Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key results from the job holder

• To work as an autonomous practitioner within the Community Dietetic Team specialising in adult nutrition support whilst delivering remote and face to face assessments across the full range of Dietetic specialities within the community.
• To manage a defined caseload, working to agreed standards and protocols which reflect evidence-based practice and dietetic principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
• To collect and assimilate information necessary to undertake nutritional assessment and determine nutritional needs of the patient including referral to other disciplines as appropriate.
• To develop, monitor and review appropriate care plans, to meet the needs of individuals using complex numerical calculations, interpretation of clinical, biochemical, and psychosocial information.
• To assess and interpret the medical diagnoses and changes in medical condition of individual patient and understands how this affects nutritional management.
• To monitor and review nutritional care plans against outcome measures and adjust care plan to facilitate achievement of goal
• To communicate effectively with patients, relatives, care staff, and health care professionals to negotiate and support decision making in relation to therapeutic management and evaluating outcomes.
• To be able to adapt the communication skills within a variety of settings using various approaches including knowledge of learning theories and barriers to learning.
• To take part in clinical supervision and seek advice around any complex situations from Senior Dietitians within the Nutrition Service.
• To attend dietetic meetings with the wider dietetic team and contribute to dietetic meetings with case studies, new evidence, and updates in own area of work.
• To provide clinical education, advice and support for junior therapy staff, support staff and students, adapting training to suit the learners needs and learning style.
• To provide specialist knowledge, skills, and advice to clients, and be a source of      expertise for therapy staff, other members of the MDT and other agencies.
• To supervise, educate and assess the performance of therapy students.
• To contribute to service research and audit activities.
• To support the Team Lead with strategic planning and development of the service.
• To be flexible to meet the needs of the service and propose any service changes within own professional speciality area.

 Planning and Organisational Duties

• To be responsible for designated area of work and prioritise workload in line with Dietetic standards and priorities.
• To accurately record all assessments and interventions on electronic systems in line with Trust policy.
• To record and submit clinical and professional activity using manual and electronic means according to departmental standards.
• To contribute to the Clinical Governance agenda by representing the Nutrition and Dietetic service on subgroups, undertaking audit projects as part of clinical practice and engaging in CPD and departmental appraisal system.
•  To contribute to and comment on the department policies, resources and matters relating to nutrition and dietetics.
• To promote safe standards of care and service.
•  Interpret and follow the Trust and professional policy/clinical guidelines.
• To communicate and liaise with other agencies appropriately, e.g., members of the MDT, acute Dietitians, nurses, social care.

 Communications and Key Working Relationships 

• To communicate effectively with patients and carers to maximise Dietetic effectiveness and to ensure understanding of condition and the Dietetic care plan. Use communication skills such as persuasion and motivational interviewing to produce a person centred, patient specific Dietetic care plan.
• To use communication tools (verbal and non-verbal) to gain informed consent with patients where there will often be barriers to effective communication e.g., loss of hearing, altered perception, expressive and receptive dysphasia, pain, fear etc.
• To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• To communicate complex patient-related information (as well as non-patient information) effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing and therapy colleagues to ensure the delivery of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary service

 Responsibility for Human Resources

• To attend and contribute to Nutrition and Dietetic Service meetings as required.
• To assist in the clinical supervision and assessment of Band 5 Dietitians, support staff and student dietitians including planning and evaluation.
• To assist in delivering formal and informal training to other health care professionals and staff groups.
• To participate in clinical supervision.
• To attend Dietetic Meetings and be an active member of the in-service training programme.

 Responsibility for Health & Safety

Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 – the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. 

 Responsibility for Teaching

• To educate patients, relatives and carers in conditions, their effects and dietetic treatments in order to improve compliance.
• To receive, plan, deliver and evaluate in-service training for own profession and others.
• To participate in the planning, evaluation and audit of practices, clinical pathways, and protocols within your clinical area.
• To participate with other team members in measurement of and evaluation of work and current practice through use of outcome measures and audit.

 Work Circumstances & on-call

Monday to Friday with no on-call