King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Clinical Lead Dietitian Neuro

This job is now closed

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a driven and dynamic Dietitian to join our team of over 60 Dietetic staff at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

This 1.0 WTE Band 8a Clinical Lead Dietitian for Neuro Adults post will be based at the Denmark Hill site, and will have a primarily line management & clinical expert remit.

The Nutrition and Dietetic Department at KCH employs over 60 staff across three main sites; Denmark Hill, Princess Royal University Hospital, and Orpington Hospital. We are leaders in several areas of clinical care including gastroenterology, paediatrics, hepatology, diabetes, renal, cystic fibrosis, complex obesity and neurosciences.

King's has a long and illustrious history with emerging works in the area of science and nutrition.

Main Duties of the job:

The successful post holder will work closely with all members of the MDT to provide an expert Nutrition and Dietetic service for our patients.

Responsibility for dietetic service to neurology and neurosurgery inpatients, alongside providing dietetic input into the Regional Motor Neurone Disease outpatient service

You will play an integral role in the large, supportive dietetic team at KCH. Our Nutrition and Dietetics department expects all staff to be involved in the teaching of other healthcare professionals, in line with our mission to provide excellence in clinical care, research and teaching in King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre.

Main duties of the job

Job Summary

1. To be accountable for the strategic planning, performance management and provision of a timely, safe, cost effective and evidence based highly specialised service for the acute Neuro adult dietetic service at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

2. As dietetic lead, to manage a clinical caseload and provide expert opinion, advice and guidance to patients/carers, dietitians and other health professionals on all aspects of nutrition across the speciality area of the acute adult dietetic service at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

3. Responsibility for dietetic service to neurology and neurosurgery inpatients, alongside providing dietetic input into the Regional Motor Neurone Disease outpatient service

4. To lead the team in the development of a research and audit portfolio, initiate, co-ordinate and evaluate research and audit within the specialist field.

5. To use expert knowledge, extensive clinical experience and professional judgement to evaluate regional and national policies relating to the specialist services and implement as appropriate.

6. To provide leadership and day-to-day operational management and be professionally accountable for a specialist dietetic team including highly specialised dietitians within the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics.

7. To use experience, leadership, management skills and specialist expertise to support the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in delivering an effective and efficient service.

About us

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King's to another level.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Date posted

27 August 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

Depending on experience

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

213-PRUH-6588539

Job locations

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 9RS

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities

This post includes a highly specialised clinical practice responsibility, clinical leadership and will include:

Development, application and dissemination of expertise

1. To be responsible for the development and provision of an evidence based dietetic service to the patients, carers and staff of Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation trust in the highly specialist area, which can be audited against local and national standards.

2. To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of work in compliance with the ethical code of practice set out by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

3. To develop and disseminate evidence based, best practice guidelines on dietetic care in specialist area locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

4. To initiate, lead and develop programmes of education and evidence based nutritional education materials for patients and their carers; to meet specialised dietary needs. This process should demonstrate consideration of barriers to communication and understanding, particularly with respect to social, cultural, religious, language and economic factors affecting health.

5. To use specialist dietetic skills to autonomously assess, plan, implement and review nutritional care.

Team working, decision making and communication

6. To use highly developed communication and teaching skills to educate and support the dietetic service team to provide a safe, effective and efficient service.

7. To actively participate in appropriate multidisciplinary meetings in order to provide expert advice at an appropriate level to clinicians, patients and carers.

8. To provide nutrition counselling to patients and carers relating to highly complex treatments, using a broad range of counselling techniques and experience, reassurance and motivational skills to encourage change particularly where there is non-compliance. In doing so demonstrating expert knowledge of theoretical frameworks and educational philosophies underpinning behaviour change.

9. To be able to use highly developed communication and teaching skills to educate and support a diverse and multicultural population with complex barriers to understanding and a diverse cuisine.

10. To be responsible for ensuring that patients and carers have consented to dietetic intervention in line with national professional guidelines.

11. To make clinical decisions as part of the Specialist Team about the appropriate use of treatment protocols including provision of expert opinion taking into account dietary habits of patients as related to the specialist area. This will involve nutritional and biochemical assessment and monitoring, establishing appropriate group protocols for medicines management where this extended role is required.

12. To act as a recognised expert nutrition advisor to the wider healthcare community, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, regarding nutrition prescription and nutritional care of patients, providing appropriate information, education and professional support to clinicians, patients and carers. This will include delivering service and expertise off-site.

Operational and Strategic Management

1. To make a high level contribution to operational and strategic planning of the Neuro & medical Adult dietetic services to Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the community it serves.

2. To provide recommendations to general managers, business managers and lead clinicians regarding future service developments and current service level agreements.

3. To be part of the senior management team in both the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics and Specialist Team as appropriate.

4. To be responsible for formulating service bids, for the development of dietetic and assistants posts.

Audit and research

1. Initiate, co-ordinate, drive and supervise the development and completion of research projects into specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery using a range of research methodologies in your dietetic team, and ensuring that that relevant findings will be published or presented at appropriate conferences.

2. To initiate, supervise and participate in a regular audit cycle within the specialised area and be responsible for reaching identified audit standards.

Development activities

1. Be actively involved in professional clinical groups such as the departments development groups and other appropriate professional development activities across the Trust.

2. To be an active team member of the dietetic department at Kings participating in departmental developments and attending monthly staff and continuing professional development meetings.

3. To lead the development of the specialist dietetic service within Kings and within the local speciality network.

Compliance with Trust and national operational procedures and guidance

1. Work with the Head of Nutrition and Dietetics and other staff to produce a risk management plan and ensure quality standards are set and reviewed and that services provided are evaluated.

2. To keep statistics and written records of all inpatient contacts in accordance with Trust and departmental standards for record keeping.

3. To comply with professional codes of practice, professional guidelines and departmental policies.

4. To maintain strict confidentiality in accordance with the Trust policy and HCPC standards.

5. To ensure safe practice through development of a caseload management plan taking into account risk management and the reporting of adverse incidents as outlined in Trust policy. To ensure a cost effective use of nutrition resources and budgets within the Dietetic Department

6. To ensure good office practice in accordance with the departments policies and procedures.

7. To understand the Trusts Equal Opportunities policy and provide a fair and non-biased service. In particular this includes taking account of cultural, religious, financial and social influences on food choice when planning and advising on dietary change.

8. To understand the Trusts Health & Safety policy and be aware of personal responsibilities.

9. To maintain strict confidentiality of patients records in accordance with Trust policy, the HCPC of Practice and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Contribution to service continuity

1. To deputise for the Head of Nutrition and Dietetics during periods of absence and undertake any other duties appropriate to the grade as requested by the Head of Nutrition and Dietetics or a nominated deputy.

2. To effectively allocate duties and responsibilities to the staff within the department during periods of absence, staff shortages and cost improvement programmes.

Training and Development

The department has an important role in the provision of teaching, training and development opportunities for students and staff. The post holder is expected to use their expertise, management skills and experience.

Responsibilities for Personal Development

1. To be responsible for maintaining own competence to practice through CPD activities and to maintain a personal development portfolio.

2. To maintain level of competence with regard to line management responsibilities e.g. Trust procedures on recruitment, absence, sickness, appraisal, finance.