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About Ms Aarti Makan

“Let the beauty of what you love

be what you do”

(Rumi)

Qualifications

The beauty of the sense of hearing is not truly appreciated until it is lost.  I truly love enabling individuals to communicate effectively. I do this by empowering them with skills to improve their listening environments.

 

I am a fully qualified Audiologist and Speech, Language Therapist from South Africa. While working as an Audiologist in the NHS, I completed my master’s Degree in Audiology and two postgraduate management and leadership qualifications.  I am also the first Audiologist in the UK to complete the prestigious Darzi Fellowship.

 

My undergraduate degree included 3 years of psychology studies, so my passion to understand the connection between hearing loss and the emotional and behavioural aspects of my profession were instilled very early on in my career. This passion led me to complete my master’s degree research project, which focussed on stages of acceptance and readiness to use hearing devices (by using the IDA Institute’s motivational tools) to enable effective personalised ear care.  I completed a masterclass in assessment and rehabilitation of tinnitus and hyperacusis, including the specialist cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and coaching skills. So, supporting and counselling individuals and their families through the stages of hearing loss and tinnitus is a core part of my practice.

 

By actively using the knowledge and skills from my degree in speech therapy, I am able to provide holistic assessment, diagnosis and rehabilitation of hearing impaired individuals, including those with complex needs such as dementia.

Clinical Experience

“It’s what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead”

(Nelson Mandela)

 

I have over 15 years’ experience as an adult Audiological clinician with over 10 years’ experience in ear micro suction and wax removal. I have extensive experience in assessment and diagnosis of hearing difficulties, selection and provision of hearing devices, counselling and rehabilitation of individuals with hearing difficulties and tinnitus, vestibular assessment, including working with Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) and Audio-vestibular Medicine (AVM) consultants.

 

Individuals with hearing loss usually remain under the care of Audiologists for many years. I relish this aspect of my clinical role as I form part of an individual’s multifaceted journey to better hearing throughout their lives.

“Systems awareness and systems design are important for health professionals, but they are not enough. It is the ethical dimensions of individuals that are essential to success. Ultimately, the secret of quality is love. You have to love your patient, you have to love your profession” (Avedis Donabedian)

 

I have been fortunate enough to have a portfolio career, which means I have a few different roles:  

  • Audiological Clinician (Director of The Art of Hearing Limited)

  • Professional Lead for Healthcare Science in London (Employed by Health Education England)

  • External Teaching Fellow (Employed by University College of London)

  • Clinical Lead Assessor for Audiology - Improving Quality in Physiological Services IQIPS (Employed by United Kingdom Accreditation Service)

  • I am a core member of the British Society of Audiology Adult Rehabilitation Implementation Group (ARIG).

 

Taking on these diverse roles provides strong evidence that I love my profession.  Each of these roles have a direct link to quality of individual’s care, so I most certainly love my patients too.

 

These varied roles have afforded me with a unique ability to approach personalised ear care from well-rounded perspectives encompassing education and training, clinical work, quality assessment and service delivery accreditation.  This can be viewed as a competitive advantage relative to other independent practitioners.

Work Experience

Education and training experience

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world” (Nelson Mandela)

 

My portfolio career has led me to dedicate my time to education alongside my clinical practice. As the Audiology External Teaching Fellow at the University College of London, I develop and deliver undergraduate and postgraduate education programmes. I am also the Professional Lead for Healthcare Science (HCS) at Health Education England in London (HCS encompasses a group of professionals of approximately 52 different specialisms). So, I ensure that trainees within all these specialities across London, receive high quality education by supporting the training centres to fully deliver the education curriculum.

 

I truly believe in enabling individuals to be the best they can be. I feel that education and healthcare are the richest environments to influence lives and I love educating students and hearing-impaired individuals about self-care so that they can change their behaviours, become healthy and improve their lives.  I have been invited to share my knowledge and experiences at a range of events including Audiology master-classes and wider healthcare, education and careers events.

Experience in accrediting clinics for service and education delivery

“Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort” (John Ruskin)

 

My role as the Professional Lead for Healthcare Science (HCS) at Health Education England in London means providing 1:1 support to trainers and trainees and being part of teams that accredit the quality of work-based education and training; not only for Audiology centres, but a large group of about 52 HCS specialisms within London.  

 

I am also a clinical assessor for the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (Improving Quality in Physiological Services - IQIPS). So, I am an integral part of a team that provide UKAS accreditation for Audiology departments.

Fun facts about Aarti

“Chocolate is the answer – no matter what the question”

(Aarti Makan)

 

  • I am an ex-gymnast

  • A graduate of an Indian classical dance form called Bharata Natyam, which I started at the age of 6.

  • I completed a Level 1 Reiki course.

  • Music and dancing are integral parts of my life.  

  • I love food and enjoy experimenting with cooking different types of cuisine

  • I consider travelling and reading my hobbies.

  • Agnes from the movie Despicable Me is my favourite animated character

  • So of course, I love unicorns!

 

My values and beliefs were embedded from a young age while growing up in a challenging South Africa. So, my experiences taught me to be honest and openly welcoming to diversity. This led me to receive a nomination and be shortlisted as one of two finalists nationally in the Chief Scientific Officers Annual Awards in 2017 for the Equality and Diversity Award.

 

I am kind, spiritual and outgoing. I love spending time in social interactions with family and friends.

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I am reliable and always give the best of myself in all that I do.

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