Hearing Help Essex – Technical Volunteer

Hearing Help Essex is a Charity that exists to alleviate the isolation and loneliness that hearing loss can bring. We work with those who have acquired hearing loss, by offering practical help, support, advice and guidance.

Hearing aids need cleaning and re-tubing every 4-6 months for them to work effectively, we run hearing aid support sessions in the community to support NHS audiology departments for re-tubing and basic maintenance.

We run over 30 sessions a month across Essex in a variety of locations such as community health clinics, day care centres, libraries and church and village halls. Service Users need to book an appointment in advance to attend and appointments take around 10-15minutes, each session usually runs once a month for 2 hours at a time.

The role of the technical volunteer is to provide basic NHS hearing aid maintenance (cleaning and retubing) to our Service Users at community sessions and via home visits.

We currently need volunteers in the following areas:

• Maldon
• Halstead
• Thurrock
• Uttlesford
• Brentwood
• Basildon – Laindon/Wickford area/Billericay
• Braintree/ Rayne
• Chelmsford

Skills

A Hearing Help Essex volunteer should:

· be a good listener

· be patient

· be personable

· have good eyesight (with glasses) and dexterity

· understand hearing loss and know how to communicate clearly with those living with hearing loss (after training)

· know how a hearing aid works (after training)

· be able to provide basic NHS hearing aid maintenance (after training)

· be able to give accurate advice (after training)

· know about different referral pathways (after training)

A Hearing Help Essex volunteer will:

· Be able to commit to at least 2 hours per month by attending one of our Hearing Aid Support Sessions in the community – depending on vacancies you can volunteer at more than one.

· Make home visits to those unable to get to our community sessions. Volunteers make their own appointments to suit their availability.

· Carry with them the kit-box and tools provided

· Talk about the work of HHE and promote it professionally.

· Ensure client confidentiality at all times.