Highly Specialist Dietitian - UGI Cancer services - University of Liverpool

Job overview

Upper GI Cancer services are merged across the Trust, which is the tertiary centre for UGI surgery in the Cheshire and Merseyside region.

You will lead this service with support from the Gastro Specialist Nurses, Gastro/UGI dietitians and a Band 4 assistant, as well as Therapy Leads.

You will work alongside the surgical UGI team, supported by the Macmillan UGI Dietitian; B7 and B6 UGI Dietitians and the Band 4 UGI Dietetic Assistant team, in providing complex dietetic support to this patient group.

We are looking for a Dietitian with excellent communication skills, the ability to work both independently and as part of an MDT and experience of working with people with complex nutritional needs.

Main duties of the job

The role involves developing, providing and evaluating outpatient services to complex non-surgical cancer patients, including assessment, treatment, and review of multifaceted, acutely ill, and palliative patients within the service. There will be collaboration with other Upper GI dietetic teams on the Cheshire and Merseyside pathway, e.g., Upper GI surgery, Oncology and community agencies.

Clinically, the role involves cover for Upper GI Cancer non-surgical outpatients, weekly dietetic telephone clinics, and weekly attendance at Upper GI MDT clinics, which also include gastroenterologists and specialist nurses.

There may also be the opportunity to deliver input to specific groups of gastro patients as the service and teams develop.

Operational responsibilities include monitoring referrals and activity, prioritising caseload as necessary, evaluating activity and responding to service demands. The Dietitian will work with the team contributing to service improvement, training, development of protocols, policies, resources, standards and audit.

We provide regular supervision, appraisals and team meetings. The Upper GI team has introduced a clinical supervision programme which includes Upper GI Dietitians working in Liverpool.

Working for our organisation

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients.

UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.

For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.

Liverpool Women’s Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK’s largest single site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.

For roles at Liverpool Women’s, visit their careers page.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see job description attached for full details. The role is predominantly outpatient based but we are aiming to develop the inpatient service and you will play a key role in service evaluation and business case development to underpin this.

Job Purpose

1. Personally providing the dietetic service to in-patients and out-patients
2. Educating/training other members of the multi-disciplinary team in

1. Clinical supervision of newly qualified staff and Band 5 and 6

1. Training of Student Dietitians
2. Development and implementation of policies, protocols and guidelines

relevant to clinical speciality.

Person specification

Qualifications

• BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics/PhD Nutrition and Dietetics.
• Current registration with HCPC
• Membership of BDA or equivalent professional indemnity insurance
• Validated training in specialist area – (BDA validated or MSc equivalent)
• Supervisory Skills training, minimum introductory level.

• Supervisory Skills training advanced level..
• Member of specialist interest group.
• Educated to masters level or equivalent
• Attended leadership/management training.

Experience

• Broad clinical experience, including post registration experience in speciality.
• Evidence of multidisciplinary team working.
• Experience of supporting learning of other healthcare professionals.
• Experience and evidence of continuing personal and professional development in practice.
• Experience in the training of student dietitians
• Previous experience of conducting audits and or research.

• Evidence of service review/development.
• Experience of clinical supervision of others.
• Experience of influencing others to improve patient care.

Knowledge

• Establish effective communication methods to convey specialist knowledge to patients individually and in groups in a variety of settings.

• Post registration credited learning in enhanced communication skills.

Skills

• Demonstrates good presentation skills.
• Accurate anthropometry skills.
• Implements behavioural/counselling techniques to constructively overcome barriers to change.
• Able to work autonomously within area of specialism using critical thinking and expert practitioner level judgement.
• Ability to meet deadlines, prioritise tasks and support others to do the same.
• Demonstrates confidence and motivation to work autonomously using clinical judgement in environments with little direct support.

• I.T. skills – keyboard, email, Powerpoint

Other

• Demonstrates holistic patient centred approach
• Commitment to maintain dietetic profile within the multidisciplinary team.
• Self-reliant and self-motivated but willing to seek advice and support of others.
• Supportive approach to learners.
• Ability to respond to unpredictable work patterns
• Enhanced CRB Disclosure

• Collaborative and constructive

Please ensure you check the email account (including junk/spam boxes) from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.

Posts advertised to ‘internal staff’ are open to employees of hospitals within University Hospitals of Liverpool Group and you should confirm your employment within your application form.

Only those applicants who demonstrate clearly how they meet our person specification will be shortlisted for interview.

We reserve the right to close any vacancies from further applications when we have received a minimum number of applications from which to make a shortlist. Please ensure you apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

Candidates applying for the role of Healthcare Assistant on the staff bank should note that due to the nature of the role, workers must be aged 18 or above when commencing in post. Applicants are therefore welcome from those aged over 18 or within 3 months’ of their 18^th birthday.

Not all roles are suitable for every flexible working opportunity all of the time. Flexible working options may include reduced hours, compressed hours, fixed shifts, time back in lieu and home working.

The Trust is committed to promoting equality and diversity; we value the contribution of individual talent, skills, knowledge and experience and aim for a workforce demography representative of the local community. We encourage applicants from the following groups that are currently under-represented in our workforce black, Asian and minority ethnic, lesbian, gay, bisexual and Transgender (LGBTQ+), disabled, male and age 16-24.

Bank posts require upfront payment. DBS applications submitted from 2nd December will be subject to the new DBS fee of £26.50 (standard) and £54.50 (Enhanced).

From April 2017, Skilled visa applicants and their adult dependant(s) will be required to provide a criminal record certificate from each country they have lived in consecutively for 12 months or more in the past ten years.

Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.

This organisation has a zero-tolerance approach to the abuse of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff must ensure they adhere to the organisations safeguarding children and adults’ policy and comply with the Local Safeguarding Children and Adult Board procedures.

Staff should be mindful of their responsibility to safeguard children and adults in any activity performed on behalf of the organisation in line with the requirements of statutory guidance and legislation.

All employees (and volunteers)are expected maintain their safeguarding knowledge and skills by completing mandatory safeguarding training which includes understanding and recognising the signs of abuse and neglect and taking appropriate action.

As an organisation, we have adopted the Merseyside Domestic abuse workplace scheme which supports our staff who are experiencing Domestic Abuse /any forms of sexual violence.

If you have any personal requirements that will enable you to participate in our recruitment process please contact a member of the Recruitment Services by phone on 0151 706 4666 at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

Please note: new entrants to the NHS will commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.