Job summary

Audiology Apprentice, Band 3

A developmental role opportunity has arisen within the Adult Audiology Department. The Audiology Assistant Apprentice will work towards progression into the post of Assistant Technical Officer (ATO) through successful completion of the Audiology HCS Assistance Apprenticeship (Level 4). This programme usually takes 24 months to complete during which you will be participating in training, development and on-going review activities.

The post holder will also work closely with the team of clinical audiologists and administrators to ensure a seamless and high standard of care is delivered to the patients who attend our department. These include study days and training courses, completion of workbooks or a portfolio through which you will gather evidence of your progress, as well as a structured review of your progress. It also includes undertaking work-based learning as part of a nationally recognised apprenticeship programme.

At the end of the programme, the Audiology Assistant apprentice will be equipped with the knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes and behaviours relevant to employment as an ATO, which is a supportive role to service delivery within the Audiology service. The ATO role encompasses both clinical and non-clinical responsibilities.

Main duties of the job

The post-holder will work as part of the Audiology team and will provide clerical support to the team at West Middlesex University Hospital. The post holder will be responsible for daily duties within the Audiology team and will be the first point of call for all patients attending the audiology department. The post holder will be required to cover Audiology reception daily 14:30 – 5pm.

The post holder will attend weekly online classes for theory of audiology training and practical teaching will occur within the audiology team as part of routine clinics.

About us

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provide services from two main hospitals,Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital, and a number of clinics across London and the South-East.

We have nearly 7,000 members of staff that are PROUD to Care for nearly one million people.Both hospitals provide full clinical services, including full maternity, emergency and children’s,in addition to a range of community-based services across London, such as award-winning sexual health and HIV clinics.

We’re one of the best performing Trusts in the country. We’re also one of the top trusts to work for -our staff says they’re engaged, motivated, and would recommend us as a place to work and receive treatment.

Our Trust has been rated by the Care Quality Commission as ‘Good’ in all five of the main domains of safe,effective, caring, responsive and well-led, giving an us overall rating of ‘Good’. We’ve also been awarded an’Outstanding’ rating for ‘use of resources’ by an NHS Improvement inspection.

Our facilities are some of the best in the country. We have been investing significant Capital year on year in our estate.We have recently completed a £30m expansion of our adult and neonatal critical care facilities at Chelsea and Westminsterand are planning an ambitious £60m development of an Ambulatory Diagnostics Centre at West Middlesex.

Date posted

01 March 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£25,838 to £27,285 a year incl. HCAS

Contract

Apprenticeship

Duration

28 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

289-PL-1107

Job locations

West Middlesex University Hosptial

Twickenham Road

Isleworth

TW7 6AF

Job description

Job responsibilities

Operational responsibilities

  • Using the audiology patient management system to ensure the smooth running of administration of booking appointments and marking procedures carried out on the Trust patient management system Cerner.
  • Assisting and supporting the Audiologists within their role of providing help and assistance to patients of all ages, both with hearing and balance problems.
  • Prepare clinical rooms for use. This will include switching on and preparation of equipment. Work towards conducting daily calibration checks, flagging any issues or equipment, which should be further, investigated or sent for repair. Cleaning, maintaining and record keeping of medical equipment.
  • Work towards the ability to maintain stock levels and restocking of clinical rooms as appropriate. to enable smooth running of the department.
  • Work towards managing general supplies / clinical & non-clinical stock for the team and order as appropriate and to maintain stock of information booklets, leaflets and order replacements are needed.
  • Work towards ordering hearing aids and ensure stock levels of aids and related products are maintained to agreed levels.
  • Packaging of impressions and posting to ear mould manufacturer and receive ear moulds back from manufacturer and store in correct place or post to patient as necessary.
  • To deal with requests for batteries/spare parts and posting them out to families.
  • Sending batteries to Health Centres as per request.
  • Replacing of lost hearing aids.
  • Determine condition of faulty hearing aids. Catalogue and dispatch to supplier those for repair under guarantee including adding the refurbished aids back to stock once they arrive from the supplier.
  • Deal with patients who will normally have a hearing impairment, who may be anxious and/or who may be under stress.
  • Ability to obtain pertinent information from patients in order to be able to help them.
  • Communicate information to patients using reasoning, reassurance, persuasion, tact, and sensitivity.
  • Daily management of telephone and written enquiries from parents, professionals, and others politely, ensuring timely and appropriate action.
  • Monitoring of enquiries email address daily.
  • Dealing with the daily post and posting appointment letters with relevant patient information leaflets.
  • Carry out general administrative duties i.e. scanning of documents to patient folders and up keeping of printed patient information documents.
  • Learn how to provide reception cover as required that includes meet and greet patients and their relatives/friends who attend the clinics in line with Trusts expected values and behaviours.
  • To assist in the maintenance of the facilities and equipment of the Service, in line with departmental protocols and practice, and to report problems to relevant senior staff.
  • To assist in the collection of data for clinical audit, reports and service development proposals as required.
  • To assist in the data importing and analysis of monthly patient feedback systems.
  • To contribute to the Audiology department as part of the multidisciplinary team during meetings, discussions etc.
  • To assist with administration duties where required.
  • To plan and prioritize own workload within the framework of service delivery, priorities as defined by the line manager.
  • Maintains professionalism at all times
  • Ensures that standards associated with all patient care are maintained
  • Complies with data protection legislation (including complies with local and national policies for the safe, secure and confidential processing and storage of information)
  1. Clinical Responsibilities under Supervision
  • Work towards undertaking basic audiology procedures including otoscopy, audiometry and tympanometry for routine adult Audiology and ENT outpatients following local and national guidelines.
  • Learn how to conduct stage A calibration of diagnostic Audiology equipment on a daily basis.
  • Work towards undertaking Otoscopy and the ability to identify issues relating to the ear, which may require additional intervention or attention.
  • Work towards taking aural impressions autonomously.
  • To learn how to recognize red flags for other testing and escalate as appropriate.
  • Learn how to undertake Tympanometry to assess middle ear function. To be aware of any contraindications for completing the test and to be able to differentiate between and understand the limitations of the test. Work towards relaying results to the family.
  • Work towards performing hearing aid repair and maintenance appointments which will include using hearing aid programming software and hardware to replace broken hearing aids, basic repairs to hearing such as performing basic fine tuning, replacing ear hooks, tubing, issuing batteries, fitting new ear moulds.
  • To learn how to perform Hearing Instrument Tests (HITs) to ensure that hearing aids are working optimally or identify ones that need to be repaired.
  • Obtain the cooperation of all patients and when appropriate their relatives or carers.
  • In all aspects of your work, you have a duty and responsibility to comply with all components of the Trusts Infection Control Policy and the Hygiene Code and local policy.

PLEASE SEE JD/PS FOR FULL JOB DETAILS

Job description

Job responsibilities

Operational responsibilities

  • Using the audiology patient management system to ensure the smooth running of administration of booking appointments and marking procedures carried out on the Trust patient management system Cerner.
  • Assisting and supporting the Audiologists within their role of providing help and assistance to patients of all ages, both with hearing and balance problems.
  • Prepare clinical rooms for use. This will include switching on and preparation of equipment. Work towards conducting daily calibration checks, flagging any issues or equipment, which should be further, investigated or sent for repair. Cleaning, maintaining and record keeping of medical equipment.
  • Work towards the ability to maintain stock levels and restocking of clinical rooms as appropriate. to enable smooth running of the department.
  • Work towards managing general supplies / clinical & non-clinical stock for the team and order as appropriate and to maintain stock of information booklets, leaflets and order replacements are needed.
  • Work towards ordering hearing aids and ensure stock levels of aids and related products are maintained to agreed levels.
  • Packaging of impressions and posting to ear mould manufacturer and receive ear moulds back from manufacturer and store in correct place or post to patient as necessary.
  • To deal with requests for batteries/spare parts and posting them out to families.
  • Sending batteries to Health Centres as per request.
  • Replacing of lost hearing aids.
  • Determine condition of faulty hearing aids. Catalogue and dispatch to supplier those for repair under guarantee including adding the refurbished aids back to stock once they arrive from the supplier.
  • Deal with patients who will normally have a hearing impairment, who may be anxious and/or who may be under stress.
  • Ability to obtain pertinent information from patients in order to be able to help them.
  • Communicate information to patients using reasoning, reassurance, persuasion, tact, and sensitivity.
  • Daily management of telephone and written enquiries from parents, professionals, and others politely, ensuring timely and appropriate action.
  • Monitoring of enquiries email address daily.
  • Dealing with the daily post and posting appointment letters with relevant patient information leaflets.
  • Carry out general administrative duties i.e. scanning of documents to patient folders and up keeping of printed patient information documents.
  • Learn how to provide reception cover as required that includes meet and greet patients and their relatives/friends who attend the clinics in line with Trusts expected values and behaviours.
  • To assist in the maintenance of the facilities and equipment of the Service, in line with departmental protocols and practice, and to report problems to relevant senior staff.
  • To assist in the collection of data for clinical audit, reports and service development proposals as required.
  • To assist in the data importing and analysis of monthly patient feedback systems.
  • To contribute to the Audiology department as part of the multidisciplinary team during meetings, discussions etc.
  • To assist with administration duties where required.
  • To plan and prioritize own workload within the framework of service delivery, priorities as defined by the line manager.
  • Maintains professionalism at all times
  • Ensures that standards associated with all patient care are maintained
  • Complies with data protection legislation (including complies with local and national policies for the safe, secure and confidential processing and storage of information)
  1. Clinical Responsibilities under Supervision
  • Work towards undertaking basic audiology procedures including otoscopy, audiometry and tympanometry for routine adult Audiology and ENT outpatients following local and national guidelines.
  • Learn how to conduct stage A calibration of diagnostic Audiology equipment on a daily basis.
  • Work towards undertaking Otoscopy and the ability to identify issues relating to the ear, which may require additional intervention or attention.
  • Work towards taking aural impressions autonomously.
  • To learn how to recognize red flags for other testing and escalate as appropriate.
  • Learn how to undertake Tympanometry to assess middle ear function. To be aware of any contraindications for completing the test and to be able to differentiate between and understand the limitations of the test. Work towards relaying results to the family.
  • Work towards performing hearing aid repair and maintenance appointments which will include using hearing aid programming software and hardware to replace broken hearing aids, basic repairs to hearing such as performing basic fine tuning, replacing ear hooks, tubing, issuing batteries, fitting new ear moulds.
  • To learn how to perform Hearing Instrument Tests (HITs) to ensure that hearing aids are working optimally or identify ones that need to be repaired.
  • Obtain the cooperation of all patients and when appropriate their relatives or carers.
  • In all aspects of your work, you have a duty and responsibility to comply with all components of the Trusts Infection Control Policy and the Hygiene Code and local policy.

PLEASE SEE JD/PS FOR FULL JOB DETAILS

Person Specification

Role requirement

Essential

  • GCSE English language & Mathematics Grades A-C OR level 4 and above
  • Experience of working in a customer orientated environment and providing a customer focussed service
  • Good telephone manner and ability to speak with a loud and clear voice
  • A passion for providing a friendly and professional patient service
  • Ability to organise and prioritise
  • Practical and flexible approach to problem-solving
  • Ability to demonstrate our organizational values
  • Ability to ensure the smooth running of administration of booking appointment

Desirable

  • Experience of working within the NHS or healthcare setting
  • Awareness of working in a healthcare setting and with people hard of hearing

Education and Qualifications

Essential

  • GCSE English language & Mathematics Grades A-C OR level 4 and above

Desirable

  • GCSE sciences
  • Deaf Awareness
  • Audiology training course
Person Specification

Role requirement

Essential

  • GCSE English language & Mathematics Grades A-C OR level 4 and above
  • Experience of working in a customer orientated environment and providing a customer focussed service
  • Good telephone manner and ability to speak with a loud and clear voice
  • A passion for providing a friendly and professional patient service
  • Ability to organise and prioritise
  • Practical and flexible approach to problem-solving
  • Ability to demonstrate our organizational values
  • Ability to ensure the smooth running of administration of booking appointment

Desirable

  • Experience of working within the NHS or healthcare setting
  • Awareness of working in a healthcare setting and with people hard of hearing

Education and Qualifications

Essential

  • GCSE English language & Mathematics Grades A-C OR level 4 and above

Desirable

  • GCSE sciences
  • Deaf Awareness
  • Audiology training course

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.