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Specialist Paediatric Dietitian

Employer
North East London NHS Foundation Trust
Location
Chingford
Salary
£43,742 to £50,056 a year pro rata (plus HCAS)
Closing date
1 Jun 2023

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Profession
Dietitian, Other allied health
Grade
Band 7
Contract Type
Permanent
Hours
Part Time
Job summary

We are seeking a motivated and dynamic Band 7 Paediatric Dietitian to support our team in Waltham Forest. This is a new opportunity for an experienced and confident Dietitian, with specialist interest and experience in Paediatrics.

We are a small, friendly and supportive team based at Chingford Health Centre in north London that covers adult and paediatric services in the community.

The postholder will utilise a range of skills and experience from their clinical practice to perform comprehensive assessments and to provide treatment plans across a range of locations within NELFT. You will provide specialist advice, education and support to patients, carers and other health professionals within paediatrics within NELFT communities.

As part of the Nutrition & Dietetic service we can offer you:
  • Regular clinical and managerial supervision
  • A programme of In-service training including journal club
  • Training and development opportunities

Excellent communication skills are essential as well as good knowledge of current Dietetic best practice.The role will require the successful candidate to work as part of the team based in the community setting but with interface with other NELFT services and external stakeholders to ensure service delivery is of a high quality and provided 365 days per year.

The successful candidate will also be able contribute to the strategic development of the Dietetic Service across the community and primary care sectors of North East London.

Main duties of the job

The candidate must have the following.

o HCPC registrationo Paediatric experience.o Clinical knowledge & experience across a variety of disease states and dietetic therapies.o Effective organisational skills - to be able to prioritise and manage own workload within time and financial constraints

The main responsibilities of the post :

Must be able to travel around Waltham Forest, but may need to occasionally travel within the wider NELFT area efficiently.
  • To provide a highly specialist Dietetic service to the community.
  • To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner
  • To be involved in the development and production of new educational resources and ensure alignment of resources with evidence-based practice.
  • To be actively involved in the planning and organisation of the specialist paediatric service in liaison with the head of service.
  • To initiate, plan and conduct audits/research projects, and analyse, interpret and present results to relevant groups .
  • To work as an integrated member of the Nutrition and Dietetic Service, including attendance in the office.
  • Provide cover for colleagues in their absence


  • About us

    COVID-19 Vaccination

    We continue to encourage all staff to ensure that they have been double vaccinated and received their booster. We recognise that taking the vaccine provides the best defence against COVID 19 for our patients, our staff and their families.

    Probationary Period

    This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).

    Starting with NELFT

    NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focusing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

    High Cost Area Supplement - London

    This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (minimum payment of �4,313 and a maximum payment of �5,436 per annum pro rata).

    Job description

    Job responsibilities

    Key Responsibilities:

  • To provide a highly specialist Dietetic service to the community.
  • To be involved in the development and production of new educational resources and regularly review diet sheets and other written information to ensure alignment with evidence-based practice
  • To be able to travel and carry (or organise the movement of) equipment required for health promotion / screening and other ad hoc activities i.e. paediatric scales, weighing scales, food models / mats, display boards, etc.
  • To be actively involved in the planning and organisation of the specialist paediatric service in liaison with the head of service.
  • To employ appropriate strategies to manage challenging and aggressive behaviours within the workplace when working in isolation e.g. outpatient clinic or home visit
  • To be flexible to the demands of the environment including unpredictable work patterns, deadlines and frequent interruptions and working in areas of potential threat to personal safety.
  • To actively participate in departmental and Trust Clinical Governance meetings relevant to general and specialist dietetic areas of work.
  • To initiate, plan and conduct Trust-wide/regional/national audits/research projects, and analyse, interpret and present results to relevant groups and co-lead or assist in the implementation of changes to clinical practice/service delivery.
  • To practice within the Health Professions Councils Standards of conduct, performance and ethics and Standards of proficiency for dietitians, and the British Dietetic
  • To work as an integrated member of the Nutrition and Dietetic Service.
  • Contribute to financial management of resources by ensuring adequate supplies of feeding products and information resources.
  • Provide cover for colleagues in their absence
  • Undertake any other duties commensurate with the post, as requested by Nutrition and Dietetic Lead and Head of Nutrition and Dietetics and Adult Speech and Language Therapy Services. Any changes will be discussed with the post holder.
  • Maintain strict confidentiality of patients records in accordance with the Health professions Council Code of Practice, the Professional code of conduct, the Data protection act 1984, department & Trust policy.
  • Keep written records & statistics and collect activity data in line with Department policy, Trust & Department of Health requirements and Professional code of conduct.
  • Awareness of and adherence to Departmental and Trust policies and procedures e.g. equal opportunities, diversity and health & safety.
  • To ensure effective risk management at team level by accident/incident reporting, assessing and controlling risk and ensuring residual risks are added to the Trust register.


  • Leadership and Management
  • Participate in and lead on clinical audit/ research programmes, in relation to own specialist area and disseminate and publish the results as appropriate
  • Provide effective guidance, supervision and leadership to students and junior staff members for whom you have a direct responsibility. This will include the use of formal appraisal documentation where appropriate.
  • Ensure that your own practice and that of students under your supervision meet the required professional standards of Dietetic practice.
  • To demonstrate continuous professional development through active participation in and facilitation of Journal Clubs, Professional Update sessions. Attend and contribute to regional, national and international specialist dietetic study days, meeting and conferences.
  • All staff will be regularly assessed on their knowledge, skills and behaviour, and application of all aspects of the job description, in line with the Trusts Personal Development Review (PDR) process.

  • Clinical Skills
  • To act as an autonomous, registered practitioner who is legally and professionally accountable for own unsupervised actions guided by the professional code of conduct and Trust guidelines and protocols.
  • Further professional knowledge will have been gained through accredited courses workshops, study and in house training programmes.
  • To be responsible, and accountable, for service delivery to clients/patients.
  • To be able to initiate referrals to other health professional specialist services and agencies.
  • To ensure practice is supported by research, evidence-based practice, literature and peer review.
  • To directly prescribe and modify nutritional supplements/feeds based on nutritional status and to inform the medical team, nurses and GPs as required.
  • To act as a resource for other members of the multidisciplinary team on paediatric and neonatal nutrition and attend appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.
  • To provide evidenced based information, advice and education to relatives, carers and other professionals to promote understanding of the aims of dietetic intervention and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care.
  • Liaise with colleagues regarding patients who require further dietetic care ensuring a seamless transfer of care within the organisation and to agencies/departments external to Waltham Forest
  • To provide a highly specialist Dietetic service to Waltham Forest community, respite care and learning difficulties. This includes attending meetings and case conferences. This will involve nutritional assessment of patients, including the calculation of nutritional requirements based on the interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometry and clinical condition and will result in the formulation of a diet therapy treatment plan.


  • Computer/Administration
  • To be computer literate and encourage implementation of the Trusts IM&T Strategy.
  • To ensure accurate recording of actions, updating of patient records and maintenance of confidentiality at all times.
  • To take part, and assist, in the planning and administration relating to day to day running of the caseload.
  • To access and operate a variety of computer data bases and information systems daily for purposes including electronic communication with an extensive range of staff and relevant professional bodies, researching specialised information, extracting patient information and creating documents for presentations, letters and audits.
  • To be competent in the use of information technology including the formulation of databases for research and audit purposes as well as the use of nutritional packages for assessment of patients nutritional requirements and dietary adequacy.

  • Communication
  • To have a wide range of knowledge in approaches to communicating and managing patient care.
  • To be able to effectively communicate with colleagues, peers, senior managers and clinical leads within the Trust.
  • To be able to communicate complex patient related information facilitating positive outcomes and ensuring collaborative working.
  • Participate in the review and development of clinical policies and identifies improvements to service provision.
  • To counsel and educate paediatric patients and their carers on complex dietary interventions or enteral feeding as required, ensuring compliance with dietary treatment.
  • To contribute to the discharge planning of patients going home on artificial nutritional support, liaising with the childrens home care team.
  • To maintain good communication with hospital and community departments and services and ensure safe discharge into the community, particularly for children discharged home on enteral tube feeds.
  • To communicate highly complex nutritional and/or medical information effectively to ensure patient understanding of their condition and treatment. To tailor communication to the needs of different groups and use available resources to meet the differing needs of the population e.g. ethnic minorities, hearing and visually impaired and physical disabilities.
  • To maintain sensitivity at all times to the emotional needs of patients and their carers in particular when imparting potentially distressing information regarding the nature of their condition and implications of the same.
  • To facilitate lifestyle change and health behaviour modification using highly advanced interpersonal communication skills, using a variety of techniques including motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural techniques.
  • To undertake teaching to patient and carer groups within a community setting using a variety of teaching methods and resources.
  • To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing and therapy colleagues to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service, leading the MDT where necessary.
  • Maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation, in line with legal and departmental requirements and communicate assessment and treatment results to the appropriate disciplines in the form of reports and letters.

  • Training
  • To act as mentor to students, providing
    Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

    395-WF523-23
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