Job summary
Are you a newly qualified Dietitian or due to qualify imminently? Or do you have some Band 5 experience and looking to expand your skills in the community?
We are looking for a Dietitian to provide a Dietetic service to adult patients across the community services in Torbay and South Devon. The case load will consist of a wide range of clinical conditions including frailty and older people with multiple long-term, complex conditions. The Dietitian will assess and treat patients in community settings including care homes, patients own homes and community hospitals, with the focus on malnutrition and nutritional support. The post holder may also spend time with other Dietetic specialities.
You will be a Dietitian with a dynamic, self-motivated and innovative approach to your work. You will be passionate about patient care, with excellent communication and engagement skills, team working and strong time management.
The role will involve working in community locations across Torbay and South Devon, as well as working from home. You must be able to travel independently and have access to a car daily.
Applications from Dietetic students who are shortly due to graduate are welcome. There is the possibility of temporarily working in a band 4 role whilst awaiting HCPC registration.
Main duties of the job
Dietetic assessment and support for patients living in their own homes and in care homes. The patient caseload will consist of patients with a wide range of clinical problems including dementia, frailty, pressure damage, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), neurological problems, learning disability etc.
Provide dietetic clinical service and support to community hospitals.
Contribute to the wider development of the dietetic service and nutritional provision within Torbay and South Devon, with support from the Clinical Community Team of Dietitians and Team Lead.
About us
The Community Clinical Dietitians are a friendly, supportive, proactive and professional team, which has increased in size over recent years following investment in several areas.
The Community Clinical team of Dietitians are based at Torbay Hospital and are part of the wider dietetic team including Acute, Diabetes, Paediatrics, Lifestyles, and Cancer Services. The team has over 40 staff members - dietitians, dietetic support workers and admin support.
Why Work With Us
Job description
Job responsibilities
Communication and working relationships
Communicate and establish working relationships with:
Patients, family and carers
Community Clinical Dietetics Team including Team Lead and Head of Nutrition and Dietetic
Dietetic Support Workers and admin support teams
Other acute and secondary care specialist dietetic teams
Health and Social Care Community teams to include Intermediate Care, Community Nursing, Pharmacists and Primary Care
Planning and organisation
Manage own community clinical caseload as an autonomous practitioner, including named wards in community hospitals. Regular support will be provided by named Community Dietitian(s), the wider Community Dietetic team and the Team Lead, as well as during weekly triage
Prioritise clinical referrals and manage the demands received from different parts of the service
Manage own time and organise diary, including agile working
Responsibility and accountability
Deliver evidence based Dietetic care to a caseload of adult patients in the community and in community hospitals. The focus will be on malnutrition and nutritional support
Provide support to care homes where quality or safeguarding issues have been identified, as requested by Community Health and Social Care Services Manager and/or QAIT, with support from the Clinical Community Dietetic team
Provide a source of expert knowledge and advice on nutrition to the community teams
Responsibility for patients and client care
Undertake nutritional assessments by examination and history taking. This includes calculation of nutritional requirements; interpret biochemistry results and assessing the efficacy, safety and routes of nutritional support. Assessments may be either face to face or remotely (e.g. telephone, Attend Anywhere) as clinically indicated
Commence tube feeding or safe transition from artificial tube feeding to oral nutrition where clinical condition indicates, liaising with other members of the multidisciplinary team as necessary
Policy and service responsibility
Contribute to the writing of policies, resources and guidelines relevant to this role, with support from the Clinical Community Team and Team Lead
Provide resources such as patient information leaflets, feeding regimens, recipes and menu plans
Follow Trust Policies and Procedures
Job description
Job responsibilities
Communication and working relationships
Communicate and establish working relationships with:
Patients, family and carers
Community Clinical Dietetics Team including Team Lead and Head of Nutrition and Dietetic
Dietetic Support Workers and admin support teams
Other acute and secondary care specialist dietetic teams
Health and Social Care Community teams to include Intermediate Care, Community Nursing, Pharmacists and Primary Care
Planning and organisation
Manage own community clinical caseload as an autonomous practitioner, including named wards in community hospitals. Regular support will be provided by named Community Dietitian(s), the wider Community Dietetic team and the Team Lead, as well as during weekly triage
Prioritise clinical referrals and manage the demands received from different parts of the service
Manage own time and organise diary, including agile working
Responsibility and accountability
Deliver evidence based Dietetic care to a caseload of adult patients in the community and in community hospitals. The focus will be on malnutrition and nutritional support
Provide support to care homes where quality or safeguarding issues have been identified, as requested by Community Health and Social Care Services Manager and/or QAIT, with support from the Clinical Community Dietetic team
Provide a source of expert knowledge and advice on nutrition to the community teams
Responsibility for patients and client care
Undertake nutritional assessments by examination and history taking. This includes calculation of nutritional requirements; interpret biochemistry results and assessing the efficacy, safety and routes of nutritional support. Assessments may be either face to face or remotely (e.g. telephone, Attend Anywhere) as clinically indicated
Commence tube feeding or safe transition from artificial tube feeding to oral nutrition where clinical condition indicates, liaising with other members of the multidisciplinary team as necessary
Policy and service responsibility
Contribute to the writing of policies, resources and guidelines relevant to this role, with support from the Clinical Community Team and Team Lead
Provide resources such as patient information leaflets, feeding regimens, recipes and menu plans
Follow Trust Policies and Procedures
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oDegree or equivalent qualification in Nutrition and Dietetics
- oHCPC registration in Dietetics
Desirable
- oMember of British Dietetic Association
- oEvidence of post graduate study in HEF, nutritional support, nutritional care of older people, malnutrition and/or community dietetics
- oBehaviour change training
- oClinical Supervisory Skills Training
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- oAutonomous practitioner with the ability to seek guidance where appropriate
- oAbility to reflect and critically appraise own practice
- oWorking knowledge of clinical dietetics relevant to nutritional support (e.g. clinical guidelines and frameworks)
- oUse of communication techniques to promote behaviour change
Desirable
- oPost qualification experience as a practising Dietitian
- Other transferable experience e.g working in care or clinical setting, with public, catering or research
Specific Skills
Essential
- oAbility to plan, prepare, deliver and evaluate training about malnutrition and nutritional support
- oExcellent interpersonal and communication skills
- oExcellent MDT working skills
- oExcellent organisational, time management and service development skills
- oAwareness of safeguarding and when to seek further guidance
Desirable
- Evidence of providing support or supervision to others
Requirements due to work environment
Essential
- oAbility to travel independently to various locations in the community on a daily basis
- oKeyboard skills and computer literacy
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oDegree or equivalent qualification in Nutrition and Dietetics
- oHCPC registration in Dietetics
Desirable
- oMember of British Dietetic Association
- oEvidence of post graduate study in HEF, nutritional support, nutritional care of older people, malnutrition and/or community dietetics
- oBehaviour change training
- oClinical Supervisory Skills Training
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- oAutonomous practitioner with the ability to seek guidance where appropriate
- oAbility to reflect and critically appraise own practice
- oWorking knowledge of clinical dietetics relevant to nutritional support (e.g. clinical guidelines and frameworks)
- oUse of communication techniques to promote behaviour change
Desirable
- oPost qualification experience as a practising Dietitian
- Other transferable experience e.g working in care or clinical setting, with public, catering or research
Specific Skills
Essential
- oAbility to plan, prepare, deliver and evaluate training about malnutrition and nutritional support
- oExcellent interpersonal and communication skills
- oExcellent MDT working skills
- oExcellent organisational, time management and service development skills
- oAwareness of safeguarding and when to seek further guidance
Desirable
- Evidence of providing support or supervision to others
Requirements due to work environment
Essential
- oAbility to travel independently to various locations in the community on a daily basis
- oKeyboard skills and computer literacy
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).
