Dietitian

Job responsibilities

Title:Dietitian

Responsible To:Executive Partners

Main Purpose of the Post:

To provide comprehensive high quality diet and nutritional support in line with the PCN DES. This role will form part of the wider PCN team providing support to registered patients in different settings. The post holder will diagnose and treat diet and nutritional problems, support changes to food intake to address chronic diseases as well as translate guidance and information to provide patients and colleagues with up to date information.

Duties & Responsibilities of the Post:

Provide an enhanced dietetic service to registered patients

Make dietetic advice readily available

Provide dietetic assessment and care plans to patients in a variety of settings (GP Practice, care home, patients own home) by way of face to face, video and telephone consultations.

Analyse and interpret information from a variety of sources regarding individual patients including biochemistry, medication and clinical condition in order to provide best advice to other healthcare professionals.

Make recommendations and inform other colleagues, health care professionals and GPS of issues concerning patients nutritional and dietetic management or transfer of care as appropriate, to ensure a multi-disciplinary approach.

Identify and maintain a caseload

Communicate complex nutrition and dietetic information in an understandable format to healthcare staff, patients and carers using negotiation, persuasion, motivation and counselling skills. This may include situations where there are barriers to understanding.

Developing, delivering and auditing healthy eating and lifestyle group sessions for appropriate patients identified as suitable

Developing links and liaising with other specialist obesity services in the area to enable appropriate signposting and onward referrals

Working in an autonomous manner, being responsible for appropriately managing clinical risk when it arises during clinical practice, while having recourse to other professionals for guidance

To maintain accurate and up-to-date clinical records

To maintain adequate CPD and continue to meet HCPC registration requirement

Work alongside the Management team to meet and exceed the KPIs and SLAs set out for the contract

Use clinical systems for record keeping, audit and maintaining a caseload

Develop and implement data collection systems that will provide accurate and timely data

Additional Responsibilities:

Support PCN and wider practice team by inputting into the overall strategy development and programming of work streams by applying expert knowledge and understanding of programme and project management

Support and work with the PCN Clinical Pharmacists and CCG Medicines Management Team to support cost effective use of nutritional products

Promote appropriate prescribing of oral nutritional supplements in line with local guidance

Communicate with all stakeholders

Make effective use of staff within the PCN and CCG to provide the necessary support to delivery

Contribute to performance improvement, taking a lead for identified areas where agreed.

Work with members of the team, including the social prescribers, to investigate the causes of any variance from target / plan and proactively contribute to the implementation of solutions

Confidentiality:

As per both Government legislation and Practice policies ensure that all confidentiality, data protection and information governance policies and guidelines are followed and strictly adhered to. Reporting any infringements to the Operations Office immediately.

Health & Safety:

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include:

Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines

Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks

Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills

Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards

Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised

Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role

Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)

Reporting potential risks identified

Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Reporting potential risks identified.

Equality and Diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation.
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues.
• Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional Development:

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

• Participation in an annual staff performance review.
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.

Quality:

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will:

• Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk.
• Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision.
• Lead on induction and training of new staff at site
• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance.
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs.
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.

Communication/Information:

The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the practice and management team and will strive to:

Communicate effectively with other team members.

Communicate effectively with patients and carers.

Recognize peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Contribution to the Implementation of Services:

The post-holder will:

• Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate

Any other delegated duties considered appropriate to the post.

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive, but to indicate the main areas of responsibility. It may be changed after consultation with the post holder. The employee shares with the employer, the responsibility for review and modification of duties. Suggestions and discussions are welcome.

Policies and Procedures - the duties and responsibilities of the post will be undertaken in accordance with the policies, procedures and practices of the Practice, which may be amended from time to time. You are required to be flexible and the practice reserves the right to alter such fixed hours as may be considered necessary to ensure the surgery runs smoothly.

Business operates between the hours of 0700 2100 hours Monday to Friday (0800 1300 Saturday), with possible requirement for some future evening and weekend working as the business develops.

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree in Nutrition & Dietetics of equivalent
• Registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC)

Experience

Essential

• Providing care in both face to face environments and remotely
• Weight management and / or bariatric experience
• Experience of health promotion
• Experience in dealing with difficult situations

Desirable

• Counselling experience
• Significant experience of both acute and community settings of care
• Experience of using SystmOne clinical system
• Experience of managing risks and reporting

Skills

Essential

• Excellent communicator
• Ability to work autonomously
• Ability to work as a team member and productively with a range of professional colleagues
• Proactive attitude, enjoying developing solutions to any problems encountered
• Highly organised and methodical
• Ability to manage and cope with change/uncertainty and can demonstrate resilience

Desirable

• Significant experience of both acute and community settings of care

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of adapting advice to different ethnic groups
• Understanding of the NHS and social care agenda and the issues affecting primary care
• Desire to develop own role within the PCN

Desirable

• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
• Knowledge of the needs of patients with long term conditions

Other

Essential

• Flexible to travel across practice sites when required

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).