Audiology Australia Launches National Competency Standards for the Audiology Profession
Two years in the making, the peak professional body for Australian audiologists, Audiology Australia has just released its National Competency Standards for Audiologists (NCS).
Coming into effect from 1 January 2022, the NCS describes, for the first time, the minimum attributes, skills, and knowledge needed for entry and ongoing clinical practice of audiology in Australia. Competencies fall under six key domains:
- Audiological clinical practice
- Professional communications and collaborations
- Education and lifelong learning
- Quality, safety, and compliance
- Ethical and professional behaviour
- Advocacy
The standards were developed by the National Standards Working Group in consultation with Audiology Australia’s membership which represents over 95% of the profession in Australia. The standards now make clear what the role of an audiologist looks like, supporting broader understanding of the skills and attributes expected for safe clinical practice in audiology.
On reviewing the new NCS for audiologists, Victorian Hearing principal audiologist and manager Nicole Bowden noted “these new standards will provide transparency on entry level contemporary audiology training and practice in Australia, which is good for the profession and patients alike. Victorian Hearing has always made a point of ensuring that our audiologist go above and beyond entry level service provision, and these standards add further testimony to the advanced level of expertise and clinical service that our team delivers,” said Ms Bowden.
A self-regulating profession, Audiology Australia accreditation and membership is required for the provision of audiological services that fall under Medicare, the Australian Government’s Hearing Services Program, state, and territory work schemes, as well as many private health insurance funds. All Victorian Hearing audiologists are fully accredited members of Audiology Australia.
For more details on the NCS, please contact Nicole Bowden at Victorian Hearing. Alternatively, a copy of the NCS can be downloaded from the Audiology Australia website at www.audiology.asn.au