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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

General areas of responsibility

To be the clinical lead and have responsibility for the delivery of the Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust’s Audiology Service.

To have overall responsibility for the financial management of the Audiology Services.

To be responsible for the delivery of key performance targets such as DM01, report on and monitor waiting times and activity levels of the service.

To maintain personal professional development ensuring service is maintaining its high levels of professional competence.

Ensure effective delivery of audiology services to nationally agreed levels of activity and quality, adhering to relevant standards and procedures.

To follow and implement Trust Policies.

Clinical Responsibilities

Perform diagnostic and rehabilitation services to include history taking, pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, hearing aid fitting, verification using probe microphone measurements involving placing probe microphones into ears, counselling and follow up.

Taking aural impressions.

Provide diagnostic and rehabilitative support to ENT clinics.

Provide expert input and interpretation for diagnostic and rehabilitative appointments.

Manage complex patients for diagnosis and rehabilitation such as those with complex losses, additional needs or who need non-standard aids such as bone conduction aids. Making judgements involving complex facts or situations, which require the analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options. 

Provide specialized clinical services as appropriate within scope of expertise.

Refer to/liaise with other professionals regarding individual patients within or outside of the Trust (e.g. ENT, Implant Centres, specialist audiology centres).

Provide guidance to staff in management of patients.

Record, interpret, and report clinical and diagnostic information, ensure accurate documentation and data management.

Perform aural micro-suction for wax removal.

Management Responsibilities

Manage clinical staff involved in delivering the service, including recruitment, allocation of workloads, quality of work, performance issues.

Provide professional leadership and management across the team.

Foster a culture of safe, high-quality patient care and maintain positive staff and patient survey results.

Handle staff disputes, grievances, and performance issues.

Determine team skill mix, encourage teamwork, and oversee recruitment and retention.

Conduct or arrange staff induction, training, and annual performance reviews.

Monitor sickness/absence levels and manage workforce performance indicators.

Oversee the supervision of work and training of clinical audiology staff.

To ensure that professional standards are maintained within the team and ensure regular peer review and clinical checks are undertaken.

To monitor service delivery and plan allocation of workload, to ensure a high level of patient care.

Offer expert advice on Audiology to various stakeholders and bodies at local and national levels.

To lead, participate in and attend departmental and team meetings.

Planning complex activities of own and departmental clinical activities based on clinical urgency, arranging additional clinics if needed. Long term planning of departmental activity.

Training Responsibilities

Identify and facilitate training needs of all clinical staff members.

Provide in-house presentations and practical training.

Promote continuing professional development.

Quality and Service Improvement

Plan and implement Audiology service developments, ensuring responsiveness to changing needs and techniques.

Develop and implement departmental policies and protocols to ensure that evidence-based practice and national standards are in place.

Interpret national strategy/policies with modification to take account of local resources as appropriate.

Assess the benefits of new audiological equipment and techniques and advise on their acquisition and implementation.

To keep up to date with developments and new technologies to ensure that appropriate changes are incorporated into patient care if appropriate.

Regularly coordinate quality assurance activities and audits.

To be responsible for developing, introducing, implementing and monitoring service developments.

Develop and implement a service strategy reflecting organizational objectives and lead its execution.

Investigate untoward incidents, ensure learning from them is shared with the team.

Ensure adherence to clinical governance guidelines.

Key Performance Indicators

·         DM01 diagnostic waiting time target

·         Meeting the 110% (or equivalent) activity target

·         Reduction in DNAs and cancellations

·         Wait times across all elements of the service

Finance Management Responsibilities

To be the budget holder and authorised signatory for all the Audiology service.

Be responsible for the financial management of the resources allocated to the services.

Monitor the purchasing and negotiating the purchase of equipment and hearing aids, ensuring quality products for the best available costs.

Attend finance meetings and provide analysis and information on the budget as required.

Ensure that the appropriate data is available, analysed and presented to support business decision making.