Job summary
37.5 hours per week.
Would you like to work with people who have a
diverse range of needs, who also struggle to manage their health and weight?
The Weight Management team are an experienced multi-disciplinary team, offering
support to patients using individual and group interventions. We work closely
with other agencies and together with
the local Bariatric Surgical Team.
We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic RegisteredDietitianas a Band 6 Specialist Practitioner to be an integral part of all aspects of
the service. This will include working with Weight Management patients and
patients that are either preparing for or who have undergone bariatric surgery.
You will be providing a wide range of clinical interventions to support the
health and wellbeing of this complex group of patients.
The post is based at the Cumberland Centre with
a Hybrid working pattern and requires some evening work.
Informal enquiries to: Kirsty Settle, (Weight
Management Team Manager) on 434623 or at k.settle@nhs.net
Main duties of the job
The main duties of the role include; providing a specialist service to patients with morbid obesity and co-morbidities
to assist with managing their weight.
To provide education, coaching, signposting and guidance to patients on a one-to-one or group basis. Being a resource for health and social care
professionals, carers, relatives or other non-professional contacts. To be an integral member of the MDT to support decision making, providing education, training and dissemination of
information to all healthcare professionals.
To be an autonomous practitioner, holding a clinical caseload and working without direct
supervision. To be a Registered Dietitian, working in line with all requirement of the profession.
This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route; please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility.
Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity.
All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.
About us
Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social
enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across
Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of
Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports
centres, and health hubs.
As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values,kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and
collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while
empowering staff and those we serve.
We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in
shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right
time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead
healthy, independent lives.
We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training
pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care
Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship
programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.
Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all
sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental
health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the
application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.
Job description
Job responsibilities
MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
To provide a specialist role in the assessment and management of patients referred to the Weight
Management service from primary and secondary care.
To undertake all aspects of clinical practice as an autonomous practitioner. To be a Registered Dietitian, working in line with all requirement of the profession.
In the absence of the Weight Management Clinical lead to manage the day-to-day delivery of the
service.
To be responsible for own caseload, working with support from Weight Management Clinical Lead
as required.
To undertake all aspects of clinical practice as an autonomous practitioner. Manage Clinical risk
within own caseload. Take part in service audit to assess the effectiveness of the service.
Participate in evidence-based audit and research projects to further own and team clinical practice.
Provide support to other multi-disciplinary members of the Weight Management team as required.
5.1 Responsibility for People Management.
To act as a role model for all staff and students demonstrating clinical skills and high standards of practice
and professional conduct.
To participate in team activities so as to develop and consolidate a cohesive and supportive team ensuring
openness within the team.
To assist with the supervision and co-ordination of junior staff in the absence of the service lead.
Ensure that own practice and that of junior staff in the absence of the service lead meets the
standards set for the service.
To have a flexible approach to the working day in order to respond to the needs of the service
effetely.
5.2 Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources.
To use resources responsibly and to report any problems with equipment in line with
organisational/service guidelines.
5.3 Responsibility for administration.
Maintain accurate and up to date patient records and inform other professionals about changes in
patients condition.
Participate in the collection and gathering of data for audit purposes on a weekly basis. To assist in the preparation and delivery of the teaching programme for patients to help them learn
to manage weight
The post holder is required to comply with all infection control policies and guidance, attend relevant
updates and report issues of concern to their immediate line manager (if no action or explanation
received, then it is the individuals responsibility to escalate to Director of Operations/Chief Executive
Office).
To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records on
caseload
5.4 Responsibility for people who use our services.
To be professional and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management
of patients in your care.
To undertake comprehensive clinical and social assessments of patients with morbid obesity
including those with diverse presentations of multi pathologies; use of developed specialist clinical
reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide an accurate assessment of their
condition
Formulate and deliver individual treatment and care programme based on sound developed
specialist knowledge of evidence-based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment,
reasoning skills and knowledge of treatments available.
Formulate judgement involving complex facts and interpretation relating to accurate progress and
recommend best course of intervention and continued care for patients.
To manage clinical risks within own patient caseload and refer to appropriate multi-disciplinary team.
Where required, to follow patients up prior to referral for bariatric surgery and to monitor and offer
support to enable patients to self-manage their condition and treatment effectively.
Provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information, where persuasive, motivational,
negating, empathic and re-assurance skills are required both verbal and non-verbal, to communicate
effectively with patients, carers, GPs and consultant's patient's progress and treatment programmes.
This will include patients who may have difficulty understanding or communicating, e.g. patients may
be dysphasic, depressed, deaf, blind or may have difficulty accepting diagnosis. When working in
the community settings not directly supervised but able to contact Weight Management lead for
advice/support and discuss own caseload routinely.
Provide psychological support to patients who are anxious and depressed as directed.
Develop links with other professional and voluntary bodies to ensure maximum effectiveness of the
service and patient care and community support.
To be responsible for organizing and planning own workload to meet the service and patient
priorities.
Plan, manage and prioritize clinical caseload delegating patients to other staff members as required
to generate a caseload for them. To demonstrate effective communication with patients, staff and
other members of the multi-disciplinary team. When communicating with patients it should be at the appropriate level for patients to understand such as patients suffering from terminal illness,
dementia, disability, visually impairment and /or hearing impairment.
Act as a patient advocate as required ensuring individual needs, preferences and choices
are delivered by the Service.
5.5 Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments.
To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities and maintain
a portfolio which reflects personal development.
Assist in maintaining current knowledge of evidence-based practice of junior staff within the team.
Participate in research into specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery.
Assist in evaluation of the service provided to that of primary and secondary care to develop
improvements to service delivery and clinical practice, to ensure high standards
and innovative practice are maintained.
Make recommendations on changes to Clinical Practice within Weight Management and present to
line manager with full responsibility for implementation
6. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
Patients and their families will have complex requirements in relation to obesity, obesity surgery and
related co-morbidities. The environment in which this is undertaken is highly emotive and can
occasionally be hostile/antagonistic/challenging in nature. Information is of a complex, often
sensitive nature that is life changing and requires skillful assessment of the individuals ability to
comprehend/understand; therefore tact, diplomacy and motivational interviewing skills are essential
alongside the ability to overcome barriers to understanding.
Daily concentration on making patient assessments and making recommendation of treatments to
patients and other health professionals.
Regular interruptions in daily work pattern from medical staff, patients, GPs and junior members of
the Weight Management team seeking support and advice.
7. PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB
Occasional encounters with rude or verbal aggression
Frequently exert moderate physical effort when transporting items of equipment required in carrying
out patient assessments and educational sessions where appropriate. Be able to carry our frequent position changes including sitting, standing and walking when engaging
with patients. To operate a VDU every day
Occasional interruptions in daily work pattern, from patient, GPs and other health professionals / agencies
Job description
Job responsibilities
MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
To provide a specialist role in the assessment and management of patients referred to the Weight
Management service from primary and secondary care.
To undertake all aspects of clinical practice as an autonomous practitioner. To be a Registered Dietitian, working in line with all requirement of the profession.
In the absence of the Weight Management Clinical lead to manage the day-to-day delivery of the
service.
To be responsible for own caseload, working with support from Weight Management Clinical Lead
as required.
To undertake all aspects of clinical practice as an autonomous practitioner. Manage Clinical risk
within own caseload. Take part in service audit to assess the effectiveness of the service.
Participate in evidence-based audit and research projects to further own and team clinical practice.
Provide support to other multi-disciplinary members of the Weight Management team as required.
5.1 Responsibility for People Management.
To act as a role model for all staff and students demonstrating clinical skills and high standards of practice
and professional conduct.
To participate in team activities so as to develop and consolidate a cohesive and supportive team ensuring
openness within the team.
To assist with the supervision and co-ordination of junior staff in the absence of the service lead.
Ensure that own practice and that of junior staff in the absence of the service lead meets the
standards set for the service.
To have a flexible approach to the working day in order to respond to the needs of the service
effetely.
5.2 Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources.
To use resources responsibly and to report any problems with equipment in line with
organisational/service guidelines.
5.3 Responsibility for administration.
Maintain accurate and up to date patient records and inform other professionals about changes in
patients condition.
Participate in the collection and gathering of data for audit purposes on a weekly basis. To assist in the preparation and delivery of the teaching programme for patients to help them learn
to manage weight
The post holder is required to comply with all infection control policies and guidance, attend relevant
updates and report issues of concern to their immediate line manager (if no action or explanation
received, then it is the individuals responsibility to escalate to Director of Operations/Chief Executive
Office).
To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records on
caseload
5.4 Responsibility for people who use our services.
To be professional and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management
of patients in your care.
To undertake comprehensive clinical and social assessments of patients with morbid obesity
including those with diverse presentations of multi pathologies; use of developed specialist clinical
reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide an accurate assessment of their
condition
Formulate and deliver individual treatment and care programme based on sound developed
specialist knowledge of evidence-based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment,
reasoning skills and knowledge of treatments available.
Formulate judgement involving complex facts and interpretation relating to accurate progress and
recommend best course of intervention and continued care for patients.
To manage clinical risks within own patient caseload and refer to appropriate multi-disciplinary team.
Where required, to follow patients up prior to referral for bariatric surgery and to monitor and offer
support to enable patients to self-manage their condition and treatment effectively.
Provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information, where persuasive, motivational,
negating, empathic and re-assurance skills are required both verbal and non-verbal, to communicate
effectively with patients, carers, GPs and consultant's patient's progress and treatment programmes.
This will include patients who may have difficulty understanding or communicating, e.g. patients may
be dysphasic, depressed, deaf, blind or may have difficulty accepting diagnosis. When working in
the community settings not directly supervised but able to contact Weight Management lead for
advice/support and discuss own caseload routinely.
Provide psychological support to patients who are anxious and depressed as directed.
Develop links with other professional and voluntary bodies to ensure maximum effectiveness of the
service and patient care and community support.
To be responsible for organizing and planning own workload to meet the service and patient
priorities.
Plan, manage and prioritize clinical caseload delegating patients to other staff members as required
to generate a caseload for them. To demonstrate effective communication with patients, staff and
other members of the multi-disciplinary team. When communicating with patients it should be at the appropriate level for patients to understand such as patients suffering from terminal illness,
dementia, disability, visually impairment and /or hearing impairment.
Act as a patient advocate as required ensuring individual needs, preferences and choices
are delivered by the Service.
5.5 Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments.
To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities and maintain
a portfolio which reflects personal development.
Assist in maintaining current knowledge of evidence-based practice of junior staff within the team.
Participate in research into specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery.
Assist in evaluation of the service provided to that of primary and secondary care to develop
improvements to service delivery and clinical practice, to ensure high standards
and innovative practice are maintained.
Make recommendations on changes to Clinical Practice within Weight Management and present to
line manager with full responsibility for implementation
6. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
Patients and their families will have complex requirements in relation to obesity, obesity surgery and
related co-morbidities. The environment in which this is undertaken is highly emotive and can
occasionally be hostile/antagonistic/challenging in nature. Information is of a complex, often
sensitive nature that is life changing and requires skillful assessment of the individuals ability to
comprehend/understand; therefore tact, diplomacy and motivational interviewing skills are essential
alongside the ability to overcome barriers to understanding.
Daily concentration on making patient assessments and making recommendation of treatments to
patients and other health professionals.
Regular interruptions in daily work pattern from medical staff, patients, GPs and junior members of
the Weight Management team seeking support and advice.
7. PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB
Occasional encounters with rude or verbal aggression
Frequently exert moderate physical effort when transporting items of equipment required in carrying
out patient assessments and educational sessions where appropriate. Be able to carry our frequent position changes including sitting, standing and walking when engaging
with patients. To operate a VDU every day
Occasional interruptions in daily work pattern, from patient, GPs and other health professionals / agencies
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
Desirable
- Community service experience
- Experience of working in weight
- management or health improvement
- service
Specific Skills
Essential
- Interpersonal skills
- Presentation skills
- Ability to organise, prioritise and
- delegate
- Ability to work within a team and
- autonomously.
- Leadership skills
- Ability to cope with
- stressful/emotional situations.
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Flexible working including evenings as required.
- Effective team worker
- Proactive, with an ability to set up new initiatives
- Self motivated
- Empathetic and approachable
- To display accurate time keeping
- Flexible regarding duties and ability to cope with change
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Dietician
- BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics
- HCPC registration
- Evidence of on-going professional
- development
Desirable
- Counselling qualification
Knowledge
Essential
- Specialist Knowledge related to
- Weight Management
- Evidence of clinical knowledge
- Experience working with other
- agencies
- Evidence of participation in
- audit/research
- Evidence of CPD maintained in a
- portfolio
- Contribute to clinical education
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
Desirable
- Community service experience
- Experience of working in weight
- management or health improvement
- service
Specific Skills
Essential
- Interpersonal skills
- Presentation skills
- Ability to organise, prioritise and
- delegate
- Ability to work within a team and
- autonomously.
- Leadership skills
- Ability to cope with
- stressful/emotional situations.
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Flexible working including evenings as required.
- Effective team worker
- Proactive, with an ability to set up new initiatives
- Self motivated
- Empathetic and approachable
- To display accurate time keeping
- Flexible regarding duties and ability to cope with change
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Dietician
- BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics
- HCPC registration
- Evidence of on-going professional
- development
Desirable
- Counselling qualification
Knowledge
Essential
- Specialist Knowledge related to
- Weight Management
- Evidence of clinical knowledge
- Experience working with other
- agencies
- Evidence of participation in
- audit/research
- Evidence of CPD maintained in a
- portfolio
- Contribute to clinical education
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 (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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 (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
