Camden Adults Dietetics Service Lead

Job Overview

To be responsible for the day to day planning, management, development, monitoring and provision of the dietetic service within Camden Community and St Pancras Rehabilitation Unit (SPRU).

To provide leadership, support, clinical supervision and develop the members of the Dietetic team (Specialist Dieticians and support workers) in the area of nutrition support services.

To produce, disseminate and evaluate multi-disciplinary Trust-wide policies, strategies, guidelines, standards and protocols in the area of Nutrition support using expert knowledge, extensive clinical experience and professional judgement.

Main duties of the job

To manage the dietetic and nutrition support team, lead recruitment and retention, monitor absence and deal with performance issues.

To lead in the area of dietetic prescribing and ensure the dietitians are providing feeds appropriately To lead in the development and provision of specialist training packages; on screening and nutritional support to Trust and other staff, student dietitians, community groups, and health professionals including district nurses, nursing home staff and care workers Network with other lead Dietitians within CNWL to ensure good governance, clinical standards and shared learning.

Working for our organisation

Our commitment as an employer and in accordance with the NHS constitution is to provide you with:

Clear roles and responsibilities and a rewarding job that can make a difference to patients, their families and those who care for them and communities.

Personal development, access to appropriate training for your job and line management support to succeed.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

To be professionally, legally accountable, and responsible for all aspects of your work.

To work autonomously to provide expert dietary advice to patients, carers, nurses, clinicians, dietitians and other health professionals/agencies within and across Trusts regarding nutritional support and the appropriate use of nutritional products.

To assess and diagnose nutritional problems including malnourishment, taking anthropometrical measurements, interpreting blood biochemistry results, analysing dietary intake, and calculating nutritional requirements.

To develop, deliver and review complex treatment plans.

To be responsible for ensuring appropriate authorisation/prescribing of nutritional sip feeds and enteral feeds for patients and recommend products to GPs and medical staff.

To communicate complex scientific and sensitive medical information in an understandable form to patients from a wide range of backgrounds, carers and families, tailored to their needs, gain consent, ensure understanding of the condition, treatment options, risks, acceptance and compliance with dietary treatment, which may include unwelcome or difficult to accept information e.g. lifetime adherence to artificial diet or limitations of treatment in terminal illness.

To apply highly developed communication, negotiation and counselling skills to facilitate behavioural changes, investigating and accommodating emotional, physical, social and psychological barriers as well as strong influences on change e.g. depression, dementia, language difficulties, resistant attitudes, aggression, behavioural problems, mental illness, and loss of speech after stroke or oral surgery. To effectively use interpreters, sign language, Information Technology or other means of communication appropriate to the client's requirements.

To be an expert source of information and advice to patients/carers and nursing staff on the use of artificial feeding, care of feeding equipment, stoma site, complications and problem-solving. To discuss and challenge complex ethical issues or decisions with service users and health professionals e.g. whether to continue feeding or not.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Degree/post graduate diploma Dietetics Health Care Professions Council Registration MSc in Nutrition/Advanced Dietetic Practice or equivalent experience in role Or extensive clinical dietetic experience in nutrition support and enteral feeding Evidence of post registration education and training and maintaining developmental portfolio

Desirable criteria

Management or leadership qualification

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria

Experience of line management, recruitment and retention, performance management and supervision Experience of contributing to service development including developing and implementing policies, guidelines and standards. Experience of managing change, problem solving and knowledge of improving productivity Understanding of finance and cost improvement Experience of dealing with conflict and complaints and emotional distress Extensive experience of training/teaching and development of others including healthcare professionals & Student dietitians Extensive clinical dietetic experience in nutrition support and enteral feeding Advanced knowledge of evidence based practice in Nutritional support/enteral feeding in adults Experience of clinical audit, research, methods of evaluation and critical appraisal Knowledge of diversity issues and ability to work with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and promote an equitable service Knowledge and application of counselling skills/motivational interviewing/behavioural change