This is not the latest approved version of this apprenticeship. View the latest version
This apprenticeship is in revision
Assess hearing and provide aftercare for hearing aids.
A hearing aid dispenser (HAD) 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. HADs 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. HADs 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 HAD interacts with the general public through scheduled appointments, other healthcare professionals and colleagues within their organisation. A HAD 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.
Duty | KSBs |
---|---|
Duty 1 Practise safely and effectively within the scope of practice and within the legal and ethical boundaries of the profession |
|
Duty 2 Look after own health and wellbeing, seeking appropriate support where necessary |
|
Duty 3 Practise as an autonomous professional, exercising professional judgement |
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 |
|
Duty 5 Communicate effectively, maintaining confidentiality and records appropriately |
K15 K16 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 K24 K25 |
Duty 6 Work with others |
S36 S37 S38 S39 S40 S41 S42 S43 S65
|
Duty 7 Reflect on, review and assure the quality of own practice |
|
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 |
|
Duty 10 Promote and prevent ill health |
|
K1: The importance of continuing professional development throughout own career
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
K4: The importance of valid consent
Back to Duty
K5: The importance of capacity in the context of delivering care and treatment
Back to Duty
K6: The scope of a professional duty of care, and how to exercise that duty
Back to Duty
K7: Legislation, policies and guidance relevant to own profession and scope of practice
Back to Duty
K8: The importance of own mental and physical health and wellbeing strategies in maintaining fitness to practise
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
K11: Equality legislation and how to apply it to own practice
Back to Duty
K12: The duty to make reasonable adjustments in practice and be able to make and support reasonable adjustments in owns and others’ practice
Back to Duty
K13: The characteristics and consequences of barriers to inclusion, including for socially isolated groups
Back to Duty
K14: That equality, diversity and inclusion needs to be embedded in the application of all HCPC standards and across all areas of practice
Back to Duty
K15: When disclosure of confidential information may be required
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
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)
Back to Duty
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.
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
K20: The need to support the communication needs of service users and carers, such as using an appropriate interpreter
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
K22: The specific communication needs of those with hearing difficulties and be aware of appropriate steps to overcome communication barriers
Back to Duty
K23: The need to seek external assistance in situations where communication is ineffective for whatever reason
Back to Duty
K24: The need to use appropriate interpersonal and communication skills to facilitate effective care for those with hearing difficulties
Back to Duty
K25: The need to empower service users to manage their aural health and related issues including self-management, where appropriate
Back to Duty
K26: The principles and practices of other health and care professionals and systems and how they interact with own profession
Back to Duty
K27: The need to build and sustain professional relationships as both an autonomous practitioner and collaboratively as a member of a team
Back to Duty
K28: The qualities, behaviours and benefits of leadership
Back to Duty
K29: That leadership is a skill all professionals can demonstrate
Back to Duty
K30: The need to engage service users and carers in planning and evaluating diagnostics, and therapeutic interventions to meet own needs and goals
Back to Duty
K31: The value of reflective practice and the need to record the outcome of such reflection to support continuous improvement
Back to Duty
K32: The value of multi-disciplinary reviews, case conferences and other methods of review
Back to Duty
K33: The value of gathering and using data for quality assurance and improvement programmes
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
K36: The structure and function of health and social care systems and services in the UK
Back to Duty
K37: The theoretical basis of, and the variety of approaches to, assessment and intervention
Back to Duty
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 centralauditory pathways– the measurement of hearing and of other auditory system functions
Back to Duty
K39: A range of research methodologies relevant to own role
Back to Duty
K40: The value of research to the critical evaluation of practice
Back to Duty
K41: The need to provide service users with access to continuing care, maintenance and support
Back to Duty
K42: The need to make and keep full and accurate records of assessment results, hearing aid prescriptions and actual settings, rehabilitation plans and outcomes
Back to Duty
K43: The need to maintain the safety of themself and others, including service users, carers and colleagues
Back to Duty
K44: Relevant health and safety legislation and local operational procedures and policies
Back to Duty
K45: The role of own profession in health promotion, health education and preventing ill health
Back to Duty
K46: How social, economic and environmental factors (wider determinants of health) can influence a person’s health and well-being
Back to Duty
S1: Identify the limits of own practice and when to seek advice or refer to another professional or service.
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
S3: Keep own skills and knowledge up to date
Back to Duty
S4: Maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct
Back to Duty
S5: Promote and protect the service user’s interests at all times
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
S8: Obtain valid consent, which is voluntary and informed, has due regard to capacity, is proportionate to the circumstances and is appropriately documented
Back to Duty
S9: Apply legislation, policies and guidance relevant to own profession and scope of practice
Back to Duty
S10: Recognise the power imbalance which comes with being a health care professional, and ensure it is not for personal gain
Back to Duty
S11: Identify own anxiety and stress and recognise the potential impact on own practice
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
S13: Recognise that they are personally responsible for, and must be able to,justify their decisions and actions
Back to Duty
S14: Use own skills, knowledge and experience, and the information available, to make informed decisions and / or take action where necessary
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
S16: Make and receive appropriate referrals, where necessary
Back to Duty
S17: Exercise personal initiative
Back to Duty
S18: Demonstrate a logical and systematic approach to problem solving
Back to Duty
S19: Use research, reasoning and problem-solving skills when determining appropriate actions
Back to Duty
S20: Make judgements on the effectiveness of procedures used in practice
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
S23: Actively challenge barriers to inclusion, supporting the implementation of change wherever possible
Back to Duty
S24: Adhere to the professional duty of confidentiality
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
S26: Use effective and appropriate verbal and non-verbal skills to communicate with service users, carers, colleagues and others
Back to Duty
S27: Communicate in English to the required standard for the profession
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
S30: Use information, communication and digital technologies appropriate to own practice
Back to Duty
S31: Explain the financial implications of suitable hearing aid systems
Back to Duty
S32: Inform service users about the range of strategies available to them which could improve their ability to hear and communicate more effectively
Back to Duty
S33: Keep full, clear and accurate records in accordance with applicable legislation, protocols and guidelines
Back to Duty
S34: Manage records and all other information in accordance with applicable legislation, protocols and guidelines
Back to Duty
S35: Use digital record keeping tools, where required
Back to Duty
S36: Work in partnership with service users, carers, colleagues and others
Back to Duty
S37: Contribute effectively to work undertaken as part of a multi-disciplinary team
Back to Duty
S38: Identify anxiety and stress in service users, carers and colleagues, adapting own practice and providing support where appropriate
Back to Duty
S39: Identify own leadership qualities, behaviours and approaches, taking into account the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion
Back to Duty
S40: Demonstrate leadership behaviours appropriate to own practice
Back to Duty
S41: Act as a role model for others
Back to Duty
S42: Promote and engage in the learning of others
Back to Duty
S43: Recognise those conditions or circumstances that require the involvement of other professionals and give the appropriate advice to service users
Back to Duty
S44: Demonstrate awareness of emerging technologies and new developments in hearing care practices
Back to Duty
S45: Engage in evidence-based practice
Back to Duty
S46: Gather and use feedback and information, including qualitative and quantitative data, to evaluate the responses of service users to own care
Back to Duty
S47: Monitor and systematically evaluate the quality of practice, and maintain an effective quality management and quality assurance process working towards continual improvement
Back to Duty
S48: Participate in quality management, including quality control, quality assurance, clinical governance and the use of appropriate outcome measures
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
S50: Demonstrate the principles and applications of scientific enquiry, including the evaluation of treatment efficacy and the research process
Back to Duty
S51: Change own practice as needed to take account of new developments, technologies and changing contexts
Back to Duty
S52: Gather appropriate information
Back to Duty
S53: Analyse and critically evaluate the information collected
Back to Duty
S54: Select and use appropriate assessment techniques and equipment
Back to Duty
S55: Undertake and record a thorough, sensitive, and detailed assessment
Back to Duty
S56: Undertake or arrange investigations as appropriate
Back to Duty
S57: Conduct appropriate assessment or monitoring procedures, treatment, therapy or other actions safely and effectively
Back to Duty
S58: Critically evaluate research and other evidence to inform own practice
Back to Duty
S59: Engage service users in research as appropriate
Back to Duty
S60: Use technologies safely and effectively where appropriate for diagnostic or monitoring procedures, treatment, therapy or other actions
Back to Duty
S61: Safely use appropriate techniques and equipment to assess hearing difficulties and the physical condition of the ear
Back to Duty
S62: Select and evaluate the most appropriate hearing aid system, performance settings and associated technologies for service users
Back to Duty
S63: Plan, implement and manage appropriate rehabilitation programmes for service users to optimise outcomes
Back to Duty
S64: Safely and competently take impressions of the ear
Back to Duty
S65: Safely and competently programme and physically fit hearing aids
Back to Duty
S66: Formulate specific and appropriate management plans including the setting of timescales
Back to Duty
S67: Formulate and provide appropriate advice regarding hearing aids and associated technologies and their use to facilitate informed choices by service users
Back to Duty
S68: Undertake and record appropriate case histories
Back to Duty
S69: Check that equipment is functioning accurately and within specifications and to take appropriate action in the case of faulty functioning and operation
Back to Duty
S70: Interpret data arising from case history, physical examination, hearing assessments and hearing instruments
Back to Duty
S71: Demonstrate awareness of relevant health and safety legislation and comply with all local operational procedures and policies
Back to Duty
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
Back to Duty
S73: Select appropriate personal protective equipment and use it correctly
Back to Duty
S74: Establish safe environments for practice, which appropriately manages risk
Back to Duty
S75: Ensure that the environment in which service users are seen is appropriate for the assessment, service, care and attention given
Back to Duty
S76: Empower and enable individuals (including service users and colleagues) to play a part in managing own health
Back to Duty
S77: Engage in occupational health, including being aware of immunisation requirements
Back to Duty
B1: Treat people with dignity
Back to Duty
B2: Respect individual's diversity, beliefs, culture, needs, values, privacy and preferences
Back to Duty
B3: Show respect and empathy for patients, their families, carers and those you work with
Back to Duty
B4: Be adaptable, reliable and consistent
Back to Duty
B5: Have the courage to challenge areas of concern
Back to Duty
B6: Recognise and act within the limits of own competence seeking advice when needed
Back to Duty
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.
Level: 5
This standard aligns with the following professional recognition:
This is a regulated occupation.
Health and Care Professions Council
Training Provider must be approved by regulator body
EPAO does not require approval by regulator body
5
24
This apprenticeship standard will be reviewed after three years
Contact us about this apprenticeship
Version | Change detail | Earliest start date | Latest start date | Latest end date |
---|---|---|---|---|
Revised version awaiting implementation | in revision | 01/09/2023 | Not set | Not set |
1.1 | End-point assessment plan and funding band revised. | 19/08/2021 | 31/08/2023 | Not set |
1.0 | Retired | 15/03/2019 | 18/08/2021 | Not set |