearing loss. The paediatric audiology service sits alongside a busy adult audiology service which has a predominantly non-routine caseload, and an auditory implant programme which includes cochlear implants, bone anchored hearing aids and middle ear implants. You would be joining a large team comprising Audiologists, Assistant Audiologists, Clinical Scientists (Audiology), Hearing Therapists and administrative colleagues. We are actively involved in training and have colleagues on degree apprenticeship and STP programmes. In addition, all staff have regular CPD opportunities. The service has undergone significant development over recent years and is actively working towards IQIPS accreditation.