Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated dietitian to join our friendly and innovative multidisciplinary team (MDT).
The post will be ideal for a Dietitian with experience in nutritional support who wants to develop clinical skills working with adults living in the community with a feeding tube and within a specialist neuro-rehabilitation setting.
You will be based and work closely with the MDT of Dietitians, Nutrition Nurse Specialists, Speech and Language Therapists, Administrators and support workers. You will be involved in the training and development of the team.
You will be actively encouraged and supported in your personal development, which will include involvement in multi-disciplinary CPD activities, research and audit.
Post is based in the Community at Waldron Health Centre, Amersham Vale
In this post, you will be an integral member of 2 multidisciplinary services, The Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) Team and the Blackheath Brain Injury and Neurorehabilitation Care Centre.You will have excellent communication and organisational skills to manage a diverse caseload of adults as well as effective team working skills.
Main duties of the job
As part of the HEN team, you will:
- Provide dietetic advice to adults who are tube fed in the communities of Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark
- Work closely with the multidisciplinary team supporting tube fed adults in the community
- Carry out activities that are an extension to the traditional dietetics role to ensure that patients, their families and carers receive care and advice on all aspects of tube feeding at home
At Blackheath, you will:
- Provide a specialist dietetic service to adults within the rehabilitation centre who have physical and cognitive impairments and/or neuropsychiatric disorders resulting from a brain injury or other neurological condition.
- Work closely with the MDT to assess, rehabilitate and support individuals
In both services you will be involved in training and innovative projects to improve the service and the quality of care provision.
The Home Enteral Nutrition Team is a specialist service that provides expert support for people of all ages to safely manage their eating, drinking and tube feeding at home in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham.
The Nutrition and Dietetic Department at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, provides a range of inpatient, outpatient and community services. You will work closely with the Home Enteral Nutrition Team for Children. You will also work alongside healthcare professionals within the acute and community sectors, education and social services to support adults who require home enteral nutrition.
About us
Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:
- Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
- Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
- Improving the experience of staff with disability
- Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
- Making equalities mainstream
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Summary:
- Member of the multidisciplinary Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) Team
- To assist in the provision of the dietetic service provided by the HEN team across Lewisham, Lambeth and Southwark, including the assessment and dietetic management of a specialist dietetic caseload receiving HEN
- To work closely with HEN Team members and carry out activities that are an extension to the traditional dietetics role to ensure that patients, their families and carers receive care and advice on all aspects of tube feeding at home
- To provide dietetic support to Blackheath Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre and Neurological Care Centre (BIRU) and work closely with the MDT to ensure that patients, their families and carers receive appropriate advice
- To support the development of the dietetic service provided by the HEN Team in accordance with the Trusts and HEN team strategy
Key Result Areas & Performance:
- To provide expert, evidence based dietetic assessment and advice for people receiving home enteral nutrition
- To provide expert, evidence based dietetic assessment and advice to people with a brain injury at BIRU
- To work with other members of the MDT to provide specific training sessions for patients to help them meet their nutrition related goals
- To assist in the management of the dietetic caseload ensuring high quality dietetic care is delivered. This will include the review of patients at appropriate intervals according to prioritising criteria and clinical judgement
- To undertake multidisciplinary assessment and review of patients
- To collaborate with HEN team members and carry out extended roles to ensure that patients receive care and advice on all aspects of tube feeding at home
- To agree care plans with patients and/ or carers and work with other members of the MDT to help meet their nutrition-related goals
- To work with the catering manager at BIRU to assist with menu planning and provision of special diets eg people with coeliac disease
- To work in a variety of community settings, advising patients, carers and health and social care professionals by telephone, virtually and face to face. This could be in a patients own homes, day centre, nursing home or rehabilitation centre
- To provide practical and safe tube feeding plans to patients and/ or their carers for use in the community
- To work autonomously when assessing patients, making clinical decisions, and evaluating outcomes of dietetic interventions asking for advice and support when required
- To advise on and order specialist nutritional and enteral feeding products as required, including enteral feeds and tube feeding ancillaries/pumps
- To advise on diabetes, lipid lowering, weight management, oral nutritional support and conditions requiring dietary input eg people with coeliac disease
- To accurately document and record data for all activities concerning patient care in accordance with the Trust and HEN Team policies.
- To work with other health and social care professionals outside the HEN team to ensure continuity of patient care.
Work force
- To be responsible to the Clinical Lead HEN Dietitian for Adults or Therapy lead at BIRU for non-HEN patients
- To work with dietetic members of the HEN Team to manage the dietetic caseload. Within this, to be responsible for managing own workload, including designated caseload, and be accountable and responsible for own professional actions
- To ensure safe practice through the development of a caseload management plan, taking into account risk management, documenting and reporting any critical incidents to the Clinical Lead HEN Dietitian for Adults
- To provide cover for the other dietitians within the HEN team during periods of staff absence
- To make all clinical decisions and judgments autonomously, guided by broad professional and organisational policies
- To be responsible for obtaining consent from patients and/or carers prior to dietetic intervention
- To exercise awareness of professional responsibilities by continuously up-dating personal knowledge and skills in order to maintain continuous professional development
- To actively participate in clinical supervision and appraisal process
- To effectively liaise with other HEN Team members and to regularly participate in team meetings
- To liaise with health care professionals regarding hospital discharges and/ or new referrals, offering joint visits if appropriate
- To demonstrate skilled clinical expertise within own team and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and act as a resource in the specialism of enteral nutrition and Brain injury
- To actively train, support and assess HEN team members in their extended roles
- To be involved in providing training and up to date information on enteral tube feeding to health and social care professionals across Lewisham, Southwark and Lambeth (acute and community) as requested
- To work with other members of the BIRU MDT to provide training sessions for staff which may include nutritional screening, diabetes, menu planning
- To participate in formal study days, giving presentations as appropriate
- To contribute to the training of student healthcare professionals as required
- To ensure all equipment defects, accidents, complaints and clinical incidents are reported to the HEN Service Lead and Trust incident reporting system ensuring necessary action is taken by those concerned
- To implement policies and propose areas for service development/ changes to practices and procedures for dietetics based on up to date evidence and guidance
- To be involved with research, audit and service improvement initiatives as required
- Any other duties appropriate to the grade as may be allocated by the Clinical Lead HEN Dietitian (Adult/ Children) or HEN Team Service Lead
Financial
- To monitor usage and stock control of enteral feed and related equipment used by patients as part of dietetic review to ensure appropriate ordering with limited wastage
- To have personal duty of care in relation to HEN Team equipment resource and stock control
- To ensure economical use of resources through example and teaching
Partnerships
- Communications and Relationships
- To communicate highly complex and sensitive information on nutrition and agree care plans using negotiation, counselling and behavioural change skills
- To communicate and work as an integral member of the HEN Team to ensure relevant information about the patient and any dietetic input is shared and documented appropriately and at the correct time
- To collaborate with patients, families, carers, and other members of the multi-disciplinary team around the most appropriate care for patients in relation to home enteral nutrition and those under the care of Blackheath Brain injury unit
- To provide support to other team members and health care professionals in the specialist area of home enteral tube feeding those under the care of Blackheath brain injury Unit
- To work with patients, families and carers who may have learning disabilities, mental health problems and challenging behaviours
- To work with patients where there are barriers to effective communication. This may require the use of interpreting services, communication aids and/ or accessible information
- To be responsible for receiving highly confidential, complex and sensitive information and will act within the appropriate local safeguarding policy
- To ensure that the enteral feed and equipment delivery company have accurate information on each patients enteral feeding requirements and that all regimen changes are communicated with adequate notice
- To provide timely feedback to Consultants, GPs and other health and social care professionals as required. This could be verbal or written
- To communicate and maintain good working relationships with health and social care professionals, Blackheath Brain injury Unit, feed company personnel and other agencies as necessary in order to provide co-ordinated patient-centred care
- To use written printed information, where appropriate, to supplement advice and information given verbally. This could include feeding plans, diet sheets and/or leaflets. To be able to adapt written information into visual/pictorial presentation
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Summary:
- Member of the multidisciplinary Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) Team
- To assist in the provision of the dietetic service provided by the HEN team across Lewisham, Lambeth and Southwark, including the assessment and dietetic management of a specialist dietetic caseload receiving HEN
- To work closely with HEN Team members and carry out activities that are an extension to the traditional dietetics role to ensure that patients, their families and carers receive care and advice on all aspects of tube feeding at home
- To provide dietetic support to Blackheath Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre and Neurological Care Centre (BIRU) and work closely with the MDT to ensure that patients, their families and carers receive appropriate advice
- To support the development of the dietetic service provided by the HEN Team in accordance with the Trusts and HEN team strategy
Key Result Areas & Performance:
- To provide expert, evidence based dietetic assessment and advice for people receiving home enteral nutrition
- To provide expert, evidence based dietetic assessment and advice to people with a brain injury at BIRU
- To work with other members of the MDT to provide specific training sessions for patients to help them meet their nutrition related goals
- To assist in the management of the dietetic caseload ensuring high quality dietetic care is delivered. This will include the review of patients at appropriate intervals according to prioritising criteria and clinical judgement
- To undertake multidisciplinary assessment and review of patients
- To collaborate with HEN team members and carry out extended roles to ensure that patients receive care and advice on all aspects of tube feeding at home
- To agree care plans with patients and/ or carers and work with other members of the MDT to help meet their nutrition-related goals
- To work with the catering manager at BIRU to assist with menu planning and provision of special diets eg people with coeliac disease
- To work in a variety of community settings, advising patients, carers and health and social care professionals by telephone, virtually and face to face. This could be in a patients own homes, day centre, nursing home or rehabilitation centre
- To provide practical and safe tube feeding plans to patients and/ or their carers for use in the community
- To work autonomously when assessing patients, making clinical decisions, and evaluating outcomes of dietetic interventions asking for advice and support when required
- To advise on and order specialist nutritional and enteral feeding products as required, including enteral feeds and tube feeding ancillaries/pumps
- To advise on diabetes, lipid lowering, weight management, oral nutritional support and conditions requiring dietary input eg people with coeliac disease
- To accurately document and record data for all activities concerning patient care in accordance with the Trust and HEN Team policies.
- To work with other health and social care professionals outside the HEN team to ensure continuity of patient care.
Work force
- To be responsible to the Clinical Lead HEN Dietitian for Adults or Therapy lead at BIRU for non-HEN patients
- To work with dietetic members of the HEN Team to manage the dietetic caseload. Within this, to be responsible for managing own workload, including designated caseload, and be accountable and responsible for own professional actions
- To ensure safe practice through the development of a caseload management plan, taking into account risk management, documenting and reporting any critical incidents to the Clinical Lead HEN Dietitian for Adults
- To provide cover for the other dietitians within the HEN team during periods of staff absence
- To make all clinical decisions and judgments autonomously, guided by broad professional and organisational policies
- To be responsible for obtaining consent from patients and/or carers prior to dietetic intervention
- To exercise awareness of professional responsibilities by continuously up-dating personal knowledge and skills in order to maintain continuous professional development
- To actively participate in clinical supervision and appraisal process
- To effectively liaise with other HEN Team members and to regularly participate in team meetings
- To liaise with health care professionals regarding hospital discharges and/ or new referrals, offering joint visits if appropriate
- To demonstrate skilled clinical expertise within own team and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and act as a resource in the specialism of enteral nutrition and Brain injury
- To actively train, support and assess HEN team members in their extended roles
- To be involved in providing training and up to date information on enteral tube feeding to health and social care professionals across Lewisham, Southwark and Lambeth (acute and community) as requested
- To work with other members of the BIRU MDT to provide training sessions for staff which may include nutritional screening, diabetes, menu planning
- To participate in formal study days, giving presentations as appropriate
- To contribute to the training of student healthcare professionals as required
- To ensure all equipment defects, accidents, complaints and clinical incidents are reported to the HEN Service Lead and Trust incident reporting system ensuring necessary action is taken by those concerned
- To implement policies and propose areas for service development/ changes to practices and procedures for dietetics based on up to date evidence and guidance
- To be involved with research, audit and service improvement initiatives as required
- Any other duties appropriate to the grade as may be allocated by the Clinical Lead HEN Dietitian (Adult/ Children) or HEN Team Service Lead
Financial
- To monitor usage and stock control of enteral feed and related equipment used by patients as part of dietetic review to ensure appropriate ordering with limited wastage
- To have personal duty of care in relation to HEN Team equipment resource and stock control
- To ensure economical use of resources through example and teaching
Partnerships
- Communications and Relationships
- To communicate highly complex and sensitive information on nutrition and agree care plans using negotiation, counselling and behavioural change skills
- To communicate and work as an integral member of the HEN Team to ensure relevant information about the patient and any dietetic input is shared and documented appropriately and at the correct time
- To collaborate with patients, families, carers, and other members of the multi-disciplinary team around the most appropriate care for patients in relation to home enteral nutrition and those under the care of Blackheath Brain injury unit
- To provide support to other team members and health care professionals in the specialist area of home enteral tube feeding those under the care of Blackheath brain injury Unit
- To work with patients, families and carers who may have learning disabilities, mental health problems and challenging behaviours
- To work with patients where there are barriers to effective communication. This may require the use of interpreting services, communication aids and/ or accessible information
- To be responsible for receiving highly confidential, complex and sensitive information and will act within the appropriate local safeguarding policy
- To ensure that the enteral feed and equipment delivery company have accurate information on each patients enteral feeding requirements and that all regimen changes are communicated with adequate notice
- To provide timely feedback to Consultants, GPs and other health and social care professionals as required. This could be verbal or written
- To communicate and maintain good working relationships with health and social care professionals, Blackheath Brain injury Unit, feed company personnel and other agencies as necessary in order to provide co-ordinated patient-centred care
- To use written printed information, where appropriate, to supplement advice and information given verbally. This could include feeding plans, diet sheets and/or leaflets. To be able to adapt written information into visual/pictorial presentation
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Evidence of: oBSc (Hons), PgDip or MSc in Dietetics or equivalent
- oCurrent registration with Health and Care Professions Council
- oMember of British Dietetic Association Continuous professional development
Desirable
- Evidence of: oPost graduate training in nutritional support
- oTraining in motivational interviewing or similar
- oMember of BDA specialist group
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of: oProviding nutrition support to complex patients
- oWorking as part of a multidisciplinary team
- oWorking with a diverse caseload
- oSafe management of own workload and diary
- oAdapting style of communication to suit variety of situations
Desirable
- Evidence of: oMultidisciplinary goal setting
- oWorking in the community
- oCommunicating complex and emotive information
- oAppropriate use of electronic records
- oParticipation in audit and research
- oInvolvement in student training/ training others
Knowledge
Essential
- Evidence of: oSound knowledge of tube feeding and oral nutrition support including administration and products
- oUnderstanding roles within a multidisciplinary team and how they may work together for the benefit of a patient
- oKnowledge of lone worker safety and community working
- oComputer literacy, including use of Microsoft Office
Desirable
- Evidence of: oUnderstanding the use of a range of anthropometric measurements
- oUnderstanding the protection of vulnerable adults
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Evidence of: oBSc (Hons), PgDip or MSc in Dietetics or equivalent
- oCurrent registration with Health and Care Professions Council
- oMember of British Dietetic Association Continuous professional development
Desirable
- Evidence of: oPost graduate training in nutritional support
- oTraining in motivational interviewing or similar
- oMember of BDA specialist group
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of: oProviding nutrition support to complex patients
- oWorking as part of a multidisciplinary team
- oWorking with a diverse caseload
- oSafe management of own workload and diary
- oAdapting style of communication to suit variety of situations
Desirable
- Evidence of: oMultidisciplinary goal setting
- oWorking in the community
- oCommunicating complex and emotive information
- oAppropriate use of electronic records
- oParticipation in audit and research
- oInvolvement in student training/ training others
Knowledge
Essential
- Evidence of: oSound knowledge of tube feeding and oral nutrition support including administration and products
- oUnderstanding roles within a multidisciplinary team and how they may work together for the benefit of a patient
- oKnowledge of lone worker safety and community working
- oComputer literacy, including use of Microsoft Office
Desirable
- Evidence of: oUnderstanding the use of a range of anthropometric measurements
- oUnderstanding the protection of vulnerable adults
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).
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).
