Medway Community Healthcare

Dietetic assistant practitioner

Information:

This job is now closed

Job summary

  • Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to develop your knowledge and skills within community dietetics?
  • Are you an enthusiastic, organised and hardworking individual who enjoys working as part of a team?

Join our nutrition & dietetics team and be part of this exciting time!

You will work closely within a designated team of dietitians receiving delegated work and taking responsibility for the delivery of individual and group nutrition care plans, facilitating nutrition training, projects and events in the community.

The post holder will carry their own clinical caseload of simple patients as deemed appropriate by the dietitians.

The successful applicant will have to complete care home, own home, clinic and inpatient rehab unit patient assessments.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work alongside other department members to provide a professional and constantly developing nutrition and dietetic service to patients and their carers within the local health economy.

The post holder will give guidance to health care professionals on nutrition matters and produce educational material and dietetic resources.

In addition, the post holder will play an active role in development and audit projects included in Departmental objectives.

About us

So what else?

  • This is your chance to join a progressive and innovative service in a social enterprise that is patient and staff focused - you'll even have the opportunity to become an MCH shareholder.
  • We encourage staff to get involved in exploring new ways of working and service development.
  • We'll provide well established, in-service training, one to one supervision, and appraisals with regular support.
  • You'll be able to develop your skills in a friendly and supportive team.

So what are you waiting for? We can't wait to hear from you, and look forward to receiving your application.

The small print

  • Informal visits can be arranged on request.
  • We will always appoint the best person for the job, but applications are particularly welcome from candidates from BAME groups which are underrepresented in our service.
  • We will offer you the choice of two pension schemes; the NHS Pension scheme and the scottish widows group pension scheme.
  • MCH encourages all staff to be double COVID vaccinated to protect themselves, their colleagues, their family and their patients
  • Would you like to work flexibly?In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important work life balance is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement

Details

Date posted

18 October 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£25,147 to £27,596 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

813-121-1023-LR

Job locations

MCH House

Gillingham

ME8 0PZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

  1. Communication and relationship skills
  • To prepare and present education and training programmes for other health care professionals and patients as required.
  • Communication with other healthcare professionals at all levels both on the wards and in the community including multidisciplinary teams
  • To maintain accurate records according to Trust policy.
  • To develop, design and produce resources such as client info, training programmes, displays, handouts and evaluation tools.
  • To attend meetings with Service Manager and be actively involved in discussions around developments of the Team.
  • To perform the role of buddy to student Dietitians.
  • Participate in dietetic service meetings, department meetings, MDT meetings, care planning meetings
  • Will work closely with community Dietitians.
  1. Knowledge, training and experience
  • To prepare and present education and training programmes for other health care professionals and patients on specialist subjects as required.
  • Health Promotion/health awareness role may include: Group sessions/clinics, e.g. healthy eating, diabetes, weight management, cardiac rehabilitation, falls groups, Parkinsons groups, staff training;
  • It will include the development, design and production of resources such as client info, training programmes, displays, handouts and evaluation tools.
  • Must successfully complete a detailed set of work-based competencies for Band 4 Dietetic Assistant Practitioner.
  • Previous nutrition qualification or experience working in the healthcare setting with patients
  1. Analytical and judgement skills
  • To assess, advise and liase with patients and their carers in providing up to date dietary information.
  • To assist with a yearly audit including producing reports and presenting findings
  • Participate in the collection, collation, analysis, evaluation and administration of data for Department audit purposes.
  • To complete food diary/menu analysis using relevant computer package and produce reports.
  • To check food record charts.
  • To interpret biochemistry results as part of patient reviews and feedback to supervising Dietitian any areas for concern
  • To interpret and monitor anthropometric measurements including BMIs, weights and MUST scores
  1. Planning and organisational skills
  • To work as part of a team of Dietitians in reviewing and updating dietary information for patients and carers.
  • To prepare and present education and training programmes for other health care professionals and patients as required, e.g. planning of Nutrition Link Nurse quarterly training
  1. Physical skills
  • To see patients on wards, in out-patient clinics, Nursing homes and in their own homes as appropriate, and to conduct telephone reviews as required.
  • Will use dietary analysis programme DIETPLAN 6, produce power point presentations and spreadsheets and all standard IT functions such as emails.
  • To produce typed letters and send these to referring agents, GPs etc
  1. Responsibility for patient / client care
  • Will manage own caseload under the supervision of a dietitian, maintaining accurate records according to policy;
  • Will work under own initiative with patient groups as clearly defined in dept guidelines.
  • Will be responsible for referring back to the Dietitians any patients referred inappropriately as per dept guidelines.
  • To undertake nutritional assessments feeding back to the supervising Dietitian any areas for concern.
  • To undertake nutritional reviews during home visits and nursing and residential home visits on the wards or via telephone.
  • Monitoring patients with long-term conditions; eg diabetes, dementia, stroke and cancer.
  • Develop and deliver group education sessions on a variety of topics to a variety of patient/client groups;
  • To assess, advise and liase with patients and their carers in providing up to date dietary information.
  • To promote better health and quality of life through appropriate nutrition and diet therapy
  1. Responsibility for policy and service development implementation
  • To be actively involved with development of service objectives.
  • To be involved in service development through participation on working groups.
  1. Responsibilities for financial and physical resources
  • To make the most efficient use of departmental resources and be mindful of budgetary limitations
  1. Responsibilities for human resources (HR)
  • To plan a personal CPD programme in liaison with the team lead.
  • To support the development of junior members of the team.
  • To act as a Buddy for Dietetic Students
  1. Responsibilities for information resources
  • To maintain accurate records according to policy.

Job description

Job responsibilities

  1. Communication and relationship skills
  • To prepare and present education and training programmes for other health care professionals and patients as required.
  • Communication with other healthcare professionals at all levels both on the wards and in the community including multidisciplinary teams
  • To maintain accurate records according to Trust policy.
  • To develop, design and produce resources such as client info, training programmes, displays, handouts and evaluation tools.
  • To attend meetings with Service Manager and be actively involved in discussions around developments of the Team.
  • To perform the role of buddy to student Dietitians.
  • Participate in dietetic service meetings, department meetings, MDT meetings, care planning meetings
  • Will work closely with community Dietitians.
  1. Knowledge, training and experience
  • To prepare and present education and training programmes for other health care professionals and patients on specialist subjects as required.
  • Health Promotion/health awareness role may include: Group sessions/clinics, e.g. healthy eating, diabetes, weight management, cardiac rehabilitation, falls groups, Parkinsons groups, staff training;
  • It will include the development, design and production of resources such as client info, training programmes, displays, handouts and evaluation tools.
  • Must successfully complete a detailed set of work-based competencies for Band 4 Dietetic Assistant Practitioner.
  • Previous nutrition qualification or experience working in the healthcare setting with patients
  1. Analytical and judgement skills
  • To assess, advise and liase with patients and their carers in providing up to date dietary information.
  • To assist with a yearly audit including producing reports and presenting findings
  • Participate in the collection, collation, analysis, evaluation and administration of data for Department audit purposes.
  • To complete food diary/menu analysis using relevant computer package and produce reports.
  • To check food record charts.
  • To interpret biochemistry results as part of patient reviews and feedback to supervising Dietitian any areas for concern
  • To interpret and monitor anthropometric measurements including BMIs, weights and MUST scores
  1. Planning and organisational skills
  • To work as part of a team of Dietitians in reviewing and updating dietary information for patients and carers.
  • To prepare and present education and training programmes for other health care professionals and patients as required, e.g. planning of Nutrition Link Nurse quarterly training
  1. Physical skills
  • To see patients on wards, in out-patient clinics, Nursing homes and in their own homes as appropriate, and to conduct telephone reviews as required.
  • Will use dietary analysis programme DIETPLAN 6, produce power point presentations and spreadsheets and all standard IT functions such as emails.
  • To produce typed letters and send these to referring agents, GPs etc
  1. Responsibility for patient / client care
  • Will manage own caseload under the supervision of a dietitian, maintaining accurate records according to policy;
  • Will work under own initiative with patient groups as clearly defined in dept guidelines.
  • Will be responsible for referring back to the Dietitians any patients referred inappropriately as per dept guidelines.
  • To undertake nutritional assessments feeding back to the supervising Dietitian any areas for concern.
  • To undertake nutritional reviews during home visits and nursing and residential home visits on the wards or via telephone.
  • Monitoring patients with long-term conditions; eg diabetes, dementia, stroke and cancer.
  • Develop and deliver group education sessions on a variety of topics to a variety of patient/client groups;
  • To assess, advise and liase with patients and their carers in providing up to date dietary information.
  • To promote better health and quality of life through appropriate nutrition and diet therapy
  1. Responsibility for policy and service development implementation
  • To be actively involved with development of service objectives.
  • To be involved in service development through participation on working groups.
  1. Responsibilities for financial and physical resources
  • To make the most efficient use of departmental resources and be mindful of budgetary limitations
  1. Responsibilities for human resources (HR)
  • To plan a personal CPD programme in liaison with the team lead.
  • To support the development of junior members of the team.
  • To act as a Buddy for Dietetic Students
  1. Responsibilities for information resources
  • To maintain accurate records according to policy.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • A levels including biology or equivalent

Desirable

  • Nutrition training or qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience in working in healthcare setting
  • Evidence of team working.

Desirable

  • Previous dietetic assistant experience

Special knowledge / expertise

Essential

  • Knowledge of nutritional content of foods.
  • Knowledge of a healthy balanced diet.
  • Knowledge of additional nutritional requirements in specific disease conditions

Disposition, adjustment, attitude and commitment

Essential

  • Excellent communication skills
  • Enthusiastic about the role of nutrition in health.
  • Ability to demonstrate key team working skills.

Practical / intellectual skills

Essential

  • Ability to plan and organise workload.
  • Ability to work in a variety of settings.
  • Ability to be able to maintain data bases,
  • Ability to drive
  • Good IT skills using programmes such as Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • A levels including biology or equivalent

Desirable

  • Nutrition training or qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience in working in healthcare setting
  • Evidence of team working.

Desirable

  • Previous dietetic assistant experience

Special knowledge / expertise

Essential

  • Knowledge of nutritional content of foods.
  • Knowledge of a healthy balanced diet.
  • Knowledge of additional nutritional requirements in specific disease conditions

Disposition, adjustment, attitude and commitment

Essential

  • Excellent communication skills
  • Enthusiastic about the role of nutrition in health.
  • Ability to demonstrate key team working skills.

Practical / intellectual skills

Essential

  • Ability to plan and organise workload.
  • Ability to work in a variety of settings.
  • Ability to be able to maintain data bases,
  • Ability to drive
  • Good IT skills using programmes such as Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel

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.

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).

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.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Medway Community Healthcare

Address

MCH House

Gillingham

ME8 0PZ


Employer's website

https://www.medwaycommunityhealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Medway Community Healthcare

Address

MCH House

Gillingham

ME8 0PZ


Employer's website

https://www.medwaycommunityhealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Adult therapy operational lead

Shruti Webb-Butler

shruti.webb-butler@nhs.net

03001233444

Details

Date posted

18 October 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£25,147 to £27,596 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

813-121-1023-LR

Job locations

MCH House

Gillingham

ME8 0PZ


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