Job overview

We are seeking to recruit enthusiastic, organised and flexible individuals to join our Newborn Hearing Screening Team, covering six hospitals across Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull. The post-holder will usually have one site as their main base but will be required to work at all sites in order to provide effective service cover, as well as attending meetings and trainings. Staff may be required to work at any of our sites (Birmingham Women's Hospital, City/Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, Good Hope Hospital and Heartlands Hospital plus additional off site clinics). The service operates 364 days of the year (excluding Christmas Day) so staff are expected to work bank holidays and one weekend in three. Shift times vary and are usually 08.00-14.00 or 09.00-15.00.

We currently have 3 posts available at Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH) and Birmingham Women's Hospital (BWH). 

Post 1: 24 hours - MMUH -09.00-15.00.

Post 2: 20.5 hours - MMUH- 09.30-15.00

Post 3: 26 hours - BWH -09.00-15.00.

Main duties of the job

The post entails performing hearing screens on newborn babies using automated equipment and working with healthcare professionals and parents primarily on the maternity wards. Good communication skills, accurate documentation and updating national databases with screening results are also key parts of the role.

The successful candidate will ideally be qualified to screen, but training will be provided if the successful applicant is not qualified.  Additional hours may be required to be worked during the initial training period of approximately 8 weeks, as well as some full time days to attend the hospital induction programme and mandatory training sessions. Unless already held or has current equivalent experience, the candidate will be required to complete a National External Competency Assessment within 3-4 months of starting and complete the national screening qualification within 12 months of being registered (Level 3 Diploma for Health Screeners - Newborn Hearing) - this involves a range of written, oral and practical assessment methods. This qualification is compulsory for staff new to Newborn Hearing Screening and requires work in the employee’s own time for a period of 9-12 months.

Working for our organisation

Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull Newborn Hearing Screening Programme is one of the largest NHSP sites in England and has an excellent reputation both for service delivery and also for training and the delivery of the Level 3 Diploma for Health Screeners.

Multi-site working 

The four partner Trusts of the Black Country Provider Collaborative (Dudley Group NHS FT, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust) are actively working in partnership to deliver a collective vision focused on providing "better, faster and safer care to the population of the Black Country and beyond". 

To support this vision, we are (where appropriate and safe to do so) actively looking at new models of care which:

Against this context, although this post is hosted by Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, there may be an expectation to work flexibly across the four partner Trusts to better meet patient and service needs.