An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Community Dietitian team at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust for a newly created 24.5 hour per week Specialist Dietitian role.
We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Specialist Dietitian to join our Integrated Nutrition and Dietetic service at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust. You will work alongside the community dietetic team to provide a safe, effective and evidence based service to patients in community settings. This includes nutrition support, home enteral feeding and general dietetic clinics.
You will be joining a supportive and enthusiastic team of Dietitians, Dietetic Support Workers and a Team Secretary. The successful candidate will support driving quality improvement within the service.
We are looking for a passionate and innovative dietitian who is keen to share and develop their clinical knowledge acquired in relation to nutrition support and enteral feeding. The role requires excellent communication and team working skills, as well as the ability to work autonomously to manage a specialist caseload.
Main duties of the job
To provide a safe, effective and consistently high‑quality Nutrition and Dietetic service at Stockport Foundation Trust.
Manage a delegated caseload within specialist area, assess, plan and implement patient‑centred, evidence‑based interventions.
To provide evidence‑based care, education and information to patients, carers and health care professionals across inpatient, outpatient settings and community home visits.
Contribute to the training and development of Dietetic students, as well as supervising and supporting Dietitians and Dietetic Assistants/Support Workers.
To support and develop the dietetic service within specialist clinical areas.
Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities
- Provide specialist Dietetic treatment to delegated caseload of community‑based patients using evidence‑based patient‑centred principles to assess, implement and evaluate interventions. This may include home enteral feeding, oral nutrition support and general therapeutic dietary interventions.
- Regularly evaluate treatment plans to ensure they are safe and effective.
- Support and develop the Dietetic service and act as a clinical specialist alongside the MDT.
- Provide advice on the use of oral nutritional supplements, enteral and parenteral nutrition as required.
- Act as an independent practitioner and be professionally accountable and responsible for aspects of own work. Decide priorities for own work, balancing patient‑related and professional demands in consultation with Team Leaders.
- Work alongside consultants, specialist nurses and ward staff to provide specialist nutritional treatment plans as part of holistic patient care.
- Provide expert advice on the management of patients referred to the nutrition team due to additional complex clinical and nutritional needs and liaise with Team Leader and Specialist Dietitians within the department to agree appropriate management.
- Attend ward rounds, MDT meetings and best interest meetings as needed, promoting an understanding of the role of diet and nutrition in achieving the best outcome for each patient.
- Provide training to healthcare professionals regarding nutritional care and interventions, including presentations.
- Contribute to developing diet sheets and new teaching materials.
- Collect all data necessary to meet local requirements for service monitoring.
- Work in conjunction with colleagues on development and implementation of local policies based on national nutritional guidance.
- Identify and undertake clinical audit.
- Maintain professional competence and expertise, keeping up‑to‑date with current research, working practices and models of working.
- Participate in personal and professional development through objective setting and regular job review.
- Provide clinical supervision and support to Band 5 Dietitians and Dietetic Assistants.
- Work as a committed and effective member of the Community Dietitian, Integrated Nutrition and Dietetic, Therapy and wider MDT Teams to maximise the potential of the service and profession.
- Work towards gaining experience in a specialised area of dietetics if service demands require this, by shadowing and providing cover when appropriate.
- Support other specialist dietitians with caseloads in their absence and offer support to other clinical areas to ensure all patients are seen in a timely manner.
- Observe the provisions of and adhere to all Trust policies and procedures.
- Comply with professional guidelines and Code of Conduct.
If successful, this vacancy will require an enhanced DBS check at a cost of £54.90. This cost will be deducted from your first Trust salary.
In addition to this it will be a condition of your employment that you join the DBS update service and pay the annual subscription fee of £16.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
- Degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics or Postgraduate Diploma in Human Nutrition and Dietetics.
- Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
- Member of the British Dietetic Association.
- Member of relevant British Dietetic Association Specialist Groups.
- Postgraduate training in nutrition support.
- Post‑registration training in enteral nutrition.
- Attendance at courses, conferences or study days which support dietetic knowledge and/or practice.
Knowledge
- Specialist knowledge across a range of nutrition and dietetic procedures acquired through degree and postgraduate experience.
- Specialist knowledge relevant to clinical area.
- Understanding of audit and its role in clinical practice/service development.
- Knowledge of policies and procedures and guidelines relevant to role.
- Awareness of dietetic products and clinical reason(s) for use.
- Understanding of NHS structure and systems.
- Awareness of cultural diversity and equality issues.
- Good working knowledge of frailty and underlying health conditions.
Experience
- Experience in managing oral nutrition support.
- Experience in managing enteral nutrition support.
- Working in a team.
- Ability to work autonomously.
- Managing a clinical caseload.
- Clinical audit.
- Working in a multi‑professional environment.
- Presenting training sessions/talks.
Skills and Abilities
- Able to make an assessment of nutritional issues/problems.
- Ability to manage a range of nutritional issues/problems.
- High‑quality written communication skills.
- High‑quality verbal communication skills.
- Ability to communicate complex information to clients, carers and other professionals in a sensitive manner.
- Ability to adapt communication style where required (with individuals or groups).
- Ability to motivate or persuade others to facilitate change.
- Able to keep accurate records relating to patient care.
- Ability to reflect on practice with peers/supervisors.
- Active team member.
- Flexibility/adaptability in handling work pressures, competing interests and busy caseload to meet service needs.
- Developed time management skills.
- Well‑developed problem‑solving/analytical skills.
- Able to recognise own clinical and experience boundaries and to seek support/advice when appropriate.
- Well‑motivated, with a commitment to developing the service.
- Strong commitment to personal development.
- IT skills (nutritional analysis, word‑processing, e‑mail; internet, intranet searches).
Work related circumstances
- Exposure to potentially distressing or emotional situations pertaining to the clinical or social circumstances of patients.
- Must maintain patient confidentiality at all times.
- Able to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service.
- Access to own car with a valid driver’s licence in order to travel across the locality of Stockport for domiciliary community working (or suitable alternative transport arrangements).
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
£39,959 to £48,117 a year pro‑ratio per annum
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