Job responsibilities
Job description summary - please see full document in attachments section
To work as the sole Dietitian for Livewell's Adult Mental Health Units, with support and line management from another dietitian within the wider team and the MDT on the individual units.
The post sits within the Adult Speech and Language Therapy and Inpatient Dietetics Service, which is part of the Adult Frailty, and Specialist Services Directorate. The post will also operate within the Mental Health and Wellbeing Service. The post will also include a small amount of cross cover between the Adult Mental Health service and Plym Neuro Rehab Unit, to allow for supervision, and cover of annual leave/ sickness etc.
5. MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
5.1Responsibility for People Management
Develop own and others skills, knowledge, expertise, ensuring continuous professional development by various methods (e.g., in-service training, workshops, shadowing, 1:1, training courses, peer facilitation) when relevant and appropriate to the needs of the service and funding.
Actively contribute to the staff appraisal process as an appraisee, and appraiser as appropriate.
To support the learning programme of student dietitians on clinical placement
Actively participate in peer supervision and clinical development opportunities with peer clinicians.
Actively participate in clinical and operational supervision with senior clinicians and managers.
Undertakes appraisal and supervision of staff where applicable.
Provides training for peers and staff regularly as a routine part of staff and service development as required (as often as daily for new staff)
Assess and record competency of less experienced staff, colleagues from other professions, unqualified staff and students, and carers to carry out any delegated tasks.
To supervise junior members of the department if the department expands to enable them to prioritise their workload.
5.3 Responsibility for administration
Contribute to the clinical discharge planning process and onward referral as required.
Prioritise urgent or unexpected or unplanned referrals, adjusting caseloads and allocations to meet revised needs.
Liaise with hotel services with regards to special dietary needs, texture modification diets and new nutritional products available.
Maintain accurate and timely electronic and paper records of activity and contacts to support contractual requirements.
Be able to use a keyboard to enter client data and access information, and use the PCH website, email system and electronic notes system.
Clinically and professional responsible for maintaining client records (paper based or electronic).
5.4 Responsibility for people who use our services
Obtain and record informed consent from clients at each contact in accordance with Livewell SW policy.
Negotiate with clients and carers to identify and formulate client-centred goals and demonstrate ongoing evaluation of client progress using agreed outcome measures.
Carry out comprehensive specialist assessments for clients with complex AMH presentations, including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi-pathologies, and /or disordered eating, to identify their problems and needs and ensure that patients medical, biochemical, pharmacological, psychological, social and cultural factors are taken into account.
Interpret treatment regimens, blood test results, fluid balance and stool charts for a range of disease states and monitor changes, adjusting dietary treatment if necessary to prevent under/over-nutrition. This will involve nutritional assessment and calculation of nutritional requirements based on the interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometry, clinical condition and diet history.
To advise on the safe use of prescribed nutritional supplementary feeds.
To provide education and training to support clients with weight management and healthy eating.
Use appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication tools e.g., instructions, motivation, diagrams, and pictures.
Formulate and deliver individual treatment programmes based on specialist knowledge, evidence-based practice, national and local guidelines using profession-specific clinical skills and techniques. (e.g. 1:1s, group activities, patient education, carer education)
To be able to adapt style of communication if the patient has communication, cognitive or other problems that may create a barrier to communication affecting ultimate treatment outcomes eg using appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication tools e.g. instructions, motivation, diagrams, and pictures.
Have direct face to face responsibility for client contact when assessing or treating.
Dealing with clients daily who may be verbally or physically aggressive. To treat clients who are upset and distressed e.g., when clients and families are coming to terms with a complex mental health condition or dealing with advanced dementia. This may occur on at least a weekly, if not daily, basis as the post holder covers a range of wards.
Assess and plan therapeutic interventions from initial referral to discharge, and onward management, which may include very long-term plans, and contribute to care packages for clients with chronic, complex conditions.
Be responsible for the therapy element of ongoing treatment packages. Provide specialist advice via written or verbal instruction to clients, carers and relatives. This may be exercise programmes, health education, preventative or condition- specific advice
5.5 Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments
Identify and manage clinical and other risks. Record near misses and actual events through the incident reporting process.
Undertake measurement, evaluation, and audit of the service to improve quality, standards and contribute to the evidence base. Promptly act on feedback from clients to improve their experience.
To contribute to the development and implementation of local/team/departmental policies and standards with support from senior staff and to educate other team members in their implementation
Provide timely data about team performance and client outcome measures related to activity and contract monitoring regularly or as required.
Carry out audit to improve service and compliance with local and national standards, to facilitate best practice and enhance service delivery e.g., audit of the completion of nutrition screening tools on all wards.
To contribute to the development and updating of the nutrition-related policies e.g., enteral feeding policy which is evidence-based and has Clinical Governance implications, and policies relating to Government initiatives.
To be responsible for producing and updating dietetic resources in line with current research.
To carry out regular clinical audit projects in these specialist areas, to facilitate best practice and enhance service delivery e.g., audit of the completion of nutrition screening tools on all wards.
To attend and contribute to relevant team/service meetings.
To co-ordinate, monitor and maintain up-to-date standards of practice.
5.6 Other Responsibilities
Be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including caseload management and direct clinical care. To work within the professional bodys code of conduct and scope of practice.
Undertake other duties when requested by professional or operational managers.
To exhibit a committed attitude to all aspects of work
Be an autonomous practitioner, working within appropriate professional guidelines and code of conduct.
Triage, prioritise and manage own clinical caseload. To advise less experienced staff on managing their caseload.
To be responsible for independently organising and planning own caseload to meet service and patients priorities, readjusting plans as situations change.
Manage often competing clinical and non-clinical demands and prioritise appropriately to meet the overall service need.
Concentrate during assessments, client report preparation and documenting clinical activity. These activities are carried out every day, in busy clinical areas with frequent interruptions.
Be frequently exposed to emotionally demanding or distressing circumstances when dealing with clients with emotional needs or challenging behaviours, carers or relatives. This may be highly distressing on occasions.
To develop a safe caseload management plan by evaluating the condition of clients, the volume of caseload and other commitments within the role to prioritise work, decrease clinical risk and achieve deadlines. These decisions will be taken without consulting the line manager.
To work with the dietitian who covers the Pym Neuro Rehab Unit so that mutual cross cover arrangements and support/ supervision can be provided.
The post will include flexible working patterns over 37.5 hours working week, some posts cover a 24-hour seven day working week.
The post holder will need to travel and attend to service users based across Plymouth and other geographical areas. Full and valid driving licence and access to a car for work purposes is required. Reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act will be considered for the successful applicant.
6. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
To communicate with clients, relatives, carers, colleagues, external agencies as appropriate using highly developed communication skills to develop and maintain relationships, provide information, persuade, or influence, or communicate difficult, unwelcome or contentious information.
Act as a point of reference for other health professionals in Adult and Older Peoples Mental Health, giving advice and supporting their clinical practice.
Be able to use the written or spoken word effectively and appropriately, via face-to-face, email, telephone, letter, presentation. Communication may be 1:1, or in groups. There may be considerable barriers to understanding or acceptance of the information e.g., aphasia, deafness, depression.
