Job summary
First Dietitians have a great opportunity for a
Prescribing Support Dietitian to join the team at First Community on a
fixed-term basis, covering maternity leave. The successful candidate will work collaboratively
with both the East Surrey(ES) and Crawley, Horsham and Mid-Sussex (CHMS)
Medicines Optimisation Teams.
We are seeking an enthusiastic dietitian who is
flexible in their approach and can adapt quickly to new situations. Excellent
organisational skills and the ability to work collaboratively are essential.
You will be part of a friendly, experienced and
supportive dietetic team, based at Crawley Hospital, with some opportunity to work
remotely if desired.
As a team, we welcome
innovation. We help patients using a holistic approach to care and believe that
we really do change lives through food. CPD is actively encouraged. You will
have access to excellent learning opportunities to further advance your skills and knowledge. You will also be involved in supervising our
student dietitians, our clinical audit programme and policy and resource
development for the team and organisation.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work with the East Surrey
Prescribing Support Dietitian and Pharmacists to review prescribing of oral
nutritional supplements in primary care.
As an integral member of the team, you will be
providing specialist expertise in the use of oral nutritional supplements (ONS)
whilst supporting the public health and social care needs of patients. You will
be involved in conducting reviews for patients prescribed ONS and provide an
integrated approach to the management of their nutritional needs. You will work
closely with acute trusts, GPs and medicines optimisation teams across ES and
CHMS to ensure evidenced-based and appropriate prescribing of ONS.
As well as audit, the post holder will be involved in
training care homes and other health and social care professionals on
nutritional assessment, implementation of nutritional care plans and
optimisation of Food First practices.
Candidates with previous experience in either the
acute or community settings are encouraged to apply, as skills are
transferrable. We pride ourselves on the wide variety of skills and knowledge
the team possesses, with opportunities to shadow and be supported with further development
and upskilling.
Please do get in touch if you would like any
further information.
About us
Do you want to be part of an organisation that is committed to providing first rate care and services to its local community?
First Community is a CQC rated Good staff owned social enterprise, which delivers NHS community services to residents across east Surrey and in parts of West Sussex.
First Community is a great place to work, everyone here has a voice and is supported to develop their career to its full potential. We offer all our staff: NHS terms and conditions, high quality training and development opportunities, flexible working to enable a good work life balance, an inclusive and friendly work environment, an NHS pension, flexible retirement options and employee benefits including a car salary sacrifice scheme.
First Community values diversity and inclusion and is committed to the recruitment and retention of under-represented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.
Sustainability is integral to First Community achieving the NHS Net Zero target. All staff are therefore actively encouraged and supported to implement new ways of working within their field of expertise.
Applicants are advised to apply early as we reserve the right to close the advert prior to the advertised closing date should we receive a large number of applications.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As part of First
Dietitians for First Community Health and Care (FCHC), in close partnership
with the Medicines Optimisation Team (MOT) for East Surrey Place and West
Sussex, this role will be a dietitian providing expert prescribing support
across both the East Surrey area and Crawley, Horsham and Mid-Sussex area.
The post-holder
will:
Utilise
specialist dietetic skills and knowledge: assessing, planning, implementing
treatment and delivering dietetic interventions and training in a variety of
settings that will include GP surgeries, patients own-homes, and group
settings (including care homes) all with a view to ensure appropriate
prescribing of nutritional products and improved nutritional care of these
patients.
Manage a
complex clinical caseload of patients in GP practices, within the post-holders
scope of experience and capability, with support and supervision from the wider
First Dietitians Team as required.
Work
closely with the MOT and with other healthcare professionals, e.g. GPs, nurses,
community pharmacies, speech and language therapists, carers, catering staff
etc, to ensure an efficient, clinically up-to-date prescribing support dietetic
service is provided to patients in East Surrey Place.
Have
responsibility for the development and implementation of the East Surrey Oral
Nutritional Supplement (ONS) strategy in relation to under-nutrition,
hydration, food first, admission avoidance, drug/food interactions and the
effective and appropriate use of ONS in the community under the supervision of
the Service Lead for Dietitians at FCHC.
Support the work of the MOT to influence wider
community prescribing of prescribable nutritional supplements. Support
formulary and policy updates.
Providing advice to GPs and other HCPs regarding
complex cases to support management of individual patients (e.g. to staff
working within Communities of practice and PCNs)
Provide bespoke solutions to address inappropriate
use of oral nutritional supplements at the point of prescribing.
Providing the strategic direction in relation to
the clinical and cost-effective prescribing of nutritional products ensuring
multi agency involvement.
Develop
support strategies for care homes to encourage the avoidance of ONS where
clinically appropriate (Food First).
Be the
nutrition and hydration lead specialist for the MOT and East Surrey Place and
West Sussex.
Provide
an educational role for the up-skilling of primary care clinicians to manage,
prescribe and review prescribing of nutritional products for their patients.
Education will involve how to screen patients e.g. MUST and implement care
plans.
Develop
support materials for use in community healthcare settings and patients in
their own homes e.g. templates, care plans and protocols to support the
education of primary care clinicians and patients following East Surrey, West
Sussex and FCHC procedures.
Integrate
with the work of the MOT to identify adult patients in the community who are
currently prescribed nutritional products to ensure appropriate prescribing and
provide education for patients, their carers/ relatives and care homes.
Provide
specialist dietetic advice to primary care clinicians and the MOT to support
them in the care of their patients prescribed nutritional products e.g. by
supporting the assessment of the continued appropriateness of ONS prescribing
of patients in primary care including patients in a care home setting.
Research,
evaluate and interpret evidence base, to review and/or develop cost-effective
prescribing guidelines for primary care clinicians on the appropriate use of
nutritional products.
Establish close working relationships with other
dietetic and pharmacy departments (acute and primary care) within the area to
ensure consistent, evidence-based prescribing / guidance (national and local)
for nutritional products.
Please see job description and person specification document attached for full details.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As part of First
Dietitians for First Community Health and Care (FCHC), in close partnership
with the Medicines Optimisation Team (MOT) for East Surrey Place and West
Sussex, this role will be a dietitian providing expert prescribing support
across both the East Surrey area and Crawley, Horsham and Mid-Sussex area.
The post-holder
will:
Utilise
specialist dietetic skills and knowledge: assessing, planning, implementing
treatment and delivering dietetic interventions and training in a variety of
settings that will include GP surgeries, patients own-homes, and group
settings (including care homes) all with a view to ensure appropriate
prescribing of nutritional products and improved nutritional care of these
patients.
Manage a
complex clinical caseload of patients in GP practices, within the post-holders
scope of experience and capability, with support and supervision from the wider
First Dietitians Team as required.
Work
closely with the MOT and with other healthcare professionals, e.g. GPs, nurses,
community pharmacies, speech and language therapists, carers, catering staff
etc, to ensure an efficient, clinically up-to-date prescribing support dietetic
service is provided to patients in East Surrey Place.
Have
responsibility for the development and implementation of the East Surrey Oral
Nutritional Supplement (ONS) strategy in relation to under-nutrition,
hydration, food first, admission avoidance, drug/food interactions and the
effective and appropriate use of ONS in the community under the supervision of
the Service Lead for Dietitians at FCHC.
Support the work of the MOT to influence wider
community prescribing of prescribable nutritional supplements. Support
formulary and policy updates.
Providing advice to GPs and other HCPs regarding
complex cases to support management of individual patients (e.g. to staff
working within Communities of practice and PCNs)
Provide bespoke solutions to address inappropriate
use of oral nutritional supplements at the point of prescribing.
Providing the strategic direction in relation to
the clinical and cost-effective prescribing of nutritional products ensuring
multi agency involvement.
Develop
support strategies for care homes to encourage the avoidance of ONS where
clinically appropriate (Food First).
Be the
nutrition and hydration lead specialist for the MOT and East Surrey Place and
West Sussex.
Provide
an educational role for the up-skilling of primary care clinicians to manage,
prescribe and review prescribing of nutritional products for their patients.
Education will involve how to screen patients e.g. MUST and implement care
plans.
Develop
support materials for use in community healthcare settings and patients in
their own homes e.g. templates, care plans and protocols to support the
education of primary care clinicians and patients following East Surrey, West
Sussex and FCHC procedures.
Integrate
with the work of the MOT to identify adult patients in the community who are
currently prescribed nutritional products to ensure appropriate prescribing and
provide education for patients, their carers/ relatives and care homes.
Provide
specialist dietetic advice to primary care clinicians and the MOT to support
them in the care of their patients prescribed nutritional products e.g. by
supporting the assessment of the continued appropriateness of ONS prescribing
of patients in primary care including patients in a care home setting.
Research,
evaluate and interpret evidence base, to review and/or develop cost-effective
prescribing guidelines for primary care clinicians on the appropriate use of
nutritional products.
Establish close working relationships with other
dietetic and pharmacy departments (acute and primary care) within the area to
ensure consistent, evidence-based prescribing / guidance (national and local)
for nutritional products.
Please see job description and person specification document attached for full details.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- At least 3 years post graduate clinical experience
- Expert knowledge in nutrition support and specialist areas of clinical practice, including knowledge of strategic and national issues.
- Expert knowledge of prescribable nutritional products
- Experience of resource development
- Experience of organising and managing projects and developing new services
- Experience of service delivery in various clinical settings
Desirable
- Experience of working in both acute and community settings
- Experience of working in paediatric dietetics.
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or post graduate qualification in Dietetics
- HCPC Registered
Desirable
- Post graduate qualification
- Member of the BDA
- Member of relevant specialist groups e.g. PENG, Older Peoples Group
Skills
Essential
- Proven MDT involvement.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Evidence of education to a variety of health professionals
- Good teaching & presentation skills
- Group facilitation skills
- Excellent time management and ability to work flexibly and under pressure.
- Able to maintain effective working relationships with relevant stakeholders.
- Able to deal with distressed patients and/or relatives/carers.
- Competent IT skills, including electronic patient records and dietary analysis programmes.
Knowledge
Essential
- Team player with professional maturity.
- Approachable and empathic.
- Ability to prioritise and self-manage.
- Enthusiasm to develop a service.
- Adaptable communication skills based on situation requirements
- Able to work autonomously
Other
Essential
- Full UK drivers licence.
- Access to a car.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- At least 3 years post graduate clinical experience
- Expert knowledge in nutrition support and specialist areas of clinical practice, including knowledge of strategic and national issues.
- Expert knowledge of prescribable nutritional products
- Experience of resource development
- Experience of organising and managing projects and developing new services
- Experience of service delivery in various clinical settings
Desirable
- Experience of working in both acute and community settings
- Experience of working in paediatric dietetics.
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or post graduate qualification in Dietetics
- HCPC Registered
Desirable
- Post graduate qualification
- Member of the BDA
- Member of relevant specialist groups e.g. PENG, Older Peoples Group
Skills
Essential
- Proven MDT involvement.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Evidence of education to a variety of health professionals
- Good teaching & presentation skills
- Group facilitation skills
- Excellent time management and ability to work flexibly and under pressure.
- Able to maintain effective working relationships with relevant stakeholders.
- Able to deal with distressed patients and/or relatives/carers.
- Competent IT skills, including electronic patient records and dietary analysis programmes.
Knowledge
Essential
- Team player with professional maturity.
- Approachable and empathic.
- Ability to prioritise and self-manage.
- Enthusiasm to develop a service.
- Adaptable communication skills based on situation requirements
- Able to work autonomously
Other
Essential
- Full UK drivers licence.
- Access to a car.
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).
Additional information
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).
