Community Dietitian

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

This job description is an outline of the main duties of the post. The postholder will be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the grade as directed.

The content of this post will be reviewed in consultation with the postholder when necessary and in line with the service developments.

KEY RESULT AREAS:

Job Purpose

1. Assess patients, develop care plans, advise and monitor patients progress for a range of conditions in inpatient and outpatient settings.

2. To be responsible for advice to staff, patients and carers

Core Duties & repsonsibilities

Clinical

1. To be professionally and legally responsible for all aspects of own work including the management of patients in your care

2. To undertake clinical assessment and treatment of own caseload of patients including calculation of individual diets and enteral feeding regimens where appropriate

3. Monitor and review individual treatment plans as required according to patients clinical condition to provide the most effective and efficient outcomes for patients.

4. Organise, produce, deliver and evaluate training on nutrition and dietetics related issues other health service staff and patients and carers

5. To communicate effectively with patients carers, members of the multidisciplinary team and other agencies to achieve patient centred goals

6. To produce and update dietetic/nutritional teaching materials and therapeutic diet sheets.

Professional

1. To be responsible for maintaining own professional development through a variety of CPD activities and reflective practice

2. To assist senior clinicians with the supervision, training and induction of student dietitians, dietetic assistants and newly appointed staff when necessary

3. To contribute to audit and development and implementation of clinical standards/policies/outcome measures within the department.

4. Respond to nutritional queries from other health professionals and the general public.

5. To keep accurate and comprehensive records in accordance with trust and dietetic department standards, including computer based data entry.

6. To adhere to Trust and dietetic department standards/policies and procedures. Including Trust and area specific appraisal and clinical supervision

7. To ensure that equipment such as enteral feeding pumps is used safely by staff, patients and carers.

8. Work closely with immediate dietetic colleagues and team leader to provide a comprehensive and cohesive dietetic service.

9. Develop and maintain links with other Dietitians, through local, regional and national networks.

10. To work collaboratively with service users, catering staff and facilities monitoring co-ordinators to ensure that menus meet the nutritional, cultural and ethical needs of service users.

11. The post holder holder is expected to cover the duties of colleagues in posts within the range of the post holders knowledge and skills.

Trust Values:

The Trust is committed to ensuring the highest standards of care and treatment and expects that all staff treat people e.g, service users, their carers, relatives, friends, colleagues, visitors etc, with dignity and respectat all time. The post holder must all time act in accordance with the Trusts Values:

Honest, open, transparent

Respectful

Person first and in the centre

Improve and be outstanding

Relevant today, ready for tomorrow

Families and carers matter

Safeguarding:

Report any concerns regarding the safety or wellbeing of children, adults service users, members of their families etc, in accordance with Trust Policy.

Prevent and respond appropriately to abuse and understand own role in this by undertaking Safeguarding training.

Trust policies and commitments to be read in line with the relevant Trust Policy:

All staff employed by the Trust must comply with the Trusts policies and procedures, undertake appropriate training required for their role and commit to:

ensure they are aware of the Whistleblowing Policy and how they raise concerns;

maintain confidentiality, in line with the Trusts Confidentiality Policy and Code of Conduct;

understand their personal responsibilities with regards to data quality for any information which they create, use or process in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and Trust Data Protection policy;

comply with the provisions of The Trusts Health and Safety Policy and Protocol. Ensuring their own safety and that of colleagues, service users and visitors. Know the action to be taken in the event of a fire and must undertake fire training annually;

receive supervision in line with the Trusts Supervision Policy and an annual Appraisal in line with the Trusts Appraisal Policy, during which mandatory, role specific and personal development needs should be identified and agreed;

understand their responsibilities under the Trusts Equal Opportunities in Employment Policy and ensure that they adhere to the provisions of the policy;

recognise, respect and support the equality diversity of staff, colleagues, service users, carers and the public. Contribute to a working environment which promotes and responds positively to difference and diversity;

ensure they carry out their duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18 years, as issued under Section 11 of The Children Act 2004, by being familiar with and adhering to Trust safeguarding policies and participatingin relevanttraining;

comply with their professional responsibilities to develop their practice and deliver care through a Clinical Governance framework (i.e. CPD, Audit, Supervision);

demonstrate, through practice and practical understanding, the importance of the continual development of individual, team and service wide quality improvement;

abide by relevant codes of professional practice, with the organisation taking action when codes of conduct are breached;

work flexibly to meet the needs of the service/organisation, whilst working within a culture of progressive employment practices and commitment to the Investors in People (IiP) Standards.

adhere to the Trusts smoke free policies, which prohibits smoking anywhere on Trust grounds;

being socially responsible by complying with measures that support the Trust in reducing or offsetting our environmental impact;

Identify and report risks, hazards, incidents, accidents and near misses promptly;

In addition to the Trusts own responsibilities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance, for your safety, ALL staff (and contractors) are responsible for ensuring their work adheres to this Code in the delivery of safe patient care.

This job description is an outline of the main duties of the post. The postholder will be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the band as directed. The content of this post will be reviewed in consultation with the postholder when necessary and in line with the service developments.

For full details of the role please see the supporting documents attached.

We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. We strongly discourage this and will conduct a thorough screening process before selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.

Person Specification

Training

Essential

• Demonstrate a willingness to undertake training as relevant to the role.

Desirable

• Appropriate membership to specialist dietetic interest group/s.
• Behaviour change training level 1.
• Clinical supervisory skills course.

Special Knowledge/Skills

Essential

• Can communicate specialist dietetic information in an understandable form to patients and carers on a one to one or group basis, and in written form.
• Can demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Able to work effectively as part of dietetic and multidisciplinary team
• Skilled in counselling and behaviour change techniques.
• Able to assess and treat patients requiring dietetic intervention and to monitor and adapt dietetic treatment as appropriate.
• Computer literate in Microsoft PowerPoint internet and Word.

Desirable

• Presentation/teaching skills.
• Audit skills.

Physical Attributes

Essential

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a therapy setting across the health community (inpatients and outpatients).

Desirable

• Experience of training student dietitians.

Qualifications

Essential

• BSc/MSc or Post-graduate Diploma in Dietetics.
• Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Desirable

• Evidence of other post-registration education and training.

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Demonstrate commitment to professional and personal development. Able to reflect on clinical practice to enhance competency.
• Able to work independently and using own initiative.
• Use time management skills to effectively organise, prioritise and manage a demanding caseload that may be subject to unforeseen changes.
• Able to make informed clinical and non-clinical decisions under pressure.
• Confident, enthusiastic, committed and displays proactive approach.
• Adaptable and flexible around working times and practices including evening and weekend work where necessary.
• Ability to travel around the Trust as appropriate to role.

Desirable

• Member of British Dietetic Association.

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.

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

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Community Nutrition & Dietetics, The Cudworth Centre

Carlton Street

Barnsley

S72 8ST

Employer's website

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