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Hearing therapist
Hours
37.5 per week
Starting salary
£20,700 + per year
WorkDesc
The work
Hearing therapists work with children and adults who suffer from a loss of hearing, tinnitus or a balance disorder.
As a hearing therapist you would work in hospitals and the community as part of a team, including audiological, medical and social work staff. Your duties would include:
- counselling clients and their families to help them adjust to hearing loss and balance disorders
- discussing the ways in which everyday life may be affected and setting goals
- assessing the rehabilitation needs of patients in order to provide programmes of care
- maximising hearing ability by creating individual programmes, which could include lip-reading, help with hearing aids or other communication skills
- assessing patients who are suitable for cochlear implants or bone anchored hearing aids
- managing patients with complex needs such as dual sensory loss (hearing and sight) or learning disabilities.
Your work would also involve:
- giving presentations to a range of groups to increase awareness and understanding of hearing loss and related disorders
- keeping detailed records of treatments and progress
- attending case conferences and team meetings.
HoursDesc
Hours
You would typically work 37.5 hours a week, full-time, although part-time or flexible hours may be available.
You would usually work in ear, nose and throat clinics or audiology departments in hospitals. You may also visit patients in their homes or in health centres, residential homes, special schools, housing associations and voluntary organisations.
IncomeDesc
Income
- Hearing therapists in the NHS earn between £20,700 and £26,800 a year
- With experience, this can rise to around £34,200
- Managers can earn around £39,300.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
Many NHS trusts will prefer you to have a BSc (Hons) degree in Audiology. You would have an advantage if you were also registered with the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP), and had the ability to communicate with the profoundly deaf (for example through British Sign Language).
Full-time audiology courses take four years to complete and include a one-year salaried, clinical placement in the NHS. To get on to the degree you will usually need at least five GCSEs (A-C) and three A levels including a science subject. Check with course providers for exact entry details as alternative qualifications may also be accepted (the RCCP has a list of approved courses).
If you already have a degree in a relevant science subject, you could qualify by completing a postgraduate course in Audiology. The British Academy of Audiology (BAA) also has details of course providers running audiology programmes.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
Once you are working as a hearing therapist, you may be encouraged to work towards a Masters qualification in audiology, rehabilitation therapy or another area of interest relevant to hearing therapy.
You may also find it useful to take further training in areas such as counselling or sign language.
Hearing therapy is moving towards state registration with the Health Professions Council. The RCCP website has further details, and membership of their voluntary register will help you achieve state registration when this becomes compulsory.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
- patience and understanding
- a caring and supportive approach
- excellent spoken and written communication skills
- clear speech which can be easily lip-read
- the ability to teach and explain instructions to clients of all ages and abilities
- an interest in the theoretical and scientific background of treatment
- strong problem solving skills
- practical skills to manipulate small devices, like hearing aids and cochlear implants
- good levels of IT
- the ability to work alone and in a team.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
NHS Careers 
PO Box 2311
Bristol
BS2 2ZX
Tel: 0345 60 60 655
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists
www.rccp.co.uk
British Academy of Audiology
PO Box 346
Peterborough
PE6 7EG
Tel: 01733 253 976
www.baaudiology.org
Health Learning and Skills Advice Line
Tel: 08000 150850
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
You will find most jobs within the audiology or ENT (ear, nose and throat) departments of NHS or private hospitals.
With experience you could progress to team leader or hearing services manager, or move into a general management position within mainstream healthcare.
You could go on to specialise in an area such as balance rehabilitation, cochlear implants, or assisting people with learning disabilities or dual sensory loss. Alternatively, you could take further training in your main area of interest or take on a teaching or research role, for example in higher education.
You may find the following useful for job vacancies and general reading: (links open new windows)
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
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Related industry information
Industry summary
The health sector is represented by Skills for Health Sector Skills Council, which comprises three sub‐sectors:
- National Health Service (NHS)
- Independent Healthcare Sector (such as private and charitable healthcare providers)
- Third Sector (healthcare) (such as small local community and voluntary groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts, social enterprises and co‐operatives)
The health sector is made up of hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, the ambulance service, nursing homes, residential care homes, complementary medicine and a huge range of other health related activities, from sight tests in opticians to research in medical laboratories. Most people in the health sector work in the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS), which includes:
- primary care (organisations which the public goes to first) – Doctors/General Practitioners (GPs), NHS Walk in Centres, NHS Direct, Out of Hours Emergency Care
- secondary care (organisations which the public are referred onto) – Ambulance Trusts, NHS Trusts/hospitals, NHS Foundation Trusts/hospitals, Mental Health Trusts, Care Trusts (provide joint health and social care activities)
NHS policy in England is directed from the centre by the Department of Health. Local organisations, known as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), are in charge of providing and commissioning services, controlling the majority of the budget. PCTs are overseen by 10 regional organisations called Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).
The independent sector includes companies and charities that offer hospital and specialist services usually after referral from a doctor. Operations and other work are carried out in private hospitals, independent treatment centres, mental health units and hospices.
Key facts:
- The health sector is the largest employer in the UK, representing 5.5% of the working age population of the UK and 7.3% of the working age population that are currently in employment.
- It is estimated that the sector employs over 2 million people, including:
- over 1.5 million people in the NHS (72%)
- over 0.5 million people in the Independent Healthcare sector (26%)
- almost 40,000 in the voluntary sector (2%)
- 56% of the workforce has a higher education qualification (or equivalent).
- The age profile for the sector shows an older than average workforce, which is due in part to the fact that it takes some professions a long time to train and can mean that people enter the sector later.
There is a varied list of jobs in the sector ranging from a diverse number of clinical roles, to support and infrastructure staff, for instance: Allied Health Professionals (AHPs); Ambulance Staff; Dental Staff; Doctors/Medical staff; Nursing staff; Midwifery Staff; Healthcare Scientists; Health Informatics Staff; Management; Wider Healthcare Team; Complementary Therapists.
National and regional data
High proportions of the health sector workforce are located in:
- London
- South East
- North West
East Midlands - The health sector employs 131,515 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East Midlands employs 8% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 29% of all employment across the sector or 41,200 employees.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
East of England - The health sector employs 164,720 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East of England employs 9.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 52,300 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 14% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 103,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
London - The health sector employs over 249,524 people, which accounts for 6% of all the employment in the region.
- London employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 33% of all employment across the sector or 78,500 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 146,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North East - The health sector employs 89,201 people, which accounts for 8.7% of all employment in the region.
- The North East employs 5.3 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 23,800 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be almost 46,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North West - The health sector employs 251,960 people, which accounts for 8% of all employment in the region.
- The North West employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South East - The health sector employs 264,071 people, which accounts for 7.1% of all employment in the region.
- The South East employs 15.7% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 164,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South West - The health sector employs 182,187 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- The South West employs 10.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 60,700 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 105,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
West Midlands - The health sector employs 168,746 people, which accounts for 7.2% of all employment in the region.
- The West Midlands employs 10% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 43,000 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 9% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 108,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Yorkshire and the Humber - The health sector employs 182,848 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- Yorkshire and the Humber employ 10.9 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 24% of the total health care workforce or 42,000 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 97,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Northern Ireland - The health sector employs 61,300 people.
- Northern Ireland employs 3% of the total health sector workforce.
- 81% of the workforce is female.
- 26% of the workforce is aged 35‐44 years.
- 96% of the workforce is white.
- 10% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 48% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Scotland - The health sector employs 201,500 people.
- Scotland employs 10% of the total health sector workforce.
- 78% of the workforce is female.
- 30% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 95% of the workforce is white.
- 14% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 39% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Wales - The health sector employs 114,900 people.
- Wales employs 6% of the total health sector workforce.
- 74% of the workforce is female.
- 34% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 94% of the workforce is white.
- 18% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 40% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 27% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2008‐2009, Annual Business Inquiry, 2007, and Northern Ireland Census of Employment, 2007]
Career paths
Further sources
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