Job summary
We are looking for a motivated and autonomous dietitian to join our community team. The successful applicant will join our small team of community dietitians working across the Swindon area. The role involves supporting patients in their own homes and care homes to optimise their nutritional status to provide training and support of the wider community MDT in identifying patients at risk of malnutrition. Service development and project work are a key component of the role. This post provides a great opportunity to further develop your dietetic clinical skills in the community setting within a supportive team.
The department provides placements for A, B & C students and you will be involved in elements of their training and supervision.
Your career progression is important to us and we are committed to continuous professional development and student training. We have excellent computer facilities in the department with all team members having access to a laptop. We also have access to an excellent library and CPD support.
The department currently comprises 23 dietitians, 2 nutrition nurses, 4 dietetic assistants, a dietetic ACP, dietetic apprentice as well as an excellent admin team. The Great Western Hospital is situated in Swindon, which has good links to London and the West Country or Wales
Main duties of the job
- To work with BSW ICB to support dietetic prescribing in the community, use national guidance and clinical audit results on ONS prescribing to ensure training, advice and support provided meets the needs of the community services.
- To lead on the implementation and monitoring of 'MUST' nutritional screening, care pathways and supporting policies into Swindon community. To evaluate and integrate good prescribing practice of ONS, to promote clinical and cost effective management of malnutrition in the community.
- To support the development of the community nutrition support service. To be responsible for the training Community Prescribers in Swindon (GP's, Community Matrons, Community Nurse Practitioners, Practice Nurses) to implement 'MUST' nutritional screening and care pathways to identify and treat malnutrition effectively across a variety of settings.
About us
Our STAR values are at the heart of everything we do. You can expect to see them in the way we act and the way we treat each other.
Our values make us who we are.
Service - We will put our patients first
Teamwork - We will work together
Ambition - We will aspire to provide the best service
Respect - We will act with integrity
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide individualised and complex specialist nutritional and dietetic advice to patients, carers and relatives, within their own homes or a care home. Enabling them to make informed choices about their health and related behaviours. This will involve calculation of nutritional requirements, assessment of oral intake, lifestyle and barriers to change, and interpretation of biochemical and anthropometric measurements. The outcome of the dietetic consultation would be a patient specific nutritional care plan.
- To provide detailed dietetic assessment and review for patients in care homes, communicating with care home staff and catering to support dietetic interventions.
- To work autonomously and be responsible for analysing, planning and prioritising own complex and highly sensitive clinical caseload.
- To provide dietetic assessment and treatment at a highly developed level to community patients, using advanced clinical reasoning.
- To have the ability to expertly communicate with vulnerable adults taking account of medical, social, cultural and psychological states. Undertaking home visits as per agreed criteria.
- To be responsible for the group education of patient specific groups in the community, including cardiac rehabilitation, falls, pressure ulcers and COPD
Please see attached Job Description for further details of this role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide individualised and complex specialist nutritional and dietetic advice to patients, carers and relatives, within their own homes or a care home. Enabling them to make informed choices about their health and related behaviours. This will involve calculation of nutritional requirements, assessment of oral intake, lifestyle and barriers to change, and interpretation of biochemical and anthropometric measurements. The outcome of the dietetic consultation would be a patient specific nutritional care plan.
- To provide detailed dietetic assessment and review for patients in care homes, communicating with care home staff and catering to support dietetic interventions.
- To work autonomously and be responsible for analysing, planning and prioritising own complex and highly sensitive clinical caseload.
- To provide dietetic assessment and treatment at a highly developed level to community patients, using advanced clinical reasoning.
- To have the ability to expertly communicate with vulnerable adults taking account of medical, social, cultural and psychological states. Undertaking home visits as per agreed criteria.
- To be responsible for the group education of patient specific groups in the community, including cardiac rehabilitation, falls, pressure ulcers and COPD
Please see attached Job Description for further details of this role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or diploma leading to Registration by the HCPC
- Member of British Dietetic Association (BDA)
- Member of relevant BDA special interest group (e.g. PEN Group, Oncology Group)
- CPD relevant to elements of post
Desirable
- Audit
- Behaviour change
- PENG course or similar qualification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of general clinical dietetic practice
- Experience of working with adults in the area of long term health conditions
- Experience of working with patients requiring nutritional support
- Experience with nutritional screening programmes
- Experience of using behavioural change techniques
- Experience in the planning, delivery and evaluation of education programmes to a range of healthcare professionals
Desirable
- Broad, well established dietetic practice with experience relevant to post's specialities.
- Experience of supervising staff and/or students
- Clinical research experience
Knowledge
Essential
- Excellent organisational skills - ability to manage and prioritise a varied workload and other objectives within a busy environment and maintain deadlines
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Excellent presentation and teaching skills, able to engage and influence a varied audience
- Strong interpersonal skills, ability to build relationships at all levels
- Demonstrates good level of clinical skills within the relevant dietetic fields (i.e. community nutrition support, oncology, long term conditions)
Desirable
- Demonstrates leadership skills
- Demonstrates a good level of clinical skills within other relevant dietetic fields
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or diploma leading to Registration by the HCPC
- Member of British Dietetic Association (BDA)
- Member of relevant BDA special interest group (e.g. PEN Group, Oncology Group)
- CPD relevant to elements of post
Desirable
- Audit
- Behaviour change
- PENG course or similar qualification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of general clinical dietetic practice
- Experience of working with adults in the area of long term health conditions
- Experience of working with patients requiring nutritional support
- Experience with nutritional screening programmes
- Experience of using behavioural change techniques
- Experience in the planning, delivery and evaluation of education programmes to a range of healthcare professionals
Desirable
- Broad, well established dietetic practice with experience relevant to post's specialities.
- Experience of supervising staff and/or students
- Clinical research experience
Knowledge
Essential
- Excellent organisational skills - ability to manage and prioritise a varied workload and other objectives within a busy environment and maintain deadlines
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Excellent presentation and teaching skills, able to engage and influence a varied audience
- Strong interpersonal skills, ability to build relationships at all levels
- Demonstrates good level of clinical skills within the relevant dietetic fields (i.e. community nutrition support, oncology, long term conditions)
Desirable
- Demonstrates leadership skills
- Demonstrates a good level of clinical skills within other relevant dietetic fields
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.
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).
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
