Job summary
Are you a dietitian who is passionate about working with adults with eating disorders, looking for a senior role?
We are seeking an enthusiastic eating disorder dietitian to join our dedicated eating disorder outpatient team. You will be experienced in working with people with eating disorders, be ambitious and have outstanding clinical skills.
Career Progression pathways and development opportunities:
We are committed to getting the very best out of our staff and support staff in their career aspirations. We have career pathways available, where you will be able to develop your skills and build on your experience to progress into other roles across different specialties. In addition, we offer ongoing training and development.
Main duties of the job
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated and experienced dietitian to join our dedicated eating disorder outpatient team. The successful candidate will have a substantial experience in working with people with eating disorders and will be an influential and senior member of a multidisciplinary team.
You will provide comprehensive care to individuals with eating disorders, delivering dietetic assessments and therapeutic interventions in an outpatient setting. You will be an expert in your field and provide consultation and training to other professionals within the trust and externally as required. You will be innovative and dedicated to service improvement, developing, and implementing best practices within the service.
Agile and flexible working:
As one of the few Trusts in London we are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working at the interview stage.
About us
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety ofbenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
About our locations:
Springfield University Hospital, Tooting
Our largest, 19-ward site is in Springfield Village, created following our £150m investment into two new world class mental health facilities. A 32-acre public park, shops and cafes are coming soon. Close to shops, cafes and Tooting Bec on the Northern Line plus Earlsfield and Tooting rail stations and bus routes.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical
- To provide a specialist dietetic service to adults with eating disorders in an outpatient setting. This involves working with patients and multidisciplinary team members to identify and address the complex psychological and social factors that affect compliance with dietary treatment, thus enabling long term / permanent lifestyle changes.
- To provide specialist advice to patients with eating disorders deemed to be at high physical risk.
- To undertake comprehensive assessments of each patients diet and lifestyle to formulate individualised management and treatment plans ensuring optimal outcome whilst minimising risk. The assessments include interpreting biochemical data and using quantitative/ qualitative analysis of nutritional information.
- To be aware of and able to identify patients at high psychiatric risk (e.g. of suicide) and liaise with the multidisciplinary team regarding the management of risk in these patients
- To communicate effectively with patients. This involves giving dietary advice to patients with multifaceted emotional, physical and psychological problems where acceptance is potentially difficult This will also occasionally involve working in conditions requiring the ability to react sensitively where patients have a history of physical, sexual and/ or mental abuse.
- To work autonomously within the eating disorders team with little or no daily supervision
- To run group teaching on dietetic issues for patients to aid recovery from their eating disorder
- To be aware of and be able to identify patients at high psychiatric risk and liaise with the team regarding the management of these patients
- To promote awareness of the role of the dietitian within the services, negotiating priorities where appropriate.
- To work effectively as a team member of the dietetic service, providing a flexible service, covering as appropriate other dietetic services. This will include complex enteral feeding (PEG and nasogastric feeds) and cover for the inpatient EDS
- To maintain a high standard of clinical practice.
- To work as a member of the multidisciplinary/ integrated team, establishing collaborative working relationships, sharing skills and information.
- To be actively involved in clinical team meetings, and care plan review meetings as required.
- To be responsible for clinical equipment used by the dietetic team, ensuring that all departmental policies are adhered to & safe use by other staff and clients.
Communication
- To use advanced communication skills of persuasion, motivation and explanation. This may include cognitive behavioural therapy.
- To communicate with referring agents and other agents as necessary through personal, written, telephone contact and email
- To communicate effectively with service users and carers for whom there may be significant barriers to understanding using a range of verbal and non verbal communication skills and taking account of a range of intellectual and communication abilities and mental health and emotional states.
- To communicate effectively with all MDT members, actively involved in treatment planning.
- To establish effective communication networks with dietitians and other colleagues
- To use skills and knowledge in a consultative manner where appropriate, providing specialist advice and support to service users, professional staff and other relevant agencies.
- To advise the Head of Physical Therapies on professional and clinical issues relating to nutrition, dietetics or clinical governance issues.
- To liaise with Dietitians at acute hospitals and primary care regarding patients being transferred between services.
Documentation
- To maintain accurate & timely clinical records of care assessment / progress / discharge reports via the electronic records system (RIO) for all clients in accordance with Trust policies.
- To be responsible for diet sheets, information and other literature for the care groups that the job encompasses.
- To ensure that clinical documentation is maintained in accordance with professional and service / documentation standards, for own & delegated responsibilities.
- To provide clinical reports as required in line with professional guidance and relevant clinical pathways.
- To maintain administrative and statistical information as required and submit it in a timely manner and to ensure that activity data is recorded in accordance with Trust policies.
Professional Ethics
- To adhere to the professions Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
- To exercise good personal time management, punctuality, reliable attendance & appropriate professional behaviours at all times.
- To be apply relevant professional standards and participate in audit as appropriate.
- To act as a resource for colleagues may seek specialist knowledge, or information about Dietetics in Mental Health.
- To respect the values, individuality, cultural and religious diversity of service users and to develop services appropriately.
- To demonstrate continuing fitness to practice through maintaining registration with HPC and compliance with their standards.
- To undertake relevant activities to meet identified training objectives.
- To maintain a CPD file & record of training / development and to fully meet the B7 Dietitian KSF outline.
Leadership, Supervision & Appraisal
- To be able to demonstrate self management (managing own emotions and displaying resilience in complex / demanding situations).
- To participate in regular professional and operational supervision and engage in annual development reviews.
- To supervise the junior dietetic staff working in EDS
- To proactively engage in continuing professional development and maintain evidence in line with HPC and KSF responsibilities
Training
- To act as a resource for junior members of dietetic staff.
- To be responsible for organising the rolling programme of pre-treatment education sessions for patients and carers awaiting treatment with the Eating Disorders Service.
- To run group teaching and menu planning sessions on dietetic issues for patients to aid recovery from their eating disorder
- To provide advice, teaching and instruction to other professionals and other relevant agencies, to promote an understanding of the aims of dietetics and to ensure a consistent approach to client care.
- To provide specialist advice, teaching and training to other members of the multidisciplinary/integrated team including supervision of any devolved clinical techniques.
- Assist with the induction of dietetic staff, including agency staff when necessary.
- To provide teaching and lecturing to medical, nursing and other staff on eating disorders on a regular basis
- To provide input for the training of student Dietitians on the B and C placement programme
- To provide training and supervision to nursing and therapy staff to enable them to give basic dietetic advice to patients of low physical risk treated by the eating disorders team and to advise medical staff on the nutritional care of their patients
- To receive and deliver relevant in-service training and attend courses in line with service and team objectives and continual professional development as agreed with the dietetic team leader
- Act as a source of advice, training and post graduate education to other Dietitians within the Trust.
Service Development & Delivery
- To ensure that there is dietetic advice to support the monitoring of the Trusts catering contracts and delivery of a positive patient experience at mealtimes
- To participate in dietetic team meetings
- To keep up to date with clinical developments and introduce new practices as appropriate within the service.
- To provide specialist advice to support compliance with national standards.
- To advise on health promotion / preventative work from a nutrition and dietetic perspective.
- To engage in the development and implementation of relevant care pathways.
- Demonstrate the ability gather information from a wide range of resources to inform service development.
Clinical Governance, Quality & Standards
- To comply with all Trust policies.
- Ensure adherence to all Health & Safety policies, helping clinical teams manage risks, and taking responsibility for monitoring safety of working practice.
- To implement National Service Framework, National Institute of Clinical Excellence Guidance and clinical governance legislation/risk management within the speciality.
- Continual drive to improve the quality of own work.
- To actively engage in practice development, evaluation, audit, local standard & outcome measure development relevant to area of practice and in line with Trust priorities.
- To promote evidence based practice.
- To contribute to the development of clinical governance and the quality agenda for nutrition and dietetics.
Other
- To maintain stock supplies as an authorised signatory for tools, feeds and equipment budgets across the Trust.
- The post holder must hold a current driving license/be able to use own car during working hours or travel efficiently between sites.
- The post holder must be prepared to work some evenings/weekends if required.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical
- To provide a specialist dietetic service to adults with eating disorders in an outpatient setting. This involves working with patients and multidisciplinary team members to identify and address the complex psychological and social factors that affect compliance with dietary treatment, thus enabling long term / permanent lifestyle changes.
- To provide specialist advice to patients with eating disorders deemed to be at high physical risk.
- To undertake comprehensive assessments of each patients diet and lifestyle to formulate individualised management and treatment plans ensuring optimal outcome whilst minimising risk. The assessments include interpreting biochemical data and using quantitative/ qualitative analysis of nutritional information.
- To be aware of and able to identify patients at high psychiatric risk (e.g. of suicide) and liaise with the multidisciplinary team regarding the management of risk in these patients
- To communicate effectively with patients. This involves giving dietary advice to patients with multifaceted emotional, physical and psychological problems where acceptance is potentially difficult This will also occasionally involve working in conditions requiring the ability to react sensitively where patients have a history of physical, sexual and/ or mental abuse.
- To work autonomously within the eating disorders team with little or no daily supervision
- To run group teaching on dietetic issues for patients to aid recovery from their eating disorder
- To be aware of and be able to identify patients at high psychiatric risk and liaise with the team regarding the management of these patients
- To promote awareness of the role of the dietitian within the services, negotiating priorities where appropriate.
- To work effectively as a team member of the dietetic service, providing a flexible service, covering as appropriate other dietetic services. This will include complex enteral feeding (PEG and nasogastric feeds) and cover for the inpatient EDS
- To maintain a high standard of clinical practice.
- To work as a member of the multidisciplinary/ integrated team, establishing collaborative working relationships, sharing skills and information.
- To be actively involved in clinical team meetings, and care plan review meetings as required.
- To be responsible for clinical equipment used by the dietetic team, ensuring that all departmental policies are adhered to & safe use by other staff and clients.
Communication
- To use advanced communication skills of persuasion, motivation and explanation. This may include cognitive behavioural therapy.
- To communicate with referring agents and other agents as necessary through personal, written, telephone contact and email
- To communicate effectively with service users and carers for whom there may be significant barriers to understanding using a range of verbal and non verbal communication skills and taking account of a range of intellectual and communication abilities and mental health and emotional states.
- To communicate effectively with all MDT members, actively involved in treatment planning.
- To establish effective communication networks with dietitians and other colleagues
- To use skills and knowledge in a consultative manner where appropriate, providing specialist advice and support to service users, professional staff and other relevant agencies.
- To advise the Head of Physical Therapies on professional and clinical issues relating to nutrition, dietetics or clinical governance issues.
- To liaise with Dietitians at acute hospitals and primary care regarding patients being transferred between services.
Documentation
- To maintain accurate & timely clinical records of care assessment / progress / discharge reports via the electronic records system (RIO) for all clients in accordance with Trust policies.
- To be responsible for diet sheets, information and other literature for the care groups that the job encompasses.
- To ensure that clinical documentation is maintained in accordance with professional and service / documentation standards, for own & delegated responsibilities.
- To provide clinical reports as required in line with professional guidance and relevant clinical pathways.
- To maintain administrative and statistical information as required and submit it in a timely manner and to ensure that activity data is recorded in accordance with Trust policies.
Professional Ethics
- To adhere to the professions Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
- To exercise good personal time management, punctuality, reliable attendance & appropriate professional behaviours at all times.
- To be apply relevant professional standards and participate in audit as appropriate.
- To act as a resource for colleagues may seek specialist knowledge, or information about Dietetics in Mental Health.
- To respect the values, individuality, cultural and religious diversity of service users and to develop services appropriately.
- To demonstrate continuing fitness to practice through maintaining registration with HPC and compliance with their standards.
- To undertake relevant activities to meet identified training objectives.
- To maintain a CPD file & record of training / development and to fully meet the B7 Dietitian KSF outline.
Leadership, Supervision & Appraisal
- To be able to demonstrate self management (managing own emotions and displaying resilience in complex / demanding situations).
- To participate in regular professional and operational supervision and engage in annual development reviews.
- To supervise the junior dietetic staff working in EDS
- To proactively engage in continuing professional development and maintain evidence in line with HPC and KSF responsibilities
Training
- To act as a resource for junior members of dietetic staff.
- To be responsible for organising the rolling programme of pre-treatment education sessions for patients and carers awaiting treatment with the Eating Disorders Service.
- To run group teaching and menu planning sessions on dietetic issues for patients to aid recovery from their eating disorder
- To provide advice, teaching and instruction to other professionals and other relevant agencies, to promote an understanding of the aims of dietetics and to ensure a consistent approach to client care.
- To provide specialist advice, teaching and training to other members of the multidisciplinary/integrated team including supervision of any devolved clinical techniques.
- Assist with the induction of dietetic staff, including agency staff when necessary.
- To provide teaching and lecturing to medical, nursing and other staff on eating disorders on a regular basis
- To provide input for the training of student Dietitians on the B and C placement programme
- To provide training and supervision to nursing and therapy staff to enable them to give basic dietetic advice to patients of low physical risk treated by the eating disorders team and to advise medical staff on the nutritional care of their patients
- To receive and deliver relevant in-service training and attend courses in line with service and team objectives and continual professional development as agreed with the dietetic team leader
- Act as a source of advice, training and post graduate education to other Dietitians within the Trust.
Service Development & Delivery
- To ensure that there is dietetic advice to support the monitoring of the Trusts catering contracts and delivery of a positive patient experience at mealtimes
- To participate in dietetic team meetings
- To keep up to date with clinical developments and introduce new practices as appropriate within the service.
- To provide specialist advice to support compliance with national standards.
- To advise on health promotion / preventative work from a nutrition and dietetic perspective.
- To engage in the development and implementation of relevant care pathways.
- Demonstrate the ability gather information from a wide range of resources to inform service development.
Clinical Governance, Quality & Standards
- To comply with all Trust policies.
- Ensure adherence to all Health & Safety policies, helping clinical teams manage risks, and taking responsibility for monitoring safety of working practice.
- To implement National Service Framework, National Institute of Clinical Excellence Guidance and clinical governance legislation/risk management within the speciality.
- Continual drive to improve the quality of own work.
- To actively engage in practice development, evaluation, audit, local standard & outcome measure development relevant to area of practice and in line with Trust priorities.
- To promote evidence based practice.
- To contribute to the development of clinical governance and the quality agenda for nutrition and dietetics.
Other
- To maintain stock supplies as an authorised signatory for tools, feeds and equipment budgets across the Trust.
- The post holder must hold a current driving license/be able to use own car during working hours or travel efficiently between sites.
- The post holder must be prepared to work some evenings/weekends if required.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oDegree in Nutrition and Dietetics
- oWorking towards/achieved relevant MSc
- oHCPC registration
- oFull and current drivers license
- oEvidence of continuing professional and personal development
Desirable
- oMember of the British Dietetic Association and the Specialist Mental Health Group
- oCounselling skills training
- oCompleted BDA course on Eating Disorders
Experience
Essential
- oPost graduate experience with significant experience working at specialist level
- oEvidence of and experience of working with mental health service users
- oExperience of working in a multidisciplinary team
- oExperience of providing clinical supervision for junior dietitians
- oExperience in the development of Dietetic services
- oDietetics experience related to food provision and catering
Desirable
- oExperience of working with service users with eating disorders
- oExperience of using Cognitive behavioural techniques
- oEvidence and experience of working with mental health service users
- oEvidence of participation in audit/ research
- oLived experience of mental health problems
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oDegree in Nutrition and Dietetics
- oWorking towards/achieved relevant MSc
- oHCPC registration
- oFull and current drivers license
- oEvidence of continuing professional and personal development
Desirable
- oMember of the British Dietetic Association and the Specialist Mental Health Group
- oCounselling skills training
- oCompleted BDA course on Eating Disorders
Experience
Essential
- oPost graduate experience with significant experience working at specialist level
- oEvidence of and experience of working with mental health service users
- oExperience of working in a multidisciplinary team
- oExperience of providing clinical supervision for junior dietitians
- oExperience in the development of Dietetic services
- oDietetics experience related to food provision and catering
Desirable
- oExperience of working with service users with eating disorders
- oExperience of using Cognitive behavioural techniques
- oEvidence and experience of working with mental health service users
- oEvidence of participation in audit/ research
- oLived experience of mental health problems
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).
