Clinical Practitioner – Physical Health in Eating Disorders

Job summary

The All-Age Community Eating Disorders Service is recruiting a Clinical Practitioner - Physical Health in Eating Disorders. This is a new role that incorporates the running and oversite of the services Physical Health Clinic. This service was set up two years ago to take over all medical monitoring from GP practices for patients suffering from an eating disorder. This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a dynamic, expanding service where you can develop your physical and mental health skills in eating disorders.

The role is community based and working hours are Monday to Thursday 08:30 - 14:30. You will be based at Trinity Court in Dorchester (1 Day) and Pine Cottage, St Ann's, Poole (3 Days). There is an option to work up to 37.5hrs per week. Those based at Pine Cottage are due to temporarily relocate to Kings Park Hospital in Aug 23, returning to the St Ann's site in 2026.

The post is offered as a 20-month secondment or fixed term contract. There is also an option of a permanent contract, with 20 months in the eating disorder service, followed by redeployment within the Trust should the demand for eating disorder services reduce.

If you have a relevant professional qualification or equivalent experience, evidence of CPD and are interested in working with people with an eating disorder, we look forward to hearing from you.

Main duties of the job

You will be joining the team offering evidenced based interventions, ensuring the highest standards of care for people of all ages with an eating disorder, their family/carers.

Duties include:

• To facilitate the Physical Health Clinic within a community outpatients setting
• To undertake physical observations, Venepuncture and ECG's
• To manage risks associated with physical observations in line with service guidance
• To have an understanding of the physical health and mental health needs of services users who are experiencing an eating disorder
• To liaise with acute hospitals when patients are admitted.
• To communicate effectively in verbal and written form in the exchange of highly complex, sensitive or contentious information in difficult situations using de-escalation, mediation, resolution and professional Duty of Candour.
• To evaluate care, taking appropriate action leading to improvement in quality standards through clinical audit, root cause analysis and dealing with complaints.

About us

At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.

We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in 2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do, and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities, and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you'll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don't know. And you'll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion, and expertise in all we do.