Job summary

Community Dietitian - Band 6

Contract : Permanent - Full time 37.5 hours per week

The Community Nutrition & Dietetics Service at Whittington Health is seeking a Band 6 Dietitian to join their award-winning team*.

We provide innovative, evidence based Dietetic services across the diverse boroughs of Islington and Haringey. As a team, we are committed to delivering consistently high quality and compassionate clinical care to our service users.

This new and exciting dietetic post is an integrated role between the Community Nutrition and Dietetics Team and the Intermediate Diabetes Service (50:50 split). As such it provides a fantastic opportunity to develop specialist skills in diabetes whilst maintaining your skills in the challenging and varied field of community dietetics. You will be supported by a dedicated line manager, specialist diabetes practitioners as well as a service manager with knowledge and experience of both services.

Click https://www.whittington.nhs.uk/?c=43491 to find out more about our Adult Community Services, what it is like to work for Whittington Health, and why you should join our team.

Main duties of the job

You will be responsible for providing patient centred dietetic support for a range of conditions, including Diabetes, Malnutrition, IBS, Gastrointestinal disorders, Obesity and Mental Health.

You will be involved in developing and implementing our weight management programme, Why Weight. You will also have the opportunity to work in a variety of settings including Nursing Homes, Care Homes, Outpatient clinics, Group settings and virtual consultations and group education.

The post holder also needs to work alongside the existing Intermediate Diabetes team which comprises of a lead Diabetes Nurse, 5 Diabetes Specialist Nurses and 2 Diabetes Specialist Dietitians. This team also benefits of regular consultant led supervision and is closely linked with the hospital diabetes team.The post holder will also be responsible for delivering structured education / self-management programmes.

About us

We are a friendly and widely experienced team and as a department we are fully active in audit, quality improvement initiatives, CPD and student training and you will have opportunity to contribute to all of these.If you are a flexible, enthusiastic and self-motivated Dietitian looking to increase your experience within a community setting, we are looking forward to hearing from you.

Job description

Job responsibilities

CLINICAL Autonomously manage a varied and complex caseload of patients requiring nutrition support To provide patient centered approach for patients who require oral nutrition support, either in their own homes, dietetic clinics or within residential care homes To provide clinical nutrition and dietetic advice to non complex paediatrics patients. To provide clinical nutrition and dietetic advice to patients, on a one-to-one basis within a clinic setting, by telephone/video consultation and also in a virtual group consultation setting providing specialist dietary advice in the management of long-term conditions. To counsel and educate patients and their carers on complex dietary interventions for diabetes. This will involve nutritional assessment of patients using evidence-based approach, including the calculation of nutritional requirements based on the interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometry and clinical condition resulting in the formulation of a dietetic treatment plan. Provide a service to patient groups within community Diabetes specialist/General clinics, both individual and group consultations.

To be competent in the use of behavioural therapy when counselling patients To deliver structured group education sessions to patients with diabetes and their carers, primarily DESMOND for patients with type 2 Diabetes. If not already a trained DESMOND facilitator, there will be an opportunity to complete this training. To contribute to the development of protocols and guidelines for the nutritional care of patients To be able to develop and use communications and teaching skills to educate the diverse and multicultural population. Make recommendations to doctors on the prescription of oral nutrition support products for patients, dependent on their condition. To educate patients and their carers on complex dietary interventions for enteraland/or oral feeding as required, ensuring compliance with dietary treatment. To actively participate in the promotion of good health through promoting healthy eating, in line with government policies and local priorities, liaising closely with the public health departments. To participate in continuing professional development, audit and research activities within the specialist area. To be part of setting up and delivering health promotion and patient education groups/group consultations. 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 as directed by service lead. Freedom to act interpreting the Health and Care Professions Council Code of Conduct and working to all agreed standards, policies and procedures within the Dietetic Department and Whittington Health.

COMMUNICATION To communicate effectively with patients and carers, using motivational interviewing skills where necessary. To gain valid informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment. Communicate complex information sensitively and effectively with patients, carers and other staff to ensure adequate understanding of the condition and treatment required, particularly where there are significant barriers to understanding/communication such as non-English speaking patients, mental illness, loss of hearing/ sight impairment, cognitive impairment, behavioural problems and dementia. To ensure that documentation is accurate and meets the standards legally required by the BDA and Whittington Health. To demonstrate the ability to work as part of a team. Produce timely and informative reports as required regarding patient nutritional assessment and treatment for GPs and other health care professionals. To be able to develop and use communication and teaching skills to educate the diverse and multicultural population. To communicate and liaise with the community multidisciplinary teams and services regarding the nutritional management of patients and where necessary providing highly specialist information and education to clinicians.PROFESSIONAL To ensure practice is evidence based, by keeping up to date with new research literature, and by regularly evaluating working practices through evidence-based practice projects, audit and research. To make recommendations to changes in clinical practice and assist in the implementation of new working practices. To work as part of the diabetes and dietetics team, towards new developments, attending and participating in relevant staff meetings and CPD meetings. To participate in staff appraisal and be working towards an individual personal development plan. To keep a professional portfolio of CPD activities undertaken to comply with HCPC requirements for registration.

MANAGEMENT To work alongside the Band 7 Dietitian assisting to identify areas requiring service development. Effectively organise your own caseload to ensure own work demands and organisational demands are meet. To actively participate in the appraisal process and ensure continuing professional development encompassing a portfolio-based assessment in line with national legislation. Undertake any other duty, appropriate to the post, as requested by the Service Lead for Nutrition and Dietetics and Intermediate Diabetes Specialist Service. To have line management responsibility for junior members of the team and supervise student dietitians as required.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT To organise, implement and evaluate group education/group consultation sessions for different client groups. To be involved with and to contribute to the training of more junior staff and students within the department, in service training and peer reviews. Identify own training and development needs and undertake appropriate training or education as required. To keep up to date with current nutritional knowledge and dietetic practice, and update colleagues, as appropriate. To develop evidence based written resources and educational material for use with patients and other health care professionals. To identify and undertake audit and research projects that will enhance patient care. To monitor and evaluate own dietetic practice and participate in audit of both clinical topics and those relevant to the management of the service. This will include suggesting and implementing innovation to the service to reflect the needs of the local community.

EFFORT AND ENVIRONMENTAL To demonstrate compassion, empathy and sensitivity to clients who may have complex emotional and physical conditions and social concerns requiring moderate emotional effort on a daily basis. To perform tasks that require moderate to high mental effort on a daily basis, for example concentration to write letters, develop presentations, use clinical analysis and reasoning skills to make diagnoses, assessments and develop appropriate treatment programs and to educate clients throughout the day. To perform tasks which require the use and transportation of anthropometric measurement equipment for dietary assessment, and which may require moderate mental and physical effort. Frequently exposed to lone working conditions in a variety of settings. To travel to clinics or community settings, dietetic offices throughout the boroughs of Haringey and Islington using the most appropriate form of transport e.g., walking, cycling, public transport, which may require moderate physical effort on a daily basis. To respond to inconsistent work patterns and to be able to respond to stressful situations, manage time effectively, make adjustments and prioritise as required using moderate mental effort on a daily basis. May be exposed to unpleasant working conditions (relating to patients own homes, such as unhygienic and cluttered environments, pets and other animals).

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics
• HCPC Registration as a Dietitian
• Post- graduate training /short courses or equivalent relevant experience

Desirable

• Registered member of the British Dietetic Association
• Member of a specialist interest group
• Post registration in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Experience

Essential

• Experience of managing Oral Nutrition Support and Enteral Nutrition
• Experience of general outpatient clinics
• Experience of working in the community setting
• Experience in delivering group education for clients/ patients
• Experience of basic paediatric dietetics
• Experience of conducting audits/research

Desirable

• Experience of working in Nursing Homes
• Experience of student training
• Experience of working in mental health settings
• Working with a Multi-disciplinary team

Skills & Knowledge

Essential

• Sound clinical knowledge of nutrition and dietetics and an understanding of the dietary management of common conditions as well as specialist knowledge of diabetes.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Multi-disciplinary and inter- agency working
• Skills in the assessment and treatment of people with Diabetes
• Excellent time management and organisational skills
• Good presentation skills
• Self- motivated and able to prioritise own workload
• Effective interpers
  Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.
  
  220-WHT-1134