22.5 hours per week. Would you like to work with people who have a diverse range of needs, who also struggle to manage their health and weight? The Weight Management team are an experienced multi-disciplinary team, offering to support patients using individual and group interventions and multi-agency work, together with the local Bariatric Team.

We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic Band 6 Specialist Practitioner to be an integral part of all aspects of the service. This will include working with Weight Management patients and patients that have undergone bariatric surgery. You will be providing a wide range of clinical interventions to support the health and wellbeing of this complex group of patients.

The post is based at the Cumberland Centre with Hybrid working pattern and requires regular evening work.

For us to consider your application you must start your supporting statement with Im applying for the post at Livewell Weight Management Service because.

All Livewell Southwest staff are expected to able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

Job Share(s) Considered

please note that this role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility

Main duties of the job

To provide a specialist role in the assessment and management of patients referred to the Weight Management service from primary and secondary care.

To undertake all aspects of clinical practice as an autonomous practitioner.

In the absence of the Weight Management Clinical lead to manage the day-to-day delivery of the service.

To be responsible for own caseload, working with support from Weight Management Clinical Lead as required.

To undertake all aspects of clinical practice as an autonomous practitioner. Manage Clinical risk within own caseload

Take part in service audit to assess the effectiveness of the service.

Participate in evidence-based audit and research projects to further own and team clinical practice.

Provide support to other multi-disciplinary members of the Weight Management team as required.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise providing integrated health & social care services for people across Plymouth, South Hams & West Devon, as well as some specialist services for people living in parts of Devon & Cornwall. With teams in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, health & wellbeing hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience, we always value being kind, respectful, inclusive, ambitious, responsible and collaborative. Transforming services to make them sustainable, ensuring that we value, support & empower each other.

We are committed to involving the people we care for, families & carers in everything that we do, working towards co-production where we can. Helping us to deliver the right care for people, in the right place & at the right time. By putting people at the centre of what we do, we ensure to support people to lead, healthy independent lives & be the very best at helping people to live well.

Valuing our employees making an investment in their development a priority. We offer:

Protected CPD time for registered staff

Various development pathways and ongoing regular training packages for all staff

Leadership & mentoring programmes

Access & funding for training including Care Certificate, Assistant Practitioners Course & Scholarship Into Nurse Training

A Robust Preceptorship

A bespoke induction programme

Existing members of the NHS Pension Scheme can continue their membership when they join the organisation.

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB PURPOSE

To provide a specialist multi-disciplinary service to patients with morbid obesity and co-morbidities

SCOPE AND RANGE

To provide a specialist multi-disciplinary service to patients with morbid obesity and co-morbidities.

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

To provide a specialist role in the assessment and management of patients referred to the Weight Management service from primary and secondary care.

To undertake all aspects of clinical practice as an autonomous practitioner.

In the absence of the Weight Management Clinical lead to manage the day-to-day delivery of the service.

To be responsible for own caseload, working with support from Weight Management Clinical Lead as required.

To undertake all aspects of clinical practice as an autonomous practitioner. Manage Clinical risk within own caseload

Take part in service audit to assess the effectiveness of the service.

Participate in evidence-based audit and research projects to further own and team clinical practice.

Provide support to other multi-disciplinary members of the Weight Management team as required.

Responsibility for People Management

To act as a role model for all staff and students demonstrating clinical skills and high standards of practice and professional conduct.

To participate in team activities so as to develop and consolidate a cohesive and supportive team ensuring openness within the team.

To assist with the supervision and co-ordination of junior staff in the absence of the service lead.

Ensure that own practice and that of junior staff in the absence of the service lead meets the standards set for the service.

To have a flexible approach to the working day in order to respond to the needs of the service effectively.

Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources

To use resources responsibly and to report any problems with equipment in line with organisational/service guidelines.

Responsibility for administration

Maintain accurate and up to date patient records and inform other professionals about changes in patients condition.

Participate in the collection and gathering of data for audit purposes on a weekly basis.

To assist in the preparation and delivery of the teaching programme for patients to help them learn to manage weight

The post holder is required to comply with all infection control policies and guidance, attend relevant updates and report issues of concern to their immediate line manager (if no action or explanation received, then it is the individuals responsibility to escalate to Director of Operations/Chief Executive Office).

To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records on caseload

Requirement to use VDU equipment on a daily basis

Responsibility for people who use our services

To be professional and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients in your care.

To undertake comprehensive clinical and social assessments of patients with morbid obesity including those with diverse presentations of multi pathologies use of developed specialist clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide an accurate assessment of their condition

Formulate and deliver individual treatment and care programme based on sound developed specialist knowledge of evidence-based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and knowledge of treatments available.

Formulate judgement involving complex facts and interpretation relating to accurate progress and recommend best course of intervention and continued care for patient.

To manage clinical risks within own patient caseload and refer to appropriate multi-disciplinary team.

Where required to follow patients up prior to referral for bariatric surgery and to monitor and offer support to enable patients to self-manage their condition and treatment effectively.

Provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information, where persuasive, motivational, negating, empathic and re-assurance skills are required both verbal and non-verbal, to communicate effectively with patients, carers, GPs and consultant's patient's progress and treatment programmes. This will include patients who may have difficulty understanding or communicating, e.g. patients may be dysphasic, depressed, deaf, blind or may have difficulty accepting diagnosis. When working in the community settings not directly supervised but able to contact Weight Management lead for advice/support and discuss own caseload routinely.

Provide psychological support to patients who are anxious and depressed as directed.

Develop links with other professional and voluntary bodies to ensure maximum effectiveness of the service and patient care and community support.

To be responsible for organizing and planning own workload to meet the service and patient priorities.

Plan, manage and prioritize clinical caseload delegating patients to other staff members as required to generate a caseload for them. To demonstrate effective communication with patients, staff and other members of the multi-disciplinary team. When communicating with patients it should be at the appropriate level for patients to understand such as patients suffering from terminal illness, dementia, disability, visually impairment and /or hearing impairment.

Act as a patient advocate as required ensuring individual needs, preferences and choices

are delivered by the Service.

Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments

To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities and maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development.

Assist in maintaining current knowledge of evidence-based practice of junior staff within the team.

Participate in research into specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery.

Assist in evaluation of the service provided to that of primary and secondary care to develop improvements to service delivery and clinical practice, to ensure high standards

and innovative practice are maintained.

Make recommendations on changes to Clinical Practice within Weight Management and present to line manager with full responsibility for implementation

COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

Patients and their families will have complex requirements in relation to obesity, obesity surgery and related co-morbidities. The environment in which this is undertaken is highly emotive and can occasionally be hostile/antagonistic/challenging in nature. Information is of a complex, often sensitive nature that is life changing and requires skillful assessment of the individuals ability to comprehend/understand therefore tact , diplomacy and motivational interviewing skills are essential alongside the ability to overcome barriers to understanding. Therefore the requirement is for a high level of mental and emotional effort on a daily basis.

Daily concentration on making patient assessments and making recommendation of treatments to patients and other health professionals.

Regular interruptions in daily work pattern from medical staff, patients, GPs and junior members of the Weight Management team seeking support and advice.

Occasional interruptions in daily work pattern, from patient, GPs and other health professionals/agencies.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB

Occasional encounters with rude or verbal aggression

Regular transfer of equipment and scales from the staff base to other venues in the community

Additional information contained in full job description can be found in supporting documentation.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• RN Level 1 NMC registration or BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics
• HCPC registration
• Degree level study or equivalent experience

Desirable

• Counselling qualification

Knowledge

Essential

• Evidence of clinical knowledge
• Experience working with other agencies
• Evidence of participation in audit/research
• Evidence of CPD maintained in a portfolio
• Contribute to clinical education

Desirable

• Knowledge of complex obesity

Skills

Essential

• Inter-personal skills
• Presentation skills
• Ability to organise, prioritise and delegate
• Ability to work within a team and autonomously.
• Leadership skills
• Ability to cope with stressful/emotional situations.

Experience

Essential

• Community services experience
• Minimum of 1years experience at Band 5

Desirable

• Experience of working in a weight management or health improvement service

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Flexible working including evenings to 8pm as required

Employer details

Employer name

Livewell Southwest

Address

Cumberland Centre

Damerell Close

Plymouth

Devon

PL1 4JZ

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

B9832-2024-NM-9090-3