Person Specification

Knowledge and Qualifications

Essential

• Eligible for registration as a qualified teacher (QTS) and additionally as a qualified Teacher of deaf children and young people in the UK (DfE) (mandatory qualification required)
• A higher degree or additional post-graduate qualification relevant in the area of deafness or special educational needs.
• Membership of the specialist professional body (British Association of Teachers of the Deaf) & any other relevant organisation e.g., British Cochlear Implant Group, British Society of Audiology.
• Theoretical and practical knowledge of cochlear implant technology and expertise in the specialist clinical and educational management of implanted patients.
• Theoretical & practical knowledge of the communication, language, speech and psycho-social aspects of deafness and the implications for caregivers, specialist education services, other professionals and patient management.
• Knowledge and experience of delivering advanced training to specialist education and health audiences.
• In-depth knowledge of developments in the management of deaf children from an educational perspective at a national level.
• Knowledge of the current key issues at a national level in the education and management of deaf children & recognition of the importance of choice in modes of communication.

Desirable

• Knowledge and experience of audit and research design and implementation in specialist educational or clinical settings.

Experience

Essential

• Essential to have experience as a qualified teacher of the deaf in a range of contexts, including peripatetic roles.
• To have experience of multi-disciplinary and inter-agency working.
• To have experience working with young deaf children and their families
• Experience of working with deaf babies and deaf children with complex needs and their carers.
• Experience working with children with cochlear implants and other implantable devices.
• To have provided specialist training on issues of deafness to a variety of audiences.

Desirable

• Additional responsibilities within previous posts for service development.
• Familiar with audit and research design in specialist educational or health settings.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Ability to work with flexibility in a multi-disciplinary, clinical setting.
• Ability to undertake highly specialist assessments of deaf children and work with other professionals in the development and implementation of care plans.
• Ability to work with and offer expertise to community-based specialist teachers and other professionals over patient management and to develop partnerships with the auditory implant team.
• Ability to skilfully monitor needs and progress, and review specialist care plans and packages while carefully developing and supporting the development of local knowledge and care plan development.
• Ability to work with distressed, emotional, or angry parents and deaf children who may present with challenging behaviour and demonstrate sound judgement skills.
• Ability to be well organised, work calmly and prioritise needs when under pressure from a varied and challenging caseload.
• Ability to respond calmly to the unpredictable needs of a complex caseload, to work with colleagues as needs arise, and to tolerate interruptions.
• Ability to plan and organise highly skilled assessments and packages of care.

Communication

Essential

• Ability to communicate highly effectively and with empathy with deaf children and their families, including the use of sign language, and to manage sign language interpreters as appropriate to ensure excellent communication.
• To provide, deliver and develop comprehensive core training, audit and research. This service will be delivered in a variety of ways and to small and large specialist educational and mixed professional audiences

Personal and People Development

Essential

• To be involved in explaining and demonstrating service procedures, processes, and clinical management activities to new or less experienced staff or students and be involved in induction programmes for new staff from all disciplines working on the team.

Responsibilities towards promoting Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Essential

• Demonstrable understanding of the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and Knowledge of the NHS obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duties

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Closing Date: 12 May 2026