Opportunity

Aim: Community Resource provides support to Shropshire Audiology NHS hearing aid wearers either through home visits or by delivering our regular hearing loss hubs throughout the county. NHS hearing aid wearers can make an appointment at the hubs for information, advice, and guidance, along with services such as retubing and carrying our any minor repairs for their NHS hearing aids.  

Tasks and responsibilities include the following:

• Visit adult hearing aid users in their homes or support them via our hearing support hubs

• Provide advice and coping strategies to new NHS hearing aid users about wearing a hearing aid

• Give practical support to hearing aid wearers. For example, re-tubing, cleaning an ear mould and changing batteries.

• Recognise problems with ear mould fitting and spot hearing aid faults.

• Provide information and signposting to other services available.

• Mandatory attendance at our Volunteer Update days organised by Community Resource, twice a year.

Additional responsibilities:

• Support our Live Well with a Hearing Loss Programme when scheduled and offer support to participants.

Rewards:

• Provide support to residents in your communities to live a richer life by helping them to use their hearing aids more effectively

• Meet different people in the county, whether other volunteers or people visiting the hubs.

• Work with the Sight and Hearing Loss Support Service team at Community Resource to learn how to be a Hearing Loss Support Volunteer and develop new skills.

For further information or an informal chat please contact Susann Mitchell 01743 342163 or email at susann.mitchell@community-resource.org.uk 

What skills do I need?

Skills:

Essential

• Good communication skills and a clear audible voice

• To have a courteous, friendly, and professional manner

• To be aware of confidentiality

• For the technical role, you will need to have reasonable dexterity in your hands

• To be able to keep accurate notes

Desirable

• Be a hearing aid user

• Understand the ear and how it works

• Have your own transport or access to transport

• Have experience dealing with the public

Training:

• The hearing loss support volunteers are trained, supported, and reviewed in partnership with NHS Audiology, SaTH.

• Mandatory attendance at our biannual volunteer update events

• Each volunteer has an annual skills review with the audiology team at the Autumn event.

• Each volunteer has an annual 121 supervision with the Sight and Hearing Loss Service Development Officer.

• Working alongside Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust volunteer team volunteers are now able to complete the mandatory induction training online. NHS England National eLearning is completed by volunteers and this training is transferable throughout the UK.

• Every volunteer will be supported by the Sight and Hearing Loss Support Service team in all the tasks they are required to carry out, to ensure they have the skills and confidence to fulfil their role.

• Every volunteer will receive our mandatory training Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults (plus read the Community Resource Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities and Confidentiality Policies.)

• Every volunteer will have access to & be signposted to relevant optional training such as Emergency First Aid at Work and Professional Boundaries training.

• No volunteer will be expected to carry out their duties unsupervised until they are confident and skilled in these duties.

Additional information:

• Community Resource will reimburse your travel and any out-of-pocket expenses

• A Disclosure and Barring Service check will be required at no charge to the applicant

• Volunteers are covered by the Community Resource public liability and personal accident insurance while working with us.

• Volunteers must be 18 or over. There is no upper age limit.

• Volunteers will need to check with their insurance company that they are covered whilst using their vehicle for volunteering purposes.

Details

• Certificate of public and employers liability that covers young people in all their activities with you
• Complaints Policy and procedures
• Confidentiality Policy
• DBS Policy for staff and volunteers
• Diversity Policy
• Equal Opportunities Policy
• Ex-offenders Policy
• Expenses Policy
• Health and Safety Policy
• Regular Risk assessments of the work environment
• Safeguarding
• Volunteer Task/Role description
• Volunteering Policy & Agreements
• Vulnerable Adults Policy

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