Community Paediatric Dietitian

Job responsibilities

Job Description:

The dietitians in the Islington Additional Needs and Disability Service (IANDS) are recognised experts in nutrition and diet therapy serving our diverse local community. We work to promote health through good nutrition on an individual, community and population level using up to date evidence based principles.

Supported by band 7 and band 8a Dietitians, this post will provide a comprehensive service to children in Islington including: paediatric dietetic clinics, children in special schools and dietetic support for babies and children at home. This includes weight management, fussy eating and extremely fussy eating, faltering growth, CMPA, nutritional deficiencies, oral nutritional support and home enteral feeding. There is potential for the post holder to continue to develop feeding therapy in special schools and in the community.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities are to be carried out by the post holder, and where necessary, with the assistance of a more senior member of staff i.e. in situations of complexity or when performing a task for the first time.

Dietitians at this grade will have post registration dietetic experience and sufficient post-graduate training, experience and knowledge in paediatric dietetic practice to enable them to deliver high standards of clinical care working as an autonomous practitioner. You will be based across various sites in Islington.

Once established in post there is the possibility of flexible working and some home working.

Clinical responsibilities will include:

To be responsible for the development and provision or a comprehensive and effective evidence based dietetic service for paediatric patients and their families and carers in Islington.

To triage and run general paediatric dietetic clinics for 0-18year olds providing support for weight management, fussy eating and extremely fussy eating, faltering growth, CMPA, nutritional deficiencies and other nutritional concerns.

To hold a caseload and provide, dietetic assessment, advice and monitoring regarding children who have complex health and/ or neurodisability (cerebral palsy, syndromes, profound and multiple learning disabilities).To provide specialist intervention to patients requiring Home Enteral Tube Feeding or Oral Nutritional Supplements.

To carry out growth measurements on babies and children through height and weight assessments, and ensuring correct equipment is used whilst carrying out growth assessments.

To calculate Body Mass index, protein/ energy intakes, vitamin and nutritional intake of children, in order to meet the nutritional demands and expected reference nutrient intakes.To understand and interpret the medical assessments and treatments i.e. medications, investigations, which may affect nutritional management.To monitor and review the progress of children in caseload and facilitate the development of care plans as appropriate using evaluation and outcome measures.To carry out full dietary assessments providing comprehensive treatment/ care plans, and giving specialist advice to patients, carers and clinicians.

To work as part of a team as well as autonomously.To co-ordinate and assist with nutritional aspect of hospital discharges.

To support the effective transition of children between childrens centres/ nurseries and schools as well as post school provision to adult services with regards to nutrition.

To undertake home visits, as necessary, in compliance with the Trust Home Visiting Safety Policy.

To reflect on clinical practice, identifying strengths and needs and providing evidence of sound clinical judgement.To act professionally and adhere to national best practice guidance and BDA guidance at all times.To maintain accurate and comprehensive records of dietary advice given to patients and record clinical decisions in accordance with BDA and Trust/ legal standards, and to communicate treatment outcomes with other professionals as appropriate.

To keep accurate records of dietetic contact and keep statistics in accordance with departmental requirements.

To be professionally and legally responsible/ accountable for the management of your own clinical caseload and to organise this effectively with regards to clinical priority.To ensure the practice is adapted to meet individual/ client needs/circumstances; taking into account cultural and linguistic backgrounds.To be responsible for maintaining up to date knowledge of Child Protection procedures and attend professional or strategy meetings at the request of the Area Child Protection Team/Social services. To ensure mandatory child protection training is attended.To carry out other duties as requested.

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• 4 year Nutrition and Dietetic degree or equivalent
• HCPC registration
• Evidence of CPD/attendance at recent post graduate courses/training

Desirable

• Involvement in relevant special clinical interest groups
• Completion of BDA modules

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Clinical experience working with paediatrics
• Experience of home enteral tube feeding
• Multi agency and multi disciplinary work
• Able to work independently
• Participated in audit and/or research and/or report writing
• Health Promotion

Desirable

• Clinical experience working in a community setting including paediatrics
• Experience in feeding therapy i.e. SOS
• Experience of working with children and families with complex needs
• Experience of Non IgE mediated allergy
• Supervision of student dietitians
• Nutritional education of professional colleagues, general public and patients
• Involvement in staff appraisal schemes

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Working knowledge of government policies and local priorities for health
• Proficiency in the use of information technology and its application to dietetics ie work, excel, powerpoint

Desirable

• Experience of working in a multicultural inner city area

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Excellent verbal communication
• Excellent written communication
• Team worker
• Good time management and planning ability
• Problem solving approach
• Ablity to evaluate work and undertake research and audit projects
• Flexible approach to service provision
• Motivated accepts a challenge and shows initiative

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).