Senior Specialist Dietitian - Dietetic Service Lead for Hepatology

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and highly motivated Dietitian within our gastroenterology and hepatology dietetic service at UHCW. Following a service review, this brand new role has been funded on a permanent basis.

About you:

This is a fantastic opportunity to develop clinical skills and transform patient care for the hepatology cohort at a Band 7 level.

You will work alongside the current operational lead for gastroenterology & hepatology and the specialist dietitian for gastroenterology. We have also been successful in gaining funding for a new Band 6 post to join the team. The applicant will join our wider gastroenterology and hepatology MDT consisting of consultants, ACPs, specialist nurses, alcohol care team and Nutrition Team.

You will also have the benefits of being part of a passionate peer network within UHCW and with our partnership organisations in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Main duties of the job

Previous hepatology experience is desirable but not essential for this post - we welcome applications from experienced candidates who are considering a career change.

About the role:

• You will provide clinical support to junior members of the department including a Dietetic Assistant Practitioner based at University Hospital, Coventry.
• You will jointly manage a inpatient caseload on our dedicated gastroenterology ward.
• You will manage an outpatient caseload at University Hospital, Coventry and the Hospital of St Cross, Rugby.
• Support service development with input from relevant MDTs, as able.
• Work with senior colleagues across the Dietetic and Speech & Language Therapy Department on department initiatives.

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, rated as good by the Care Quality Commission, is one of the largest teaching Trusts in the UK.

We are extremely proud of our employees across our hospital sites, with high quality patient care at the heart of everything we do.

Boasting some of the most modern facilities in Western Europe, the Trust is renowned for being at the forefront of research and innovation as part of its blossoming reputation as a worldwide leader in healthcare.

We are proud to be recognised as a Pathway to Excellence® designated organisation – please click the link for further details about this prestigious award. Pathway To Excellence ® - University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire (uhcw.nhs.uk)

By joining our exciting journey, you will form part of a passionate, talented team and will be able to access a wide range of learning and development opportunities. There has never been a better time to join our team.

We will create an environment where the equality and human rights principles of fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy are promoted and are part of the organisation's core values.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. To work autonomously to provide specialist dietetic advice to patients, their carers and staff within agreed protocols and guidelines and with support from senior colleagues including:

• Carry out nutritional assessments (interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometrics, clinical condition and diet history) to determine nutritional problem.
• Development of treatment plans (calculation of nutritional requirements, analysis of nutritional intakes sometimes using specialist IT systems, client centred goals and discharge planning including patients on artificial nutritional support).
• Prescription of dietary treatment and ACBS products for conditions where there are limited professional / clinical guidelines available.

1. To be clinically competent following appropriate training to give specialist dietetic advice, treatment and dietary counselling to patients in, in-patient and out-patient clinic locations including consultant led clinics and structured group education programmes as appropriate.
2. To communicate nutrition and dietetic information in an understandable form to staff, clients and carers, requiring negotiation, persuasion, motivation and counselling skills including situations where there are barriers to change.
3. To use appropriate communication skills and resources to ensure that suitably accessible information is available to individuals on their dietary treatment/care plans.
4. To liaise with catering, nursing and dietetic staff to ensure the provision of a satisfactory meal service for individual patients
5. To attend and participate in multidisciplinary meetings.
6. To participate in the health promotion activities of the department.
7. To work flexible hours to meet the needs of the patients and the service as required
8. To cover the work of colleagues and deputise for senior colleagues during periods of absence or peak workloads.

1. To participate in forward planning and development of the dietetic department with particular reference to the Gastroenterology Dietetic team.
2. To lead and contribute to the development and updating of evidence based clinical guidelines, policies, procedures and patient information with particularly for those required for use in Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
3. To propose changes to own working practices and practices relating to nutrition across the Gastroenterology Dietetic Team based on current evidence and best practice.
4. To monitor stock levels of resources such as stationery, diet sheets, patient information, enteral feeding equipment and ensure cost effective and appropriate use within the Gastroenterology Dietetic Team.
5. To plan and prioritise own workload and evaluate own practice which may include clinics, group work, working jointly with other professionals and agencies.
6. To actively participate in the forward planning of the department.

1. To plan and organise the training and clinical supervision of student dietitians and dietitians on attachment including planning and prioritising training programmes, timetables and written assessments.
2. To undertake mentoring of junior members of staff and student dietitians.
3. To initiate and lead the planning and coordination of training on nutritional topics in community nutrition support as appropriate to healthcare staff, and other workers or carers.
4. To regularly initiate and participate in the departmental Clinical Governance programme including presenting research findings, evidence based practice work shops, clinical audit, and reporting of clinical risks.
5. To develop evaluation criteria and audit clinical practice within the designated speciality to ensure a high quality, evidence based effective service.

1. To keep up to date with current developments in dietetics and participate in appropriate continuous professional development activities.
2. To actively participate and contribute to departmental clinical supervision group to ensure a regular evaluation of practice through peer review.
3. Ensure that all Trust wide and departmental standards and clinical guidelines are maintained and monitored to improve the quality of total care, to all who come into contact with services provided by University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.
4. Participate in personal reviews and work to achieve agreed set objectives.
5. To document patient activity data in accordance with Trust and professional standards and to meet any external requirements of the designated speciality.
6. To work as an autonomous practitioner working within the BDA Code of professional conduct and HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and Ethics and Standards of Proficiency (Dietitians).
7. Contributes to the development and maintenance of the profile of the Dietetic profession.

For further details of the role please see the attached job description.

Person specification

Qualifications

• See supporting documents

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Experience

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Knowledge

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Skills

• See supporting documents

To ensure that we provide world-class patient care, UHCW recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values and Behaviours in their everyday life. Therefore, if you are invited to interview, you will be undertaking a Values Based Interview/Assessment, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.

The Supporting Information Section in your application should therefore reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated Behaviours. You will be expected to provide us with examples from work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviour.

Where a post has an overwhelming response, this Trust may use random selection in order to reduce numbers to interview, any disabled applicants will automatically be guaranteed an interview and will be exempt from this process.

This data will be transferred using NHS Electronic Staff Record and third-party systems via an automated process and only used for the purposes of obtaining and maintaining accurate employment records, should you be appointed to the post.

UHCW NHS Trust, by virtue of its Green Plan, is committed to ensuring that the way we provide services minimises the impact on the environment and the future health of the public e.g. zero waste to landfill, reducing our carbon footprint and increasing our recycling and reuse percentages.

If you are successful at interview you will receive a conditional offer of employment and we’ll ask you for information so that we can carry out pre-employment checks. You must successfully complete all pre-employment checks to progress to a final unconditional offer.

We must confirm the identity of our staff and their right to work in the United Kingdom. We will ask you to submit proof of your identity and right to work documents via a secure digital platform approved by the Home Office, named TrustID. Alternatively, you may be asked to attend our office with original documents.

Depending on you level of exposure with patients you may be required to undertake a Standard or Enhanced DBS. The cost of this check will be charged to you and will be deducted from your salary over the first 3 months of employment at the current rate.

All correspondence will be sent by email; please check your account regularly including your Junk/SPAM folders