Team Lead Dietitian – Complex Medicine and Stroke

Job description

Job responsibilities

CLINICAL

Work autonomously and manage own specialised caseload of patients.

The post holder has responsibility for providing a highly skilled dietetic service in medicine and stroke across both inpatient and outpatient areas.

Provision of a dietetic service includes the following aspects:

To judge and determine appropriateness of referrals made by members of the multidisciplinary team to ensure effective use of time and resources;

Obtain and analyse relevant information from different sources including: medical notes, nursing notes, the client, ward staff and/or carers, in order to make a comprehensive assessment of the patients condition, prognosis and treatment plans so that a decision on the most appropriate dietetic treatment to support this can be made in the short and long term;

To assess the nutritional status of individual patients based on anthropometric measurements e.g. weight, height, weight history as well as biochemical parameters, diet history and other validated methods of nutritional assessment as appropriate;

Calculate nutritional requirements based on: 1) anthropometric data 2) current nutritional and hydration status 3) current clinical state 4) established guidelines on requirements based on weight and age 5) previous dietary intake;

Discussion and negotiation of treatment options to individualise and establish the most appropriate methods of treatment, in an attempt to encourage compliance with and acceptance of the dietetic management plan;

To formulate individualised patient care plans, artificial feeding regimens, taking into consideration factors which may affect requirements or help/hinder provision of nutrition support such as: prescribed drugs, biochemical derangements etc;

Evaluate the effectiveness of nutritional goals and modify as necessary based on ongoing analysis and assessment of information available and changing patient needs and medical condition.

To communicate effectively with patients, carers and other health professionals. Skills of negotiation, motivation, explanation and gaining consent are used in a wide variety of sometimes sensitive situations. The ability to communicate complex information at an appropriate level to enable understanding is important. Barriers to communication may be evident e.g. loss of hearing, receptive and expressive problems with the formulation and understanding of language, difficulties with speaking. The use of communication aids such as letter/picture boards may be necessary.

Work as an integral member of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) to ensure a holistic approach to patient care.

Liaise and communicate with healthcare professionals in the acute and community setting, ensuring seamless continuation of dietetic treatment.

This involves:

1. Detailed handover to dietetic colleagues in local hospitals;

2. Key role in the planning, coordinating, training and community follow-up for patients requiring on-going dietetic input both locally and out of area.

3. Provide the continued dietetic support via telephone for selected patients

To be actively involved with the development of evidence-based, trust-wide guidelines, for example feeding protocols and other resources such as diet sheets in liaison with dietetic colleagues, senior nurses or clinicians.

TEAM LEADER RESPONSIBILITIES

To work as part of the team of team leads to support the smooth running and quality service delivery of the Dietetics department, within OUH Therapies CSU.

To lead on service planning within the identified clinical area

To ensure that all team members receive clinical supervision in conjunction with clinical specialists

Monitoring and allocating work load / distribution including overseeing annual and study leave requests and cover in clinical team. Monitoring and managing sickness / absence of team members.

Ensuring that all team members have an annual appraisal

Leading on recruitment to vacant posts in clinical team (in conjunction with the Dietetic Services manager)

Act as an advisor to managers as to likely changes and requirements as a result of developments within clinical area. Lead on the development of new services within clinical area.

To organise and lead the clinical team including:

1. Provision of reports/documentation on clinical service as required in a timely manner.

2. To be responsible for authorising and recording annual leave for the clinical team and agree annual leave as required for other dietetic colleagues

3. Ensure regular clinical team meetings involving CPD and team objectives

4. To be responsible for developing a training program for the Band 5 dietitians on rotation in the clinical area

To represent the Dietetic Team at Divisional/Directorate Clinical Governance and business meetings

PROFESSIONAL

Be accountable for own actions working within the professional, ethical and legal framework for dietetics set out in the Health Profession Councils Dietitians Standards of Conduct Performance and Ethics and the British Dietetic Associations Professional Standards for Dietitians and Code of Professional Conduct.

To take responsibility for own continuing professional development (CPD) and provide evidence for this by maintaining a CPD portfolio. CPD involves critical evaluation of scientific papers, attending professional development meetings, working as a reflective practitioner and attending relevant internal/external courses.

Participate in own annual appraisal, identifying own development and training needs and setting personal development objectives with line manager.

To participate in departmental audits and initiate audit within own work area in order to monitor and evaluate whether local/ national standards are being met and make recommendations for change. To be involved with the planning of departmental clinical effectiveness and audit strategies.

To have responsibility to provide input into own clinical area policies and guidelines.

Be involved with the dietetic student training programme, facilitating the development of skills and knowledge and participate in the assessment process.

To provide specialist advice, teaching and training to all members of the multidisciplinary team regarding the nutritional management of patients in the identified clinical area. This involves regular participation in in-house training courses. Participate in external training /teaching when requested to do so for example teaching undergraduate nursing students at local university.

ORGANISATIONAL

To determine priorities for own work area based on clinical need and balance patient caseload with professional demands. The caseload is large and varied and requires a lot of flexibility, organisation and prioritisation of caseload to ensure an effective service.

To provide cover for other colleagues patient caseloads, this requires time management and excellent organisational skills.

To collect activity data daily as required by the department, trust and outside agencies.

To maintain accurate and legible documentation of patient interventions on dietetic record cards. To communicate dietetic interventions to appropriate members of the multidisciplinary team by documentation within nursing/medical notes or by letter/report.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Recognised Nutrition & Dietetic Degree or equivalent
• Registered with Health Professions Council as a Dietitian
• Evidence of successful completion of significant specialist post graduate training equivalent to Masters level in this clinical area

Desirable

• Member of the British Dietetic Association
• Evidence of completion of informal/formal leadership training
• Evidence of training as clinical supervisor

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of high level of specialist dietetic knowledge/skills in this clinical area
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of clinical nutrition
• Evidence of research / audit / project work
• Experience of student training including supervision, mentoring and assessment
• Demonstrates excellent and up to date knowledge of national policies and guidelines relevant to whole service as well as to specific clinical area

Desirable

• Evidence of leadership experience
• Evidence of effective line management of staff
• Is able to demonstrate evidence of clinical service development

Skills

Essential

• Able to listen well and counsel colleagues, staff, patients and carers
• Able to demonstrate empathy with clients, carers and families and colleagues
• Able to communicate effectively particularly where barriers to understanding exist

Other

Essential

• Able to easily and efficiently travel to clinical sites and training venues across the county to provide a dietetics service

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).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

John Radcliffe Hospital

Headley Way

Headington, Oxford

OX3 9DU

Employer's website

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