Specialist Paediatric Dietitian

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 20 September 2024

Job summary

This role is an exciting opportunity within our paediatric dietetic team. We are looking for an enthusiastic and dynamic registered dietitian with excellent communication and team working skills who wishes to grow and develop our paediatric outpatient service. You will join our small but highly experienced and supportive team including the Lead Paediatric Dietitian, four Highly Specialist Paediatric dietitians and our Dietetic Assistant Practitioner. We provide both acute and community services to mid and North Bedfordshire. We are one Bedfordshire Hospitals trust with Luton and Dunstable Hospital and part of Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes STP.

Main duties of the job

You will be responsible for providing a service to our paediatric outpatient clinics, treating a range of conditions such as allergy, eczema, gastroenterology, selective feeding, nutritional assessment requests, vitamin/mineral deficiencies and growth. The post holder would play a key role in patient pathway development and developing new ways of working as part of a service improvement.

This band 6 post is for 0.6WTE (if you are looking for Band 7, do apply as we may be able to offer 0.5WTE at this level). The hours can be worked to meet the needs of the service - we have a flexible working policy. You can be office based, remote or a combination of both as suits you. All equipment will be provided. There is excellent IT and administrative support.

If you are interested there can be cover/shadow opportunities in other areas including: acute ward, neonatology, coeliac disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Home Enteral Feeding, complex feeding clinic and prescribing audit project work to support your development.

There are excellent working relationships with the supportive paediatric consultants, health visitors, speech and language therapists, community nursing and GP's; the dietitian is very much an integral part of the paediatric MDT.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics.

You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career.

We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. Please ensure that you make your application as soon as possible.

All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required.

Please review all documents attached to this advert to ensure you familiarise yourself with all requirements of the job.

Date posted

06 September 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working, Home or remote working

Reference number

418-AHP0858-CW

Job locations

Bedford Hospital

Kempston Road

Bedford

MK42 9DJ

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. To deliver a specialist nutrition and dietetic service to children attending the outpatient clinic service including for example: allergy diagnosis and management (non-IgE), gastrointestinal issues, nutritional assessment, limited diet, nutrient deficiencies.

2. To co-ordinate service improvement projects within paediatric dietetics following discussion with the team lead.

3. To represent the dietetic department at MDT meetings e.g. case conferences and child protection meetings and to ensure delivery of co-ordinated multi-disciplinary care.

4. To oversee the management of patients that the dietetic assistant practitioner in the paediatric team is responsible for.

5. To have a very good understanding of and contribute to the effective running of the paediatric dietetics service.

6. To take appropriate action using advanced problem solving skills to assist patients, health/social care professionals and members of the public with queries regarding paediatric dietetics.

7. To accept clinical responsibility for designated patients within your own scope of practice and organise this effectively and efficiently with regard to clinical priorities and use of time.

8. To work as an autonomous practitioner by planning and prioritising own workload according to locally agreed priority coding and supporting the paediatric dietetic assistant practitioner to do the same.

9. To develop and maintain a specialist knowledge of evidence-based practice, the common conditions you come across and national and local standards within paediatric dietetics.

10. To undertake a comprehensive assessment (interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometrics, clinical condition and diet history) of patients including those with complex presentations/multi pathologies and use clinical reasoning skills to set nutritional goals for each patient.

11. To give expert opinion on complex nutrition related issues where numerous social, ethical, psychological and medical factors have to be considered and where there may be conflicting ideas from the multidisciplinary team.

12. To negotiate and agree dietary interventions with patients and their carers, using appropriate counselling and motivational skills to optimise their nutritional status.

13. To make recommendations for appropriate prescription of nutritional products according to local guidelines regarding the use of nutritional supplements, formula milks and other nutritional products.

14. To ensure adequate monitoring and review of patients.

15. To assess the suitability of incoming referrals according to the agreed referral criteria, liaise with the dietetic assistant practitioner if further information is required prior to acceptance.

16. To co-ordinate appropriate follow up, discharge arrangements and outward referrals to other services in order to facilitate the safe and timely discharge/transfer of care.

17. To have insight to recognise and act appropriately if vulnerable patients are at risk or deemed to be in need.

18. To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient records in line with BDA, Trust and department standards and provide statistics of patient contacts in a timely fashion.

19. To liaise with healthcare professionals within paediatrics, the wider community and across the network, particularly to support patients under shared care.

20. To communicate complex, specialised and sensitive information with empathy and understanding to patients and their parents, guardians and carers or other family members where appropriate.

21. To take appropriate action using advanced problem solving skills to assist patients, health and social care professionals and members of the public with queries relating to paediatric dietetics.

22. To work as an integral part of the paediatric dietetics team, support other dietetics teams and work alongside the wider multi-disciplinary team.

23. To plan, deliver, evaluate and develop training and education sessions to patient and multi-disciplinary staff groups in conjunction with the team lead.

24. To represent the dietetics department at multi-disciplinary meetings and case conferences to ensure delivery of high quality co-ordinated multi-disciplinary care.

25. To work within Trust, departmental, HCPC and BDA clinical and professional guidelines, policies and procedures.

26. To contribute to the development and updating of policies, guidelines, patient information and other resources related to paediatric dietetics in conjunction with the team lead.

27. To support the team lead in ensuring guidelines relating to paediatric dietetics are fully implemented across the department/MDT.

28. To report and review information required for managing and monitoring the service such as referral numbers, key performance indicators, waiting list management, prioritisation of caseloads, DNA rates, outcome measures and user satisfaction surveys.

29. To plan and deliver audit, research and service evaluations to help deliver improvement in in service delivery and clinical practice following discussion with the team lead.

30. Work with colleagues to help the Trust meet the CQC standards for nutrition.

31. To be responsible for maintaining own development and competency to practice through CPD activities.

32. To participate in and contribute to the organising and delivery of the department's CPD programme in collaboration with senior staff.

33. To be an active member of the department by the attendance and presenting at staff meetings, attending and facilitating tutorials and training sessions.

34. To participate in the department appraisal scheme and be responsible for complying with agreed Personal Development Plans to meet knowledge and competencies.

35. To participate in regular supervision and provide supervision and support for the paediatric dietetic assistant practitioner.

36. To support the induction and recruitment of new staff members within the paediatric dietetics team.

37. To contribute to the upskilling of the paediatric dietetic assistant practitioner in order to maintain staff skill mixes and ensure adequate resilience across the paediatric dietetics team.

38. To be responsible for the supervision and assessment of students during their placement. This will include the role as practice educator and weekly supervisor.

39. To comply with the lone worker policy.

40. To work flexibly to support the paediatric dietetics team.

41. To provide cover for other wards/departments at short notice to cover unplanned and planned absences within the post holders competency and skill level.

42. To undertake any other duties as identified by the team lead as required for the successful delivery of the paediatric dietetics service.