Job responsibilities
Responsibility for People Management;
Manage and prioritise a defined complex obesity caseload of patients and delegate
where appropriate.
To support and participate in the induction and supervision of new staff and other
team members.
Acting as an advanced specialist obesity resource and assist in teaching knowledge
and clinical skills for other health care professionals including specialist weight
management practitioners.
Be responsible for the day-to-day management of the weight management team
without direct supervision in the absence of the team manager.
Mentor and give advice on the management of weight management patients to the
specialist team and provide regular caseload reviews/supervision
Take individual responsibility for personal and professional development, maintain
competencies, knowledge and skills commensurate with the role and NMC code /
HCPC standards
Provide and maintain a learning environment and maximise opportunities for
education and development in the clinical area to support and enhance individual
development and performance in the delivery of high standards of care.
Act as role model for other staff and students demonstrating high standards of
specialist practice and professional conduct according to the NMC code/HCPC
standards
Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources;
Responsible for identifying when stock is low and making requests for ordering.
Identifying when equipment is not fit for use or new equipment is required.
Responsibility for administration
To report and record all incidents and near misses relating to health, safeguarding,
safety, security, fire, physical violence, aggression and verbal abuse.
Review and sign-off clinical incident reports where required.
Maintain accurate records, which are confidential, up to date, legible and must
ensure care given is documented at the earliest possible time.
Documentation records may be paper or IT based and must be maintained as
specified in the Organisational Policies, NMC / HCPC guidelines and Government
directives.
Responsibility for people who use our services;
Works as an independent autonomous practitioner within a defined scope of highly
advanced specialist practice in accordance with the NMC code / HCPC standards
with the support of endocrinology
Maintain V300 Non-medical Prescribing competence and take responsibility for
prescribing in line with the non-medical prescribing policy and within Devon
Formulary.
Access the appropriate clinical supervision in line with policy.
Work within the framework of / National Guidance for the administration of
emergency drugs
Working within professional guidelines (local and national) to develop specialised
programmes and pathways of care for patients with obesity
To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to patients,
relatives, carers and other professionals, to promote understanding of their condition,
drugs and self-management to ensure a consistent and individualised approach to
patient care.
To enable patients to be managed in the community by making clinical decisions as
part of the patient management plan which may involve optimising and de prescribing
of specialist drugs.
Benchmark the quality of care being delivered in the weight management service
against national guidelines and other services.
Give highly specialised advice to people living with obesity
Deal effectively with arising clinical issues and emergency situations as an
independent autonomous practitioner.
To interpret clinical and complex information and use these to consider a variety of
options when planning the patients care.
Providing clinical support and guidance to the rest of the team ensuring the
appropriate referral and assessment of patients to the prescribing pathway
To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of your work including
management of patient care within NMC / HCPC guidelines
Work within Livewell guidelines and have an excellent working knowledge of national
standards, NICE Guidance and current research in the field
Co-ordinates and uses analytical and judgment skills to provide specialist care
delivery across the multi-disciplinary team.
Acts as a case-manager for the patient ensuring smooth communication between
primary and secondary care services.
Attend and contribute to the development of the weight management service as a
member of the multi-disciplinary team, advocating patient issues.
Demonstrate advanced communication skills required to enable case discussions
concerning service users in their caseload.
Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments;
Propose policy changes and service development ideas which have impact beyond own area and role.
Support the team lead and implement the development of policies and protocols to
improve patient care.
Fosters collaboration with key stakeholders when developing new services or patient
pathways.
Use change management skills to implement new practices and service changes.
Other Responsibilities;
Take a leading role with the team manager in the planning, development and day-today running of the weight management service.
Take responsibility for your own personal and professional development; maintain
competence, knowledge and skills commensurate with role
Access regular supervision to maintain prescribing competencies and other advance
health care practice within the scope of the role.
To develop, plan, implement and evaluate educational programmes for service
users.
To undertake all required training to develop competencies required for the role
Integrate theory into practice by bringing new knowledge around obesity into the
practice environment.
Maintain attendance at mandatory and statutory training as per organisation
guidelines.
Work within the NMC Code / HCPC standards
Have a personal development plan and professional portfolio
COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS;
Explaining diagnoses and treatment plans: Communicating complex conditions and
treatment options in a clear, understandable manner.
Providing emotional support: Offering empathy, reassurance and support to patients during
potential stressful times.
Facilitating shared decision-making: Helping patients understand their choices and
participate in care decisions.
Providing information about lifestyle changes, medication
management and disease progression.
Addressing concerns and answering questions: Acting as a point of contact for patient and
family inquiries.
Managing challenging or aggressive behaviour: utilising communication skills to de- escalate
potentially difficult situations.
Interprofessional Communication:
Collaborating with the multidisciplinary team: Communicating with doctors, nurses and other
health care professionals to coordinate patient care.
Sharing information and updates: Providing regular updates on patient progress and any
significant changes in condition.
Advocating for patients: Representing patient needs and preferences within the
healthcare team.
Participating in team meetings and case conferences: Discussing complex patient cases
and contributing to care planning.
Networking with Specialists: Connecting with other experts in related fields.
Liaising with Primary Care: Maintaining communication with GPs and secondary care where
required and other community healthcare providers.
Developing and delivering presentations: Sharing knowledge and best practice with
colleagues and other healthcare professionals.
Skills Required
Excellent verbal and written communication: Being able to clearly articulate information in
both spoken and written formats.
Active Listening: Paying close attention to patient and family concerns and questions.
Empathy and compassion: Demonstrating understanding and sensitivity towards patients
emotional needs.
Persuasion and motivational skills: Encouraging patients to adhere to treatment plans and
make healthy lifestyle choices.
Conflict resolution: Effectively managing challenging or aggressive behaviour.
Cultural sensitivity: Being aware of and respecting cultural differences in communication
styles and beliefs.
Develop an accessible service that promotes effective communication links throughout the
patients journey across the health community. Develop collaborative and advisory working
relationships with multidisciplinary teams and all stakeholders in patient care. Include GPs,
community nursing, palliative care teams, consultants of cardiology and other specialities
present and discuss complex patient issues within the MDT for optimum patient care and
management.
Discuss and advise GPs, medical teams and other healthcare professionals on significant
changes in patients condition and influence changes to management plans, in a sensitive
and effective manner, to ensure best practice care and outcomes.
Communicate highly sensitive and obesity- related issues to patients and take into
consideration any barriers to communication or understanding.
Using advanced communication skills effectively and sensitively communicate the
complexity of managing the patients condition whilst also providing psychological support.
Compassionate approach to highly sensitive discussions with patients about their condition.
Please see supporting information for full Job Description and Person Specification.
