Dietitian for Central Sutton PCN

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Provide specialist nutrition and diet advice to patients, their carers, and healthcare professionals through treatment, education plans, and prescriptions;
• Facilitate weight management group sessions;
• Educate patients with diet-related disorders on how they can improve their health and prevent disease by adopting healthier eating and drinking habits;
• Provide dietary support to patients of all ages (from early-life to end-of-life care) in a variety of settings including nurseries, patient homes and care homes;
• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to gain patients cooperation and understanding in following recommended dietary treatments;
• Implement all aspects of effective clinical governance for own practice, including undertaking regular audit and evaluation, supervision and training
• Ensure delivery of best practice in clinical practice, caseload management, education, research, and audit, to achieve corporate PCN and local population objectives
• To evaluate outcomes and maintain accurate clinical data.
• Have an awareness of your own clinical competencies, knowledge base and experience and ensure that you practice within this and seek support as required.
• To understand and process QOF data.
• Undertake joint assessment work (as required) with PCN colleagues.
• Develop links and foster a culture of partnership between Primary Care Teams and Dietician in other PCNs
• Attend PCN meetings and work with PCN members to develop and implement joint governance and clinical forums.
• Offer advice to or obtain advice for the Primary Care Team on appropriate interventions and on-going Service User care management.
• Regularly be involved in quality improvement activity/audit/significant event review and clinical meetings.

Other Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate, contemporaneous healthcare records appropriate to the consultation.
• Assist with the development of local policies and procedures and participate in audit.
• Participate in PCN MDT where appropriate.
• Explore the potential for collaborative working and take opportunities to initiate and sustain such relationships.
• Liaise with other stakeholders as needed for the collective benefit of patients, including but not limited to;

- Patients and their representatives

- GP, nurses, AHPs and other practice staff

- Social prescribers, first contact physiotherapists, physician associates and pharmacists

- Community pharmacists and support staff

- End of life care teams

- PCN Clinical Directors and other PCN staff

- Practice managers

- Community nurses and other allied health professionals

- Hospital staff with responsibilities for prescribing and medicines optimisation

National Service Specifications

To assist PCNs in meeting these and any that are added at a later date

• Structured medication review and optimisation
• Enhanced health in care homes and implementation of the Vanguard model
• Anticipatory care for high need patients typically experiencing long term conditions, joined up with community services
• Supporting early cancer diagnosis
• Personalised care, implementation of the NHS comprehensive model
• Tackling neighbourhood inequalities

Communication

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

• Communicate effectively with other team members
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.
• Link with others within the PCN, to discuss CPD, service development and effective medicine management for the PCN, while sharing best practice proposals and learning.

Confidentiality

• In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Personal/Professional development

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, with such training to include but not limited to:

• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
• Adhere to organisational policies and procedures, including all necessary mandatory training
• Be prepared to undertake further professional development where available and appropriate to do so and in line with both personal and business needs

Contribution to the Implementation of Services

The post-holder will:

• Apply practice policies, standards and guidance when on site
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate and asked to do so

Special working conditions

The post-holder will:

• Be required to travel independently between work sites/patient homes/surgeries and to attend meetings etc hosted by other agencies.
• Probably have contact with body fluids, i.e. urine etc while in clinical practice.
• Need to be able to work remotely and access all required information in relation to the work needs

Flexibility

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive. The post-holder will be expected to adopt a flexible attitude towards the duties outlined which may be subject to amendment at any time in consultation with the post-holder and in line with the needs of the organisations in which it works.

The post holder may be required to fulfil other duties, as agreed with the PCN CDs, Business Manager, Practice Partners and/or Practice Managers.

Qualifications

Essential

• -BSc or pre-reg MSc in Dietetics under a training programme approved by the British Dietetic Association (BDA)
• -Registered member of the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC)
• -Able to operate at an advanced level of practice
• -You will have strong experience of working in Nutrition & Dietetics within a healthcare setting
• -Ability to work as an independent autonomous practitioner

Desirable

• -MSc degree

Aptitudes / Personal Qualities

Essential

• -Sensitive to patient issues
• -Willingness to undertake continuing professional development
• -Meet DBS reference standards and has a clear criminal record (not subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974)
• -Able to work as part of a team
• -Able to adapt new ways of delivering primary healthcare
• -Ability to recognise the importance of peoples rights and respect their privacy, dignity, needs and belief
• -Open and reflective
• -Willingness to work on a rota and flexible to working hours to meet the needs of the practice clinical commitment
• -Reliable and punctual

Experience

Essential

• -Minimum 2 yrs post-qualification experience
• -Experience of working with patients of all age on Health setting
• -Experience in advising patients on special dietary requirements
• -Awareness of common acute and long-term conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice
• -Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with people at all levels by telephone, email and face to face
• -Collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations
• -Facilitating change to improve clinical practice
• -Undertaking policy review and clinical audit
• -Working knowledge of Clinical system
• -Understanding of clinical governance and quality issues

Desirable

• -Working knowledge of EMIS
• -Experience and understanding of working in primary care

Competency Skills

Essential

• -Communication and relational skills
• -Dietitian knowledge
• -Managing workload
• -Evidence-based practice
• -Patient engagement
• -Understanding confidentiality
• -Safe practice
• -IT Knowledge & computer skills
• -Learning and development
• -Sutton PCN core values

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

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