ST0600 Level 5 Hearing Aid Dispenser (Degree) HCPC 2022 Standard V1.3

Occupation summary

A hearing aid dispenser is someone who works independently to test people’s hearing, advise on hearing care and, where necessary, supply and fit hearing aids and other communication devices. Hearing aid dispensers are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (www.hcpc-uk.org). This role requires strict adherence to professional standards, which includes maintaining accurate records and identifying the need for onward referral for a medical opinion. Hearing aid dispensers can work in employed or self-employed positions in a variety of settings, including the NHS, private practice and retail,. The role is typically performed in either a clinical, community or domiciliary setting. In their daily work, a hearing aid dispenser interacts with the general public through scheduled appointments, other healthcare professionals and colleagues within their organisation. A hearing aid dispenser will generally act alone and is responsible for seeing adults, including vulnerable members of the community, who have various stages of hearing difficulty or ear health issues, providing a range of services designed to support communication and participation in everyday life.

Typical job titles include

• Audiologist
• Hearing Aid Audiologist
• Hearing Aid Dispenser
• Hearing Specialist

Duty 1 Practise safely and effectively within the scope of practice and within the legal and ethical boundaries of the profession.

K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7

S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10

B4 B5 B6

Duty 2 Look after own health and wellbeing, seeking appropriate support where necessary.

K8 K9

S11 S12

Duty 3 Practise as an autonomous professional, exercising professional judgement.

K10

S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20

Duty 4 Practise in a non-discriminatory and inclusive manner recognising the impact of culture, equality and diversity.

K11 K12 K13 K14

S21 S22 S23

B1 B2

Duty 5 Communicate effectively, maintaining confidentiality and records appropriately.

K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 K24 K25

S24 S25 S26 S27 S28 S29 S30 S31 S32 S33 S34 S35

B3

Duty 6 Work with others.

K26 K27 K28 K29 K30

S36 S37 S38 S39 S40 S41 S42 S43 S65

Duty 7 Reflect on, review and assure the quality of own practice.

K31 K32 K33

S44 S45 S46 S47 S48 S49

Duty 8 Draw on appropriate knowledge and skills to inform practice and apply the key concepts of the knowledge base relevant to the profession.

K34 K35 K36 K37 K38 K39 K40 K41 K42

S50 S51 S52 S53 S54 S55 S56 S57 S58 S59 S60 S61 S62 S63 S64 S66 S67 S68 S69 S70

Duty 9 Establish and maintain a safe practice environment.

K43 K44

S71 S72 S73 S74 S75

Duty 10 Promote and prevent ill health.

K45 K46

S76 S77

K1: The importance of continuing professional development throughout own career.

K2: The importance of safeguarding by actively looking for signs of abuse, demonstrating understanding of relevant safeguarding processes, and engaging in these processes where necessary.

K3: What is required of them by the Health and Care Professions Council, including but not limited to the Standards of conduct, performance and ethics.

K4: The importance of valid consent.

K5: The importance of capacity in the context of delivering care and treatment.

K6: The scope of a professional duty of care, and how to exercise that duty.

K7: Legislation, policies and guidance relevant to own profession and scope of practice.

K8: The importance of own mental and physical health and wellbeing strategies in maintaining fitness to practise.

K9: How to take appropriate action if own health may affect own ability to practise safely and effectively, including seeking help and support when necessary.

K10: The need for active participation in training, supervision and mentoring in supporting high standards of practice, and personal and professional conduct, and the importance of demonstrating this in practice.

K11: Equality legislation and how to apply it to own practice.

K12: The duty to make reasonable adjustments in practice and be able to make and support reasonable adjustments in owns and others’ practice.

K13: The characteristics and consequences of barriers to inclusion, including for socially isolated groups.

K14: That equality, diversity and inclusion needs to be embedded in the application of all HCPC standards and across all areas of practice.

K15: When disclosure of confidential information may be required.

K16: The principles of information and data governance and be aware of the safe and effective use of health, social care and other relevant information.

K17: The need to ensure confidentiality is maintained in all situations in which service users rely on additional communication support, such as interpreters or translators.

K18: That the concepts of confidentiality and informed consent extend to all mediums, including illustrative clinical records such as photography, video and audio recordings and digital platforms.

K19: The characteristics and consequences of verbal and non-verbal communication and how these can be affected by difference of any kind including, but not limited to, protected characteristics, intersectional experiences and cultural differences.

K20: The need to support the communication needs of service users and carers, such as using an appropriate interpreter.

K21: The need to provide service users or people acting on own behalf with the information necessary in accessible formats to enable them to make informed decisions.

K22: The specific communication needs of those with hearing difficulties and be aware of appropriate steps to overcome communication barriers.

K23: The need to seek external assistance in situations where communication is ineffective for whatever reason.

K24: The need to use appropriate interpersonal and communication skills to facilitate effective care for those with hearing difficulties.

K25: The need to empower service users to manage their aural health and related issues including self- management, where appropriate.

K26: The principles and practices of other health and care professionals and systems and how they interact with own profession.

K27: The need to build and sustain professional relationships as both an autonomous practitioner and collaboratively as a member of a team.

K28: The qualities, behaviours and benefits of leadership.

K29: That leadership is a skill all professionals can demonstrate.

K30: The need to engage service users and carers in planning and evaluating diagnostics, and therapeutic interventions to meet own needs and goals.

K31: The value of reflective practice and the need to record the outcome of such reflection to support continuous improvement.

K32: The value of multi-disciplinary reviews, case conferences and other methods of review.

K33: The value of gathering and using data for quality assurance and improvement programmes.

K34: The structure and function of the human body, together with knowledge of physical and mental health, disease, disorder and dysfunction relevant to their profession.

K35: The role(s) of other professions in health and social care and understand how they may relate to the role of hearing aid dispenser.

K36: The structure and function of health and social care systems and services in the UK.

K37: The theoretical basis of, and the variety of approaches to, assessment and intervention.

K38: In the context of hearing aid audiology:– acoustics, speech production and perception– appropriate approaches to auditory rehabilitation– hearing aid and associated technologies including selection, fitting, programming and evaluation– psychoacoustics– the anatomy and physiology of the outer, middle, inner ear and central auditory pathways– the measurement of hearing and of other auditory system functions.

K39: A range of research methodologies relevant to own role.

K40: The value of research to the critical evaluation of practice.

K41: The need to provide service users with access to continuing care, maintenance and support.

K42: The need to make and keep full and accurate records of assessment results, hearing aid prescriptions and actual settings, rehabilitation plans and outcomes.

K43: The need to maintain the safety of themself and others, including service users, carers and colleagues.

K44: Relevant health and safety legislation and local operational procedures and policies.

K45: The role of own profession in health promotion, health education and preventing ill health.

K46: How social, economic and environmental factors, wider determinants of health, can influence a person’s health and well-being.

S1: Identify the limits of own practice and when to seek advice or refer to another professional or service.

S2: Recognise the need to manage own workload and resources safely and effectively, including managing the emotional burden that comes with working in a pressured environment.

S3: Keep own skills and knowledge up to date.

S4: Maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct.

S5: Promote and protect the service user’s interests at all times.

S6: Respect and uphold the rights, dignity, values, and autonomy of service users, including own role in the assessment, diagnostic, treatment and/or therapeutic process.

S7: Recognise that relationships with service users, carers and others should be based on mutual respect and trust, and maintain high standards of care in all circumstances.

S8: Obtain valid consent, which is voluntary and informed, has due regard to capacity, is proportionate to the circumstances and is appropriately documented.

S9: Apply legislation, policies and guidance relevant to own profession and scope of practice.

S10: Recognise the power imbalance which comes with being a health care professional, and ensure it is not for personal gain.

S11: Identify own anxiety and stress and recognise the potential impact on own practice.

S12: Develop and adopt clear strategies for physical and mental self-care and self-awareness, to maintain a high standard of professional effectiveness and a safe working environment.

S13: Recognise that they are personally responsible for, and must be able to, justify their decisions and actions.

S14: Use own skills, knowledge and experience, and the information available, to make informed decisions and/or take action where necessary.

S15: Make reasoned decisions to initiate, continue, modify or cease treatment or the use of techniques or procedures, and record the decisions and reasoning appropriately.

S16: Make and receive appropriate referrals, where necessary.

S17: Exercise personal initiative.

S18: Demonstrate a logical and systematic approach to problem solving.

S19: Use research, reasoning and problem-solving skills when determining appropriate actions.

S20: Make judgements on the effectiveness of procedures used in practice.

S21: Respond appropriately to the needs of all different groups and individuals in practice, recognising this can be affected by difference of any kind including, but not limited to, protected characteristics, intersectional experiences and cultural differences.

S22: Recognise the potential impact of own values, beliefs and personal biases, which may be unconscious), on practice and take personal action to ensure all service users and carers are treated appropriately with respect and dignity.

S23: Actively challenge barriers to inclusion, supporting the implementation of change wherever possible.

S24: Adhere to the professional duty of confidentiality.

S25: Respond in a timely manner to situations where it is necessary to share information to safeguard service users, carers and/or the wider public and recognise situations where it is necessary to share information to safeguard service users, carers and/or the wider public.

S26: Use effective and appropriate verbal and non-verbal skills to communicate with service users, carers, colleagues and others.

S27: Communicate in English to the required standard for the profession.

S28: Work with service users and/or own carers to facilitate the service user’s preferred role in decision- making, and provide service users and carers with the information they may need where appropriate.

S29: Modify own means of communication to address the individual communication needs and preferences of service users and carers, and remove any barriers to communication where possible.

S30: Use information, communication and digital technologies appropriate to own practice.

S31: Explain the financial implications of suitable hearing aid systems.

S32: Inform service users about the range of strategies available to them which could improve their ability to hear and communicate more effectively.

S33: Keep full, clear and accurate records in accordance with applicable legislation, protocols and guidelines.

S34: Manage records and all other information in accordance with applicable legislation, protocols and guidelines.

S35: Use digital record keeping tools, where required.

S36: Work in partnership with service users, carers, colleagues and others.

S37: Contribute effectively to work undertaken as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

S38: Identify anxiety and stress in service users, carers and colleagues, adapting own practice and providing support where appropriate.

S39: Identify own leadership qualities, behaviours and approaches, taking into account the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion.

S40: Demonstrate leadership behaviours appropriate to own practice.

S41: Act as a role model for others.

S42: Promote and engage in the learning of others.

S43: Recognise those conditions or circumstances that require the involvement of other professionals and give the appropriate advice to service users.

S44: Demonstrate awareness of emerging technologies and new developments in hearing care practices.

S45: Engage in evidence-based practice.

S46: Gather and use feedback and information, including qualitative and quantitative data, to evaluate the responses of service users to own care.

S47: Monitor and systematically evaluate the quality of practice, and maintain an effective quality management and quality assurance process working towards continual improvement.

S48: Participate in quality management, including quality control, quality assurance, clinical governance and the use of appropriate outcome measures.

S49: Evaluate care plans or intervention plans using recognised and appropriate outcome measures, in conjunction with the service user where possible, and revise the plans as necessary.

S50: Demonstrate the principles and applications of scientific enquiry, including the evaluation of treatment efficacy and the research process.

S51: Change own practice as needed to take account of new developments, technologies and changing contexts.

S52: Gather appropriate information.

S53: Analyse and critically evaluate the information collected.

S54: Select and use appropriate assessment techniques and equipment.

S55: Undertake and record a thorough, sensitive, and detailed assessment.

S56: Undertake or arrange investigations as appropriate.

S57: Conduct appropriate assessment or monitoring procedures, treatment, therapy or other actions safely and effectively.

S58: Critically evaluate research and other evidence to inform own practice.

S59: Engage service users in research as appropriate.

S60: Use technologies safely and effectively where appropriate for diagnostic or monitoring procedures, treatment, therapy or other actions.

S61: Safely use appropriate techniques and equipment to assess hearing difficulties and the physical condition of the ear.

S62: Select and evaluate the most appropriate hearing aid system, performance settings and associated technologies for service users.

S63: Plan, implement and manage appropriate rehabilitation programmes for service users to optimise outcomes.

S64: Safely and competently take impressions of the ear.

S65: Safely and competently programme and physically fit hearing aids.

S66: Formulate specific and appropriate management plans including the setting of timescales.

S67: Formulate and provide appropriate advice regarding hearing aids and associated technologies and their use to facilitate informed choices by service users.

S68: Undertake and record appropriate case histories.

S69: Check that equipment is functioning accurately and within specifications and to take appropriate action in the case of faulty functioning and operation.

S70: Interpret data arising from case history, physical examination, hearing assessments and hearing instruments.

S71: Demonstrate awareness of relevant health and safety legislation and comply with all local operational procedures and policies.

S72: Work safely, including being able to select appropriate hazard control and risk management, reduction or elimination techniques in a safe manner and in accordance with health and safety legislation.

S73: Select appropriate personal protective equipment and use it correctly.

S74: Establish safe environments for practice, which appropriately manages risk.

S75: Ensure that the environment in which service users are seen is appropriate for the assessment, service, care and attention given.

S76: Empower and enable individuals (including service users and colleagues) to play a part in managing own health.

S77: Engage in occupational health, including being aware of immunisation requirements.

B1: Treat people with dignity.

B2: Respect individual’s diversity, beliefs, culture, needs, values, privacy and preferences.

B3: Show respect and empathy for patients, their families, carers and those you work with.

B4: Be adaptable, reliable and consistent.

B5: Have the courage to challenge areas of concern.

B6: Recognise and act within the limits of own competence seeking advice when needed.

English and Maths

Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End- Point Assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL.

Other mandatory qualifications

Foundation Degree in Hearing Aid Audiology, BSc healthcare science (audiology), Certificate or Diploma in Audiology, Award in Hearing Aid Dispensing Competence

Level: 5

Professional recognition

This standard aligns with the following professional recognition:

• Health and Care Professions Council for Level 5 award
• British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists for 5

Regulated standard

This is a regulated occupation.

Regulator body:

Health and Care Professions Council

Training Provider must be approved by regulator body

EPAO does not require approval by regulator body

Occupational Level:

5

Duration (months):

24

Review

This apprenticeship standard will be reviewed after three years