Community Clinical Dietitian
Job overview
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.
Working for our organisation
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
Detailed job description and main 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 criteria- • Degree or equivalent qualification in Nutrition and Dietetics
- • HCPC registration in Dietetics
- • Member of British Dietetic Association
- • Evidence of post graduate study in HEF, nutritional support, nutritional care of older people, malnutrition and/or community dietetics
- • Behaviour change training
- • Clinical Supervisory Skills Training
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria- • Autonomous practitioner with the ability to seek guidance where appropriate
- • Ability to reflect and critically appraise own practice
- • Working knowledge of clinical dietetics relevant to nutritional support (e.g. clinical guidelines and frameworks)
- • Use of communication techniques to promote behaviour change
- • Post 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 criteria- • Ability to plan, prepare, deliver and evaluate training about malnutrition and nutritional support
- • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- • Excellent MDT working skills
- • Excellent organisational, time management and service development skills
- • Awareness of safeguarding and when to seek further guidance
- Evidence of providing support or supervision to others
Requirements due to work environment
Essential criteria- • Ability to travel independently to various locations in the community on a daily basis
- • Keyboard skills and computer literacy
You will be joining the organisation at an exciting time. As the first fully integrated care organisation in England, we are working to improve the way we deliver safe, high-quality health and social care. We have a positive and vibrant working atmosphere, we are proud of our investment in our staff both in terms of developing potential career skills and valuing people.
If you provide support to a family member or friend with health or care needs, we aim to be a Carer-friendly employer. We have a ‘Staff Carers’ policy which includes flexible working where possible and a Carer’s Passport scheme that links you into support and discounts.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION- We reserve the right to close vacancies early if we receive a high volume of applications. Therefore, we encourage you to apply promptly.
- Please read the job description carefully and tailor your application to reflect the requirements of the role.
- Applicants who identify in their application form they are a part of the Armed Forces community will be guaranteed an interview, provided they meet the minimum essential criteria outlined in the job description and person specification for the role. Step into Health guidance can be found on our NHS Employers website.
- Correspondence will be sent via Trac, text, and email. Please ensure you check your email and Trac account regularly.
- Applicants with no previous NHS experience will ordinarily be appointed to the minimum of the band.
- If you have not received an invitation to interview within 28 days of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
- It is your responsibility to ensure the timely receipt of appropriate references.
If you require support you can obtain this from our Equality Business Forum which has representatives from all protected groups.