Detailed job description and main responsibilities

It is essential that candidates enjoy and are skilled in multidisciplinary work, which is a central part of this role. Our diabetes services is delivered jointly in collaboration with other professions including doctors, specialist nurses and midwives. Previous knowledge and experience of working with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes is required. As the area of diabetes is evolving with fast paced changes to treatment options and technology, candidates should have enthusiasm for developing new skills, service development and quality improvement work.

In addition to excellent communication skills, candidates should be organised and self-motivated to prioritise and schedule own workload across out- patient and community settings. Candidates should have experience, knowledge, and skills in supporting behaviour change, delivering group education and different counselling methods e.g., motivational interviewing. 

Our dietetic team is privileged to have support from administrative staff and also good connections with other specialist dietetics teams within the Newcastle acute hospitals. You will be supported by the lead diabetes dietitian, 5 established diabetes specialist dietitians, the manager of the community dietetics team and head of dietetics. We are also committed to training A, B and C dietetic students (currently from Leeds Beckett and Newcastle Universities) and the successful candidate will be required to supervise students. The team is committed to supporting staff development and encourages research, audit and CPD opportunities.

The post holder will join our friendly diabetes team based in modern offices at the diabetes centre (Freeman Hospital).  You will be required to work at locations across Newcastle; A car driver is beneficial for this post and there is a requirement to carry teaching resources and set up community rooms for education sessions including arranging bariatric chairs and setting up scales. Agile/flex working is supported by issue of mobile kit (laptop, mobile phone). Newcastle Hospitals is a paperlite hospital and as such our community service uses electronic patient records (Systm 1).

The post holder will be required to:

• Organise and deliver a high-quality dietetic service to patients at the Newcastle Diabetes Centre (FRH) and the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
• Maintain high standards of record keeping and professionalism in line with HCPC standards
• Have a keen interest and experience in the areas of diabetes and maternal health
• Adaptable to seeing patients both 1:1 and in groups, utilising face:face and tel modes of communication
• Deliver education and training to health care professionals and students as required
• Participate in team and multi-disciplinary audit, research and service improvement work
• Attend and participate in MDT meetings and dietetic meetings
• Ensure compliance with our clinical governance framework and trust values. You will work in a manner which motivates colleagues, champions service user safety, dignity and drives continuous self and service improvement

You should be enthusiastic and self-motivated and will:

• Have a broad knowledge of general dietetics and evidence of continuous professional development
• Excellent communication skills to support patients, students, and other health professionals
• Enjoy MDT working  
• Have an interest in facilitating group education to both patients and staff 
• Be experienced and interested in developing more advanced communication skills to aid behavior change
• Have basic keyboard skills
• Be flexible, able to prioritise and  organise work, also meet deadlines