Audiologist Practitioner

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society. NHS Ayrshire & Arran, located on the west coast of Scotland including the Islands of Cumbrae and Arran, has a comprehensive Audiology Service providing care to a population of 275,000 citizens. The Service, delivered from our two acute Hospitals and a number of peripheral locations including patients’ homes, prides itself on being a forward thinking and progressive Service where size has never been a limiting factor on the range of services provided, the technology used or the approach taken to deliver those services to a mix of town and rural based communities. The Service is now at a turning point as a result of the need to review how we deliver audiological care and will be an important participant in the conversation that forms around NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s 10 year plan “Caring for Ayrshire”. This plan recognises the need for radical change in how health and care services are delivered and has already been recognised locally and nationally for its’ innovative design and the work associated with how it will take this Plan forward. The Plan will shape the future of health and care services in Ayrshire & Arran for many years to come and while challenging, is arguably one of the most exciting opportunities that we’ll experience for many years and should be considered as a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to be part of a future defining change that intends to set out what we will do, how we will do it and the resources available to deliver against this Plan. We believe that NHS Ayrshire & Arran will evolve to become a stronger leader in new models of service delivery and we would like you to consider being part of that, influencing and supporting the work required within the Audiology Service in particular. This is required at all levels and is not restricted to those in managerial or leadership roles within the Service. All opinions matter, all experiences count. Creativity and a degree of bolder thinking is very much part of this and will contribute to the work the Audiology Service needs to do to ensure that the Service is fit for purpose and meets the aspirations not only of Caring for Ayrshire but most importantly, the locally community and its citizens who we look after. The Audiology Service, part of the Surgical Directorate, enjoys a close working relationship with the local Ear, Nose & Throat Service where historically the Services have worked in partnership in the specialist areas of paediatric audiology and bone anchored hearing aid systems as well as more generally in support of ENT out-patient activities. The National Cochlear Implant Programme is also based within NHS Ayrshire & Arran and while separate from the Audiology Service, is a stone’s throw from the Audiology Department at University Hospital Crosshouse and shares the same ENT Service and surgeons. The Audiology Service delivers care to all sectors of the population providing paediatric and adult assessment and rehabilitation services, tinnitus services, bone anchored hearing aid services, a comprehensive hearing aid maintenance and support service, diagnostic services and newborn hearing screening services. It also works closely with the third sector and the three local authorities in Ayrshire. The Service inputs at a national level supporting the work of the Scottish Audiology Heads of Service Group and the subgroups that it has commissioned for tinnitus, paediatrics and balance. Most recently, this has led to the national commissioning of a Managed Clinical Network for Paediatric Audiology which the Service is a member of. The Service is currently staffed by a technical and clinical team of Assistant Technical Officers and Audiologists supported by a dedicated Administration and Clerical Team and while the majority of the Service is based within our Acute Hospitals, the Service runs independently using its own patient management system and has full autonomy over the booking of patients and scheduling of activities in general. Support for the Service is via a clear line management structure from Head of Service via General Manager to Director and has allowed the Audiology Service over many years to maintain a highly visible profile within the Organisation. We are now recruiting due to a number of retirals and staff changes and are looking for highly motivated, flexible people to join our existing hard working and dedicated Team. We have positions at Practitioner level (Band 6)* and would be particularly keen to hear from individuals currently working in the field of Audiology in general, regardless of background, who consider themselves ready for a move to a Service that will itself see significant changes over the next few years and who want to contribute to and support this as well as having a high standard of patient focussed practice and care when it comes to their clinical activities. In particular we are interested in people with paediatric and electrophysiology skills however the Service will consider less experienced* and developing staff at the start of their career subject to them being able to demonstrate genuine drive and interest in their career to date.

• For individuals who are relatively newly qualified and at the start of their career but have the drive and potential to develop, we may be able to offer roles at Band 5 level for an initial 12-18 months over which time they can develop their skills and progress to Band 6.

Opportunities in both University Hospital Crosshouse and University Hospital Ayr.